Search Results for: blog the first stage of labor

Labor Part I

Similar to my first pregnancy, I never lost my mucus plug and did not have bloody show before I went into labor. Labor started without warning this time around too. My contractions began at five in the evening on the first day of my thirty ninth week of pregnancy. The contractions were very mild and felt like menstrual cramps. I mentioned to my husband that I was having some contractions and he started recording them. They were anywhere from four to fifteen minutes apart and lasted twenty to thirty seconds. I had experienced similar contractions a week earlier so I … Continue reading →

Exercise in the First Trimester

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Exercise is hard regardless if you are pregnant or not. It just is. It takes commitment, will-power, and education. For pregnant women exercise is absolutely imperative. Exercise along with diet can almost guarantee a pregnancy free of major complications, manageable labor, and natural delivery. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to engage in some form of exercise daily during pregnancy. As to the intensity and type of exercise: this depends entirely on the individual pregnant woman. If she is active and has been exercising regularly before pregnancy, she can continue her regular exercise routine until it becomes uncomfortable at which point … Continue reading →

Signs and Progress of Labor

If you are going through your first pregnancy, you may wonder from time to time what it will be like when you finally reach your due date. One of the biggest questions women have is how they know when the baby is about to come? How do the doctor’s know? When you take your childbirth class, you will probably spend a lot of time talking about the signs of impending labor, as well as the signs of labor progression so that you will have a good idea of where you are each step of the way. Each stage of labor … Continue reading →

Five Basic Exercises for Successful Labor

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Delivering a baby requires a little flexibility. I’m not talking about compromising your birth plan, either. When you’re trying to squeeze a seven or eight pound baby through a space that is pretty small to begin with, you’re kidding yourself if you think you won’t have to contort into a number of rather awkward positions to make it happen. If you don’t stretch and limber up your muscles beforehand, you can expect quite a bit of extra soreness after you deliver. Who wants extra pain? Getting your body ready for delivery is not difficult, it just takes a little planning … Continue reading →

How to “Act” Like You’re in Labor

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Actress Dianna Agron is doing a little personal research for her upcoming birth scene on the show, “Glee.” She has been getting advice from her mom and friends about what she should do since she has never given birth in real life. What advice would you give Dianna? Obviously she could go with the classic Hollywood birth scene. You probably know it by heart. Woman is doing something ordinary and abruptly either 1) howls in pain over her first contraction or 2) displays a look of horror on her face because her water has broken at a completely inopportune moment. … Continue reading →

The Second Stage of Labor

The second stage of labor is the most exciting part of having a baby. That is probably the reason it is the most portrayed stage of labor on TV. We all have the image of the woman in her hospital gown, hunched over in a pool of sweat and screaming at her husband for getting her in this situation. Ironically, the pushing stage brings relief to the woman who just experienced the most intense pain during the final hours of the first stage of labor. Those last few centimeters are the worst! The second stage of labor is less painful, … Continue reading →

The First Stage of Labor

Your doctor or your childbirth instructor may mention the stages of labor. There are three stages of labor. The division between these three stages is clearer cut on paper than it is in real labor; they exist to help describe where a woman is in the labor process and nothing else. They may seem to blend together during the actual experience. The three stages of labor are dilation (and effacement), pushing, and birthing the placenta. The first stage of labor is often the longest, especially for first time mothers. The cervix must completely open and stretch back into the upper … Continue reading →

Epidurals and Interventions in Labor

Many women consider their epidurals the saving grace during labor. Women have varying beliefs; with some believing a natural birth is the safest thing for mom and baby. Others can’t understand why anyone would ever give birth without the benefit of an epidural. As it turns out, there may be a price to pay for the comfort of little pain during labor. Having an epidural increases the likelihood of certain medical interventions in labor. Some studies show it can raise the risk of needing a c section too. Natural child birth advocates point out studies which show epidurals can increase … Continue reading →

When Children Reach the “Club” Stage

Think back to your own childhood…do you remember the constant starting and creating of “clubs”—secret clubs with passwords and charters and all sorts of membership requirements? Some of our childhood clubs are rather elaborate and others have a more “impromptu” feel. I remember the very old children’s program “The Little Rascals” where the young boys had very established meetings of the “He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” While this is considered pretty politically incorrect these days, it is still a great example of the age and developmentally-appropriate stage of “clubs.” Somewhere around first or second grade, it seems, clubs become a big deal. … Continue reading →

The Baby Blog Week in Review for October 28 – November 3rd

Good morning and welcome to our first weekend in November. There are just 19 days left until Thanksgiving and it’s a beautiful crisp morning here. We got off to a bit of a slow start this week as Halloween took place on Tuesday and we’re recovering from one holiday as we get ready to ramp up towards another. Valorie and I would love to hear what you are thankful about with your baby this Thanksgiving season, so feel free to send us your stories so we can share them! Here is our baby blog week in review: Saturday, October 28 … Continue reading →