Childbirth is the long-awaited day - the end of gestation and the moment of delivery. Labour is said to begin with the onset of regular uterine contractions. With each contraction, a little more of the baby's head appears, and after about 15 minutes, the rest of the body comes out by itself and the umbilical cord is cut down.

THE LABOUR

Labour process of birth is a joint effort between the foetus and the mother. Labour is divided into four stages :

• Dilation: Starts with the contractions ;
• Expulsion: The foetus travels down the birth canal ;
• Delivery ;
• Delivery of the placenta.

Once the umbilical cord is cut, the newborn begins to breathe independently with its own respiratory system.

CONTRACTIONS

The regular and frequent contractions of the uterus generally appear on the date of delivery. They are indispensable for childbirth to be natural and spontaneous. The uterus is a muscle, and each contraction shortens the muscle fibres of the cervix and contracts it to open it. The stage of contractions is the first phase of labour and the most important. If it proceeds normally, the baby will come out of the uterus naturally and begin its journey to the outside. Without contractions, the mother will not be able to push the baby, and it will be necessary to resort to assisted-labour techniques.

Pushing the Foetus

1. In preparation for delivery the mother's uterus begins to contract at short intervals.
2. The mother's uterus contracts, putting more pressure on the upper part and pushing the foetus, which begins its descent.
3. The opening of the cervix dilates gradually with each contraction. The dilation is complete when it reaches 10 cm.

The Cervix

The contractions of the uterus cause the gradual dilation of the cervix. It dilates completely when the opening is 10 cm in diameter. From this moment, labour passes to the second stage.

RELAXATION 

After each contraction, the mother should be able to relax the uterus so that the foetus gets enough oxygen. Without relaxation, the amount of blood reaching the foetus is reduced because the uterus flattens the blood vessels as it contracts.

Less Pain

• Certain natural techniques, such as relaxation and deep breathing, can help the mother experience less pain during childbirth.
• In other cases, a mixture of half air, half nitrous oxide can be administered by the doctor at the beginning of each contraction.
• Another option is the use of epidural anaesthesia to relieve pelvic pain. Epidural anaesthesia numbs the nerves that feed the pelvis and lower abdomen.