Make no mistake about it: Labor is painful. That is at least part of the reason that we’ve developed so many ways, over time, of helping women to deal with the pain that comes during labor. While there are many medicinal pain relief options during labor, it’s worth first taking a look at some of [...]
The postpartum stage can be quite stressful and difficult in and of itself, regardless of whether or not you’ve had a C-section. The adjustment your body needs to make to not being pregnant combined with the impact that having a baby around has on your day to day activities is plenty for anyone to try [...]
While you’ll likely do everything that you can to avoid the necessity of a C-section, the fact of the matter is that they’re relatively common. In fact, the national rate for cesarean deliveries is just under 30 percent. You’ve got at least a one in four chance that you’re going to have to give birth [...]
Labor is an intense experience, and it can be an intimidating one for the first-time mom. If you don’t know what to expect, you may become tremendously anxious or nervous about the entire process. In addition, there’s plenty of misinformation out there (usually on television and in the movies) about how labor happens, and about [...]
It’s not uncommon for a woman to experience a false alarm or two when it comes to labor, especially when that mom is having a baby for the first time. Many women wind up at the hospital hoping to deliver their baby, only to find that they’re coming home to try again another day. Fortunately, [...]
Labor isn’t an easy thing, and it’s tremendously hard on your body. Your body has to strain and stretch in ways it doesn’t normally do in order to bring that baby from inside the womb to the outside of your body. Labor is also an emotionally draining experience for many women, full of anxiety, fear [...]
One of the more positive trends to happen in the area of childbirth in the past few decades has been the advent of the birth plan. A birth plan is a way for you and your partner to communicate your wishes to your health care providers regarding your preferences for the labor and delivery process. [...]
One thing that the entertainment industry truly excels in is perpetuating certain myths about pregnancy, childbirth and the whole labor and delivery process. When a baby is born in a movie or on television, a woman’s water breaks and she goes immediately into quick and intense contractions. (If Hollywood is to be believed, a disproportionate [...]
It’s normal and natural for a woman who’s been waiting for months to be on the lookout for labor signs. After all, you want to be where you need to be when the time comes, whether that’s at a hospital, a birthing center or, if you’ve planned a home birth, in your own home with [...]
Generally speaking, a baby will be born when he or she is just good and ready to be born. While we speak about pregnancy being exactly 40 weeks, and while we talk about a “due date”, the fact remains that babies can be born within a week or two either direction of a due date. [...]
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