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The woman in labor reports to the emergency room. Here he presents documents and research results. A medical history is being collected with her. The first examination to assess the stage of labor is underway. If the patient agrees, rectal enema is performed. Its purpose is to empty the colon of stools in order to prevent it from incontinence during the second stage of labor.
After hygienic procedures, a woman dressed in a comfortable shirt goes to the delivery room. It is located here under obstetric supervision: KTG recording and cervical dilatation examination are performed from time to time. If necessary, the woman in labor is given drugs that relax the cervix, stimulate labor and pain relief.
Finally it follows the moment of birth. During the delivery of the fetal head, the doctor makes an incision in the perineum. Its purpose is to reduce the resistance of soft tissues, and thus – to avoid uncontrolled cracks of the perineum. The latter can be dangerous, leading, for example, to faecal incontinence.
After giving birth to a child the umbilical cord is cut and the mother gets the baby on the belly or breast. In a newborn baby, basic activities are performed, such as suctioning the contents from the respiratory tract, the navel toilet, and instillation of the eyes. After these procedures, the child is assessed by the pediatric neonatologist present at the birth.
At this time, comes the third period of labor in which the placenta is born along with the fetal membranes. The obstetrician will evaluate that the placenta is complete and that all membranes are present. She will also check the condition of the cervix, and if the placenta was born incomplete – it will also examine the uterine cavity. This control consists in introducing a special tool into the uterine cavity – the Bumma spoon and using it to remove the remaining remnants of the fetus. Finally, the incised perineum is sutured under local anesthesia.
After completing these activities, the woman remains under supervision in the delivery room for the next 3 hours. There are hospitals where this supervision is already carried out in the maternity ward – this is due to the different organization of the labor block. During this time, the woman has her heart rate and blood pressure measured several times. Diuresis, the amount of blood lost and the degree of uterine contraction are also checked.
If everything is okay, after the time of close observation has passed, the patient is transported to maternity ward. Its further fate depends on the hospital and its customs. Sometimes a woman can walk immediately after giving birth – it even happens that she goes to the maternity ward on her own after giving birth. In other hospitals, a young mother can move independently only after 6 hours after giving birth. She can then take a shower and change.
Many women fear that during hygiene activities offend the sutured crotch. There is no need to worry – the perineum should be washed, dried with a separate towel, and then put on panties (preferably disposable) with large sanitary napkins.
During the first XNUMX hours after birth, there is usually little breast milk in the breast, which is called sign. This should not be a cause for concern as the newborn does not need a lot of food during this time. However, it should be attached to the breast, which is thus stimulated to continue the production of milk.
On the second day after delivery, there is most often a massive inflow of food – this condition is referred to as milky infarction. Sometimes it causes a lot of trouble for a woman. Then you have to latch the baby to the breast and express milk – all in order to avoid its stagnation. Use cold compresses on the breasts between these activities.
If the puerperium is uneventful, the woman leaves the hospital on the third day after natural delivery.
Text: lek. med. Ewa Zarudzka