Giving birth in freedom.

In pursuit of the lost power

Raquel Schallman
Chapter 2: The body
Childbirth
In numerous obstetrics treaties as well as in scientific dissemination books, childbirth is
explained with accuracy and details in different ways. Therefore I will try to describe it very briefly,
due to the fact that it will be possible to broaden the information in pertaining books; and from
experience: what is felt with what happens.
Beginning
A babys gestation lasts between 38 and 42 weeks. At the beginning of the pregnancy, an
EDD (estimated due date) is usually set, which corresponds approximately to week forty. These
dates, which should only be guiding, are considered by the doctors as decisive as to when the baby
has to be born.
During all those months, there are contractions (uterine contractions) which are regular and
which have very varying rhythm, duration and intensity. Some women notice them, some do not.
But in the last quarter, some contractions with different characteristics appear. What is most
important is that women feel, along with a hard belly, a feeling in the lower abdomen similar to the
one felt during their period. These contractions are produced by small oxytocin discharges which
will physiologically start altering the cervix. First, they will soften it; then, they will shorten it, and
finally, little by little, they will open it. All this process takes place before the childbirth begins.
The uterus is an inverted pear-shaped bag, whose stem corresponds to the cervixs
opening. All the labour will consist of pullings towards the bottom of the cervix, which will stretch it
until making it disappear. Then they will start widening the cervix (dilation) so that the baby can go
through it. For its examination, a pelvic exam at the end of the pregnancy may be useful.
For instance, a woman who has a soft and dilated cervix will probably give birth within the
following days, and as part of the labour is already done, it may be softer and shorter. Nevertheless,
I have also assisted women who were in the same situation for weeks until the time came.
Conversely, if the cervix is hard and closed, it is possible that the woman still needs some
time to give birth, but sometimes they begin early, and the delivery results longer, painful and hard.
There are serious discussions about how long we should wait for a woman to begin labour
by herself. If it does not happen during week forty, most of physicians induce it. These
manipulations are very harmful. Most women are not ready to begin labour according to the
theoretical standards of medicine; therefore, haste leads to frustration, more pain, a feeling of
powerlessness, fear, stress and most of the times it ends in caesarean deliveries because the
cervix wasnt dilated (when actually, it was not its time), because the baby was high or with
premature babies sent to neonatology or in an incubator: because, as it is not the mothers time, it
is not the childs time either, so they are born small, immature, with low weight, among others. In my

experience, if we are patient enough to trust in mothers, to wait, and to be alert to fetal heartbeat,
labour will begin in some moment. I have never seen a postterm pregnancy of more than 42 weeks.
Dilation
When labour begins, there exclusively appear contractions similar to the pain in the ovaries.
Little by little, they become rhythmical and more frequent, until the period of time between one and
another is of between 3 and 10 minutes. Each ones duration is also regularised: usually between
25 and 50 seconds. The contractions during less than 25 seconds are not dilating. If they dont last
more than that, the woman is still in ante partum, and in some time, they will get longer.
The very frequently heard phrase: Youre not dilating, were going to do a C-Section, puts
the responsibility in women and it makes them feel powerless without any reason, because they are
all in the condition of having dilating contractions. If we do not respect their timing, or even worse, if
we confine them to an automated system, most of them will not function the right way. Every
person is unique. Every delivery is an adventure. It is essential to accompany them respecting their
way and timing.
This process of having organized and rhythmical contractions every few seconds will make
the cervix dilate little by little. It can last four hours, ten, fifteen or twenty four. In general, the higher
intensity, the greater intensity, and less possibilities of enduring pain. Women produce the
contractions that they and their babies are able to tolerate. That is why if we do not provide
synthetic oxytocin, if we do not break the bag of waters artificially, the possibility of fetal suffering
(alteration of the babys heartbeats) is highly improbable.
As dilation advances, the child descends more and more into the pelvic cavity, so that when
this stage is nearly over (theory states that it must be ten centimetres wide to be completely open),
the babys head, already low, starts to put pressure on the rectum.
The woman, who was feeling pain in every contraction, and relief and relax every time one
concluded, starts having diffused sensations like the need to push every time a contraction
appears. In that moment, women usually say I need to go to the toilet and this is the best signal of
reaching the end of dilation and entering to the next stage.