In later stages of the pregnancy, you will be asked to decide on a birthing plan. Consider your strengths and weaknesses, and what’s important to you. Many mothers choose to go for the vaginal delivery method, to reduce the time of after-birth healing and to prevent complications in future pregnancies.

A birth plan includes many factors like the foetal position, risks like gestational diabetes and hypertension, previous childbirth complications like preeclampsia, stillbirth and presence of placenta previaand gestational age at the time of birth. Based on these factors, your gynaecologist will go for the appropriate route.

Normal delivery or vaginal delivery is usually considered when the mother is willing and there is no risk of complications. Let’s understand what the whole process entails and what to do for normal delivery.

Stages of Normal Delivery

The process involves nature taking its course to induce labour, and pushing the baby out of the birth canal. Here are the stages in which vaginal delivery proceeds through:

• Breaking of the Water

Before the onset of labour, the amniotic sac can rupture. This is known as “water breaking”. In some cases, it can remain intact till the delivery. Most women experience this as a gush of fluid.

• Contractions

The uterus will start contracting to help push the baby out of the cervix. The process is painful with intense cramping and pressure. The contractions will be timed. A general rule is that when contractions are one minute long and 5 minutes apart for some time, the woman is in labour.

• Dilation of Cervix

The cervix has to dilate (soften, shrink and open) to allow the baby through. This takes time. When the cervix is almost 10centimetres dilated, the woman might be asked to push.

• Pushing and Delivery

The cervical canal opens to ensure baby’s passage through the vagina. Now the vaginal walls stretch, along with stretching of the labia and perineum. As the baby crowns (head visible in the canal), the mother might feel a burning sensation, due to all the stretching. The baby is pushed out of the vagina. For some women, the doctor might decide to do an episiotomy, where a small incision is made in the vaginal opening to hasten the delivery.

• Placenta Delivery

After the delivery, the doctor will ask the woman to push some more so that the placenta is delivered. Then the doctor will check to see whether uterus is normal and everything is as expected. 

Vaginal delivery need not be painful. Women can opt for a number of medications to reduce the pain like an epidural. An epidural is an anaesthetic or numbing agent that is injected directly into the spine (epidural space) to numb the mother from waist down. This is also called as painless delivery.

However, many women choose to go completely natural and avoid medications. It’s also to be noted, that the doctor can choose to do a forceps delivery, suction delivery or a C-section if at any time they feel that the baby or mother’s well-being is at risk. Sometime labour also need to be induced through medicines if the woman doesn’t go into labour after 42 weeks of gestation.

What to Do for a Normal Delivery?

There are many ways in which women can ensure that they are able to deliver normally without any help of medications or procedural interventions. Here are some common tactics:

• Watching weight and exercising regularly. Prenatal yoga can help strengthen pelvic muscles and equip mothers to breathe correctly while in labour.
• Having a healthy diet throughout the pregnancy
• Attending birth classes with your partner. Experts can teach women about various birth positions to handle pain, strengthen muscles that support the uterus and manage fear and anxiety.
• Handling pain through warm water immersions, soothing music and visual imagery

Every normal delivery is different, and sometimes things always go as planned. It’s important to have the support of a good gynecologist who will take you through the process. Also important is to have a loose birth plan, opt for medications if in too much pain and to keep a positive mind set.