Your Online Pregnancy Help Make PregnancySurvey.com Your Home Page!
Search For:
Example: Pregnancy Morning Sickness
Home Page Pregnancy Calendar Questions and Answers Due Date Calculator Ovulation Calendar About Us Contact Us Site Map
You are here: Home -> Labor and Delivery -> Delivery of Your Baby Today: Wednesday, October 9
Pregnancy Topics
Preparing for Pregnancy
Health and Medical Concerns
Pregnancy Tests
Medications and Treatments
Nutrition and Exercise
Fatigue, Work and Pregnancy
More than One Baby!
Changes in Your Baby
Changes in You
Your Pregnancy Partner
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Substance Use and Abuse
Single Mother-to-Be
Problems in Pregnancy
Labor and Delivery
Water Breaking
Inducing Labor
Childbirth-Education Classes
Premature Labor
What Should I Bring to the Hospital?
Labor
Tests During Labor
Dealing with Pain in Childbirth
Cesarean Delivery
Will I Need an Episiotomy?
Baby's Birth Position
Delivery of Your Baby
After Your Baby Is Born
If Your Baby Is Late
Emergency Childbirth
Hospital Births: Losing the Fear Factor
After Your Baby's Birth
Your New Baby
Feeding Your Baby

Delivery of Your Baby

For a vaginal delivery, the actual delivery of the baby and placenta (not including the laboring process) takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. A Cesarean delivery usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. The part that takes the longest in a Cesarean delivery is not the birth of the baby—that is performed rather quickly. Stitching closed the skin and muscle layers after the baby is born takes the most time.

Different Birthing Positions

Other birth positions are acceptable besides lying on your back with your feet in stirrups. You may not have to use stirrups, or you may deliver lying on your side or squatting, if you make arrangements to do this.

Forceps Use

Whether your doctor uses forceps to aid in the delivery of your baby depends on the situation at the time. Factors involved include the size of the baby, the size of your pelvis, how well you are able to push and whether your baby needs to be delivered immediately.
Forceps look like two metal hands and are used to protect the baby's head during delivery. They are not used as much today as they were in the past. Instead, physicians more often use a vacuum extractor or perform a Cesarean section.

Vacuum Extractor

A vacuum extractor is a plastic cup that fits on the baby's head by suction. When you push during labor, your doctor is able to pull and help to deliver the baby more easily.

About Lamaze

This is perhaps the most popular childbirth method. Classes are widely available.

Videotaping the Birth

I often hear from a patient that her partner wants to videotape the birth, but she doesn't want him to. You may be in the same situation and wonder if you are being unreasonable. No, you're not. The birth process is very private for many women, and they don't want to be videotaped or photographed or forced to share it with others. If this is your wish, explain it to your partner. He should respect your wishes. If he won't listen, discuss it with your doctor. Ask him or her to explain your objections to your partner. It would also be a wise idea to check on the hospital's policy regarding videotaping.
Labor and Delivery Articles:
Water Breaking | Inducing Labor | Childbirth-Education Classes | Premature Labor | What Should I Bring to the Hospital? | Labor | Tests During Labor | Dealing with Pain in Childbirth | Cesarean Delivery | Will I Need an Episiotomy? | Baby's Birth Position | Delivery of Your Baby | After Your Baby Is Born | If Your Baby Is Late | Emergency Childbirth | Hospital Births: Losing the Fear Factor
Pregnancy Calendar
Subscribe to Pregnancy Newsletter and receive new and popular pregnancy articles every week.
Your Email Address:
Pregnancy Calendar | Questions and Answers | Pregnancy Glossary | Suggest an Article | Link to Us | Contact Us | Site Map
Please note: All pregnancy articles on this website is for educational and information purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and
treatment, you should consult your personal doctor.
Copyright © 2007, PregnancySurvey.com. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Statement
eXTReMe Tracker