Pregnancy is not just a period of intense emotions, it is also a path of physical, mental and psychological preparation for the fundamental moment of childbirth.
When a woman discovers she is pregnant, she typically begins to experience a period of intense emotions. And rightly so. And the closer the date for which the child is expected to be born approaches, the more questions can grow about how to prepare for the happy event.
Doubts can concern the most varied topics. Future mothers may be concerned about both practical aspects – such as the choice of the facility in which to give birth and how to prepare the bag to take to the hospital – and aspects more closely related to the birth as such – such as the type of birth and the signs that indicate that the long awaited moment has come.
Finding answers to your questions helps you to arrive at the birth more relaxed and to enjoy your pregnancy until the last few days. Here are some that can be useful not to be caught unprepared.
What happens at the time of delivery?
To prepare for birth, it is first of all important to understand what will happen when the baby decides that it is time to be born. In fact, it seems that getting to the birth better informed helps to participate more actively in the event, and that this has positive consequences on the birth of the baby.
From this point of view it may be useful to attend a pre-birth course, during which you will also have the opportunity to discover the types of births from which you can choose (with or without anesthesia, for example, or water birth ), techniques that help cope with labor and delivery (such as breathing techniques) and tools that might be used during delivery (such as forceps and suction cups).
However, it is essential to remember that even when everything has been carefully planned it is not certain that everything will go as planned in the end. Furthermore, we must not forget that before giving birth you will also have to face labor, and that in order to arrive calmly in the last days of pregnancy it is also good to know what to expect in this last phase of gestation.
Some women experience real bursts of energy that can indicate that the moment of the baby’s birth is about to arrive. To reach the birth, however, it is important to avoid spending all the energy available: it is better not to overdo it and to conserve as much strength as possible for the moment of delivery.
Furthermore, it is possible to have to deal with some other symptom as early as a few weeks or a few days before the onset of labor. The belly, for example, may start to sag. Also at the end of the third trimester the mucous plug that prevents bacteria from entering the uterus during pregnancy can move into the vagina. This can cause slight vaginal discharge that is light in color, pink at best, or slightly bloody. In case of more abundant losses it is good to be ready to contact your doctor.
When, however, labor begins, the cervix (the lower part of the uterus) will relax, shorten and thin; you must therefore be prepared for the possibility of having to deal with some discomfort, but it is possible that labor begins even without the appearance of even slight contractions.
These changes of the cervix, along with its dilation, may proceed slowly, but once in full labor the cervix may dilate more rapidly. In the meantime, you may notice liquid discharge from the vagina; they are a sign that the waters have broken, and at this point you need to talk to your doctor or go to the hospital.
However, the possibility of false alarms must not be excluded a priori. If you have any doubts, it is best to resolve them by consulting with your doctor or by going to the hospital even if you may find that labor has not yet started. In general, it is good to prepare for the onset of labor contractions by asking your doctor about the symptoms that should lead to calling him or going to the hospital immediately.
How to choose the type of birth?
The natural birth without anesthesia is not the only way to give birth to their child. Today, several facilities offer the possibility to undergo an epidural, and in some it is also possible to give birth in water . In addition, in some cases the medical condition of the mother or child can make it essential to schedule a caesarean section .
The latter option should only be chosen when really necessary and after thoroughly discussing it with your doctor. Other aspects can instead be planned by inquiring about the services offered by the hospital in which to give birth.
In order not to arrive unprepared for the birth, it is, for example, useful to ask if there is the possibility of undergoing an epidural and if it is guaranteed 24 hours a day. bring with you to the delivery room and on the possibility of donating umbilical cord cells.
And speaking of hospitals, to choose the one in which to give birth, you can rely on the “pink stickers” with which Onda (National Observatory on Women’s Health) rewards structures that are attentive to women’s health. The Observatory also provides information on individual centers, specifying which clinical services are offered by each.
What to bring to the hospital for childbirth
To prepare well for childbirth, it is also important to organize everything that is essential to take with you when you have to rush to the hospital. Going to labor without a bag ready with what could be needed by the mother and the baby is not advisable: in the frenzy of the moment you will certainly not want to think about whether you have remembered to take your toothbrush or socks, and yes could risk forgetting something.
For this reason, in order not to be caught unprepared, it is good to prepare the bag already a few weeks before the due date for childbirth. In this way, an early birth or any false alarms will also be faced more serenely.
To know what to bring with you, it is good to inquire at the facility where you have decided to give birth.
In general, the mother will have to bring with her the reports of all the tests she has undergone, some nightgowns, a dressing gown, slippers, comfortable underwear and the necessary for personal hygiene.
The baby will need bodysuits or tank tops, rompers, bibs, blankets, caps and other items according to the instructions received at the hospital.
What to do after giving birth?
A pregnant woman may then have doubts about what to do after giving birth. From a bureaucratic point of view, everything is resolved by contacting the registry office of your municipality and your local health authority.
Through the first it will be possible to know the terms within which it is necessary to declare the birth of the child and how to do it, including the specific procedures depending on whether the parents are married or not.
The ASL, on the other hand, must be consulted for the choice of the pediatrician who will take care of the child, to be made among the names present in the appropriate lists of the District and the health companies. The chosen pediatrician should be contacted to check his availability.
If available, it is sufficient to communicate the choice of the registry office of the health district of residence; all you will need to bring with you are a valid identity document, the child’s birth certificate and, possibly, his tax code.
Other aspects not to be neglected concern family life. The arrival of the baby makes it necessary to equip oneself to be able to take care of him, and already before the birth it is good to buy everything that is essential, for example the pram, linen and various clothing items, covers and hygiene accessories. staff of the little one. In addition, the new mother will also need special accessories, such as breastfeeding bras.
On the other hand, it is good not to overdo the purchases before the baby is born. In fact, it is not essential to have everything immediately available. For some advice in this regard, it may be useful to ask other mothers, but keeping as much as possible the stories on the difficulties experienced during or after childbirth and focusing on more practical aspects such as the supply of diapers or rompers that must be ensured at the I come home from the hospital.
Mothers who already have other children must also prepare the other children for the arrival of their little brother or sister. We must not forget that the arrival of a new baby in the family revolutionizes both the life of his parents and that of his brothers.
Some birth preparation courses can also be useful from this point of view. In fact, in some cases it is possible to involve not only the future father , but also the other children in the meetings .
And if there is also a puppy in the family, you need to find out in time on how to manage it when the baby arrives. For example, it might be useful to contact a trainer for some targeted advice, or consider the possibility of hiring a dog sitter.
Finally, women who know they can count on the help of their mother, mother-in-law or other loved ones after childbirth may find it helpful to clarify each person’s tasks even before the baby is born.
In general, the best help is given in taking care of the daily chores rather than the baby, so that the new mother has enough time to both take care of her baby and rest.
