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short of breath. Near the end of the fetal developmental

stage she may experience pelvic discomfort because the fetus

is settling into the position that he will be born by, head

down near the pelvis. Insomnia may also be an occurrence

days prior to the delivery. The mother may feel false labor

pains which can be uncomfortable.

Labor

There are three signs that can warn the mother that

labor is beginning, there are regular contractions, the

membrane ruptures (”water breaking”), and mucus mixed with

blood. During the last month of pregnancy there are usually

contractions that don’t mean much. When the contractions

are less then about ten minutes apart then that is a sure

sign that labor has begun. Sometimes labor will begin with

the amniotic fluid flowing out of the vagina. This means

the amniotic sac around the fetus has ruptured and the

mother should get to the hospital immediately. “The uterus

was contracting, or squeezing, to push you out into the

world (Cole,1984,p.30).

Once the mother is at the hospital she will find it a

nice place to be. The hospital equipment has changed over

the years and the mother should be quite comfortable. Most

of the time the mother will have someone with her, such as a

mother or her husband.

Labor most likely happens in three stages. First the

dilatation stage begins. This starts when the contractions

begin or the water breaks. During this stage the cervix, or

the opening at the bottom of the uterus, is expanding and

opening to a larger size. When the cervix is fully dilated

it is about four inches across. While all this is happening

the fetus’s head is settling into the birthing position.

This stage of labor is the longest and can take anywhere

from six to twenty hours. If the mother has given birth

before the time will be less.

The second stage of labor is called the expulsion

stage. This stage lasts from the time that the cervix is

fully dilated until the baby is born. This is the stage

where the mother has to push the fetus out of the uterus.

This stage of labor normally takes from just about a few

minutes to a little over an hour.

The last stage of the delivery is called the delivery

of the placenta. It begins right after the baby is born

until the entire placenta is expelled from the uterus. This

stage normally takes about fifteen minutes to complete. But

it could take up to an hour. This stage is usually the

easiest of the three.

The fetus has a lot of stress being put on him when he

is being born. During the contractions the fetus has a

small lack of oxygen due too the pressure being put on the

placenta and the umbilical cord. During the contractions

the fetus’s heartrate slows down but regains its strength in

between the contractions. This phase of labor is very

punishing on the fetus and the adrenal glands start

producing massive amounts of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

The adrenaline is important because it helps to keep the

heart going if the oxygen supply is cut off. It keeps the

blood flowing to the sensitive brain and raises blood-sugar

levels. The adrenaline also helps to clear the lungs of the

liquid that has been in their since the beginning of the

fetus’s life. It also helps to prepare the lung for

breathing in the outside air. Once out of the mother the

babies umbilical cord is cut and the baby is on his own.

The mother may experience great pain during this phase

of the pregnancy. To help her relax the husband will

usually give her a massage. Just having the father there

will make the mother be more comfortable. If she feels the

need for pain relievers there are several kinds. She could

be given pethidine but that would affect the baby. Another

option is inhaling a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen.

She could also be given a local anesthetic to the nerves of

the cervix to relieve the pain. But the most common type of

pain relief is the epidural anesthetic. It numbs the nerves

right as the come out of the spinal cord.

After Birth

After the baby is born he is checked by a nurse,

measured, and weighed. Then he is wrapped in a blanket and

given to the mother. The baby is then moves towards the

mother’s breast by instinct. This helps to teach the baby

how to suck. The baby will feed up to ten times a day. The

mother’s breasts may become swollen and tender due to the

production of milk. The mother’s milk is loaded with

nutrients and minerals that is essential to the development

of the baby. It is recommended that the child be

breast-feed for at least 3 months and if at all possible

longer.

Bibliography

Cole, J. (1984). How You Were Born. New York: William

Morrow and Company, Inc.

Goliers Encyclopedia (CD-ROM). (1997). Fetal

Development.

Multimedia Encyclopedia (CD-ROM). (1992). Fetal

Development.

Nilsson, L. (1990). How You Were Born. New York: Delacorte

Press/Seymour Lawrence.

Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., Silverstein, R.

(1994). The Reproductive System. New York: Twenty- First

Century Books.

Vaughan, C. (1996). How Life Begins. United States: Times

Books.

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