Pregnancy for every woman is the happiest event that radically changes her life. There are difficult moments here, however, there are no fewer positive aspects here.
And as many women think, the first birth is especially difficult and the most difficult, and then it’s easier to give birth. This assumption is only half true.
In most cases, the differences between the first and second pregnancy are not very strong, but it all depends on the state of health of the woman and on the factor of luck. Between the first and subsequent births, there are a number of distinguishing features that it is desirable for every woman to know about. They concern both the physiological and psychological aspects.
Physiology of women
The total duration of labor in primiparous women is much longer due to some features. At the first birth, the birth canal of a woman is still poorly stretched, and as a result they are narrower. Due to the fact that the cervix opens much longer, the initial stage of labor can drag on to 10-12 hours.
After the baby was born, there are no more obstacles to subsequent births. Here, the peculiarity lies in the fact that the birth canal does not accept the state in which they were before the birth of the child. On the one hand, this gives a positive point: in the second birth, the cervix opens faster. However, on the other hand, there is a negative point: in this case, unreliable protection of the uterine cavity is provided and some infectious disease may appear. In addition, there is a risk of premature birth.
The second stage of childbirth also proceeds to a marked extent slower from 45 minutes to one hour. This is due to the fact that during the first birth, the extensibility of the birth canal is noticeably reduced, as a result of which the fetus passes more slowly.
In primiparous women, preparatory contractions are more often observed. They are also called false.
Harbingers
It is worth noting that the precursors or symptoms of the onset of labor in primiparous women are almost the same as in women who give birth a second or more times. The only distinguishing features are more pronounced in the first case. Signs of upcoming birth are:
- lowering the abdomen;
- home instinct;
- weight loss;
- the presence of false contractions;
According to some of the following signs, it becomes clear that childbirth has begun:
- the child begins to move less;
- discharge of amniotic fluid;
- the appearance of diarrhea, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting.
However, regular contractions should be considered the most important sign. In this case, a woman feels contractions that take place at the same interval, which decrease over time. How to distinguish real fights from false ones →
Woman psychology
In fact, childbirth is such a sensation that any woman can fully feel only when she is faced with this. However, the first birth is also a serious test for the female body. In this case, the expectant mother is not yet fully aware of what she should survive. And since there is no corresponding experience yet, not everything can proceed as it should. In this regard, any woman can ask a completely legitimate question: when is it better to give birth to her first child?
Most of the women of the first child plan to give birth after 30 years. This is due to a number of social reasons: women are waiting for a separate housing to appear and there will be a stable income.
However, from a medical point of view, pregnancy at 30 years old has its own characteristics:
- there is a likelihood of various gynecological diseases;
- difficulties may occur during the bearing of the child, as well as during and after childbirth;
- at the age of 30, other chronic diseases are likely to appear.
In addition, in many women, especially primiparous, childbirth causes panic fear and, by and large, it is caused by the fact that they are afraid of the pain itself. However, in reality, not everyone realizes that it is fear that contributes to the appearance of painful sensations, sometimes even strong ones. The female body by mother nature is thought out and created perfect. If a woman can properly prepare herself and set up, then you can give birth to a child without feeling pain.
In this regard, it is necessary to get rid of fear. In particular, the first birth causes a feeling of intense fear in women. This is because the woman still does not know much about childbirth. This can be corrected if one should prepare properly: find the necessary information regarding everything that usually accompanies childbirth. When familiarizing yourself with each step, there will be no fear that anything might go wrong. The woman herself in such cases is able to control the process itself.
It does not hurt to master the technique of proper breathing. Thanks to proper breathing, oxygen is supplied to the necessary organs, nerves calm down.
What to do?
As you know, childbirth takes place in several stages, each of which is characterized by its own characteristics. Here it is necessary to know what the woman in labor must do in order to slightly facilitate the course of the process itself.
As you know, the entire process of childbirth can be divided into several stages. During the first period, fights occur. By the end of the first period and the transition to the second, the interval between contractions is already 3-4 minutes.
In primiparous women, this period is accompanied by severe pain. In this case, activity is necessary. That is, if possible, constantly be in motion. Directly during the fight itself, you need to stop, find a comfortable position with support for the body. You can also moisten your lips with water, make a massage in the lumbar region, and master the technique of proper breathing. All these tools will help you get distracted by pain. If there is a strong fight, you need to take a deep breath through the nose, and then exhale in portions. Between contractions need to restore breathing.
During the second period of childbirth, a woman must strictly perform all that the doctor says. It is most convenient to push, being on a special chair, in which the back is slightly raised, while resting on the handrails.
The most important thing for mom is not to be passive, because in this case the child experiences a lack of oxygen and in some cases it is necessary to resort to other, sometimes even unpleasant, methods of extracting the baby. About how exactly you need to push and in what ways the doctor himself will tell. It is worth paying attention to your body, which will also “tell” what to do.
With the advent of the head, you need to stop pushing, relax a bit, often and deeply breathe, like dogs do. And so that your head does not spin, you can breathe in the palm of your hands, folded boat.
After 10-20 minutes after the baby appears, the woman may feel another bout and will want to push. The last attempt is accompanied by separation of the placenta.
During the third, last, period while the mother is busy with the baby and can finally pick it up, a postpartum examination is performed.
The stages of the first birth
As a rule, the duration of labor in primiparous women is from 15 to 20 hours. The whole process of giving birth to a baby can be divided into three stages:
- Stage 1 – the appearance of contractions, thanks to which the birth canal begins to unfold. If a woman has a first birth, then the duration of this period can be up to 18 hours (for 2 pregnancies – 11 hours).
- Stage 2 – begins with attempts and expulsion of the fetus. In primiparas, this process takes 1-2 hours (with 2 births, it lasts 1 hour).
- Stage 3 – begins with the birth of the placenta and fetal membranes. In primiparous and subsequent births, the interval is the same – about 30 minutes.
Probable complications
It is rather difficult to say unequivocally that the first birth can be accompanied by a greater or lesser number of complications, since the process itself can proceed in different ways. Many women who have had a difficult time bearing the birth of their first child experience panic fear of having a second birth. However, it is worth noting that the first failure will not necessarily lead to new complications in the future.
As for the complications themselves, they can appear regardless of whether the woman gives birth for the first time or is it the subsequent birth.
Among the main complications that can most often occur during the first birth, the following can be distinguished:
- The likelihood of premature birth. In the first birth, this can happen after 33 weeks, in subsequent births after 22 – 30 weeks.
- The likelihood of a pathological prenatal preparatory period. Complication is accompanied by painful preparatory contractions of the uterus. They occur irregularly and, as a result, childbirth may not begin for a long time.
- The likelihood of breaks. Those women who give birth for the first time risk more in this regard. Also, it all depends on how much the size of the fetus corresponds to the birth canal and on the actions of obstetricians.
- The likelihood of poor labor. However, it can occur during the second birth if the woman becomes pregnant less than 2 years after the first birth.
- The likelihood of bleeding. This complication does not depend on the number of births and can occur for a number of reasons: when the placenta is not properly fixed, due to poor blood coagulability, insufficient number of contractions, etc.
In any case, becoming a mother is one of the most joyful events in a woman’s life. The child completely changes her life, making her own adjustments. And if there were difficult moments during pregnancy or childbirth, they will soon be forgotten. Because the positive aspects of motherhood are much greater.
