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What is normal delivery?

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What is normal delivery?

  • Normal delivery refers to childbirth through the vagina without any medical intervention.
  • It is also known as a vaginal birth.
  • Every delivery is unique and may differ from mothers to mothers.
  • There are different stages of normal delivery or vaginal birth that include:

Stages of normal delivery

 First stage

Labour and effacement of the cervix

  • The first stage of the normal delivery process involves contractions which help the cervix dilate, soften and stretch so that the baby can be delivered.
  • This stage is the longest and can last up to 13 hours during a woman’s first delivery and about 7-8 hours for subsequent deliveries.
  • This first stage has three sub-stages:
    Early labour
  • The mother becomes aware of the contractions that occur at an interval of every 3 to 5 minutes.
  • The cervix dilates up to 4 centimetres.
  • The mother can spend early labour at home.
  • However, the doctor should be informed.
    Active labour
  • The mother transitions to the active phase when the contractions become stronger and more frequent.
  • They occur at intervals of 3-4 minutes and each one lasts for about a minute.
  • The cervix dilates up to 7 cm.
  • The mother must be taken to the hospital for delivery.
  • The water breaks as labour progress through this stage.
  • Thereafter, contractions further speed
           Transition Phase
  • This is the most painful phase as the cervix dilates to its fullest, at about 10 cms.
  • Painful, strong contractions continue at intervals of 2-3minutes, each lasting 60-90 seconds.

Second Stage

Pushing & birth of the baby
  • This stage begins after the complete dilation of the cervix.
  • Intense contractions continue, helping push the baby head-first through the birth canal.
  • The mother is asked to push with every contraction and may find herself highly fatigued.
  • She may also experience intense pain around the vaginal opening as the baby makes its way out.
  • At this stage, the doctor may decide to make an incision (episiotomy) to widen the vaginal opening to make the baby’s emergence easier.
  • The mother must continue to push till the baby finally makes it out into the world.

Third Stage

Placenta Is Pushed Out
  • In this final stage of the normal delivery called the ‘afterbirth’, the entire placenta is pushed out through the vaginal canal.
  • The placenta may be delivered from a few minutes to half an hour after the baby is born.
  • The process may be manually assisted by massaging the lower abdomen.

Benefits of normal delivery

The benefits of vaginal delivery include:

  • Avoids risks associated with instruments used for a c-section delivery.
  • Lower risk of infection for mother and child
  • Quicker recovery for mother and shorter hospital stay (24-48 hours as compared to 3 days to a week post caesarean)
  • The natural bacteria and microbes of the vagina transferred from mother to child boost the baby’s immune system, readying it for life outside the protected womb.
  • Babies are at lower risk for respiratory problems since the labour contractions help prepare the baby’s lungs for breathing
  • Normal delivery stimulates lactation because the birthing process activates numerous natural mothering hormones.