Normal Delivery-Tips and Preparation

Pregnancy is a time to celebrate. The incredible journey towards motherhood is a blissful experience but at the same time, your body goes through a lot of changes externally and internally. It is natural for you to have endless queries about a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery. So here we are, to tell you all about how to prepare for normal delivery, tips for easy normal delivery, its benefits, and how you can go through it with ease and comfort.

Table of Content

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:

1. What is a Normal Delivery?
2. How to Prepare for Normal Delivery?
3. What are the benefits of Normal Delivery?
4. Tips for Painless Normal Delivery
5. How can you Increase your strength For Normal Delivery?

Take Away

1. What is normal delivery?

Also called a vaginal delivery it is a completely natural process of giving birth to a child through the vagina without any medical procedure. There are 3 stages of a normal delivery:

• First Stage (Cervical Dilatation): The cervix (Cylinder shaped tissue connecting the vagina and the uterus) gets thinner and starts to open up. It has three phases, Early, Active, and Transition Phases. The opening starts around 3 cm and widens to around 10 cm (Fully opened) until the transition phase . You must reach the hospital when you start perceiving labour pains.
• Second Stage -Expulsion of the fetus: At this stage, the baby is pushed out through the vaginal canal. It is the actual birth of the child. The uterine contractions are intense, longer, and painful and last for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Third Stage (Placenta Delivery): it is the last stage, where the entire placenta (a flat circular organ that helps in the nutrition of the unborn baby) comes out through the vagina.

2. How to prepare for normal delivery?

Although the type of delivery depends on lots of factors, certain guidelines can help you, improve your chances of a normal healthy delivery:

• Choose an experienced gynecologist: This is very important as he/she will be your pregnancy partner all through your journey. Do extensive research and choose a well-experienced doctor who has good rates for normal delivery and is in line with your thoughts and wishes.
• Get prepared to face contractions: Since childbirth occurs through uterine contractions, you must be well prepared for this. Certain exercises like gradual deep squats, yoga, pilates and lamaze breathing or controlled breathing can help you prepare to bear labor pains.
• Watch your weight: Must be regularly monitored and must be around what the doctor expects and advises. Being either over or underweight can be harmful.
• Take a healthy diet: Eat a balanced diet with all the required nutrients for your and your baby's healthy growth and development. It must be iron, calcium, and protein-rich diet and avoid canned and synthetic, fried foods. Always follow your doctor's and nutritionist’s advice.
• Follow an exercise routine: Exercise regularly for building stamina, control weight gain, and to get through the labor pain. A daily walk, pelvic stretches, yoga, and breathing exercises are very beneficial but always consult your doctor and do them under supervision.
• Always stay positive, happy, and motivated: Be cheerful and think positive which will go a long way for preparing you for normal delivery. Hearing good and soft music also helps in mood elevation.
• Have a lot of water and stay hydrated.
• Have adequate sleep and be stress-free.
• Have regular antenatal visits.

3. What are the benefits of normal delivery?

Natural birthing is always the first option for everybody, but why? Let us see:

• Lesser risk and healthier for both mother and child: The baby receives the mother’s touch instantly and bonding is instantaneous. Unlike surgery, there are lesser risks of infection and delayed wound healing in some cases.
• Breastfeeding with ease: The natural birth will help in producing adequate milk for the baby and you can easily feed the baby without any restricted movements and pain.
• early mobility and early resumption of daily activity As there is no surgery, the mother recovers and gains strength quickly.
• Lower risks of respiratory problems: The pressure by the vaginal walls removes the fluid inside the baby’s lungs, helping them to breathe better and causing relatively lesser respiratory problems later.
• Fewer complications in future pregnancies: There is no risk of tearing in the uterus etc. in future pregnancies, as there are no scars or stitches.
• Short hospital stay
• Feeling of empowerment and accomplishment.

4. Tips for painless normal delivery:

• Be stress-free: Always stay away from anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts.
• exercise regularly: Certain exercises will prepare you to cope up with the labor pains and it will be much easier to bear it.
• Keep your posture correct: This helps to smoothly glide the baby with minimal pain. Keep your back supported, do not stand or sit in folded or stretched out legs for long.
• Regular perineal massage helps your body be ready for normal delivery: it minimizes pain and stress and helps to relax. Your doctor will tell you how to do a perineal massage.
• Deep breathing exercises: helps you to relieve stress and focus more.
• Walking and swimming: These keep you active and fit, regulate your heartbeat and strengthen muscles.
• Acupressure might also help to relieve pain.
• 8-10 hours of undisturbed sleep.

There are certain methods for normal delivery that can minimize pain and make your delivery more comforting.

• Water delivery and Hydrotherapy: it is a technique to soak yourself in a warm water-filled tub which comforts your body, makes you feel light, and reduces pain. The doctors and nurses will help with proper positioning for the most comfortable delivery.
• Epidural Injection: An anesthetic solution is injected into the spinal cord which alleviates pain and eases labor. Some side effects like difficulty in walking, standing because of numbness, longer labor, difficulty in urination etc may happen. Seek your doctor’s advice.

You need to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself by regular self-motivation and positive thinking. Avoid negative and fearful thoughts and think about the beautiful outcome you will soon be getting. Try to read good books and listen to soothing music. This will help to make your delivery smooth with less pain and exhaustion.

5. How can you increase your strength for normal delivery?

It is very important to gather and harness your inner strength and willpower for stress-free delivery. Some of the tips are:

• stay active
• exercise regularly
• eat healthy
• take plenty of liquids
• adequate rest

Take every day as it comes and do not over prepare yourself. Healthy mother and healthy baby is what you, your family and your doctor look for.

Trust yourself but always remember if there is a medical justification and a C- section is advised by your doctor, then it is important to trust and follow his/her advice.

Take Away

Visit Dr.Puja’s clinic, Daksh clinic, which is the most preferred and leading clinic for women’s health issues in Delhi NCR. Dr.Puja Sharma is the best doctor with vast experience in managing all forms of normal and high risk pregnancies, you will be assured of personal care, privacy, comfort, and the best care possible.