is

the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring

normally

begins 266 days after conception Three Stages

Dilation of the cervix

Descent and emergence of the baby

Expulsion of the placenta and umbilical cord

Before 1920s Delivery of the baby took place at home Attended by doctors and midwives The mother was separated from the rest of the family Breast feeding was discouraged and replaced by modern infant formulas and baby bottles 1930s Dr. Grantley Dick-Read wrote Birth Without Fear. He noticed that women who had someone with them to explain events had significantly less pain

1940s Fernand Lamaze studied Russian techniques of conditioned responses to reduce childbirth pain Marjorie Karmel and Elizabeth Bing began a nationwide movement to promote the Lamaze Method 1960s Dr. Robert Bradley introduced the radical concept of fathers in the delivery room

A woman in labor can condition her responses to contractions through breathing and imagery to minimize the pain

RELAXATION cornerstone or comfort during labor Reduce the pain of labor and birth Educates the patient about labor and delivery Helps the mother to enjoy the experience of bringing her baby into the world

Training in respiration techniques Cognitive restructuring through focusing the eyes on something Social support by a coach

Attending classes with the expectant mother Participating in the delivery Helping with the exercises Enhances her sense of self worth Reduces her fear of loneliness

Controlled deep breathing Light massage of the abdomen Concentrating on the focal point The coach is very much involve It allows the woman to control her body Helps with her labor management Educates the patient

When a woman is giving birth, she is reborn herself Birth is not something sweet. It is the most intense experience that a woman can go through

Transform pregnancy and childbirth into a spiritual experience

Suggesting that the mother breathe in deeply and slowly from the belly Chanting a loud pure sound on the outbreath for the contractions to be over, before breathing again The mother goes back to her own birth and go beyond herself The umbilical cord is not clamped immediately , nor is the newborn slapped to initiate breathing

Only entirely natural childbirth method There is a danger in current obstetrical procedures

Educate the mother about conditioning exercises and muscle relaxation in labor

Women are capable of and entitled to a birth without drugs or medical intervention They encourage the use of midwives rather than technical oriented doctors A slow, deep breathing, take your time approach is advocated in a quiet, unlit, pillow laden environment The baby is immediately breast-fed

Uses mental imagery to enhance relaxation Touch, massage and visualization to help the woman flow with the contraction rather than ignore or breathe it away The mother is encouraged to labor in any position that is comfortable for her

Enhances self determination and confidence The emphasis is on the contraction Classes begin early in pregnancy

Works with the strengths of the couple giving birth Encourages to use whatever means of breathing and style

Involves the relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles Emphasizes women listening to their body

Allows the mother and newborn baby to be submerged in a pool of water

The position of the fetus and its size in relation to the mothers reproductive organs allow it to emerge in the normal, head first position.

The buttocks of the fetus appears first, followed by the legs, the arms and finally the head. Instruments like forceps are used to aid the delivery

The fetus lies crosswise in the mothers uterus, so that if this portion cannot be changed before the birth process, instruments must be used to aid the delivery

When the fetus is too large to emerge spontaneously or when its position makes normal birth impossible, instruments must be used to aid the delivery

If the fetus is too big to pass through the birth canal without a prolonged and difficult labor, even when instruments are used, it is delivered surgically by making a slit in the maternal abdominal wall

It

covers approximately the first two weeks of life Characteristics

Shortest of all developmenal periods
A time of radical adjusments A plateau in development A preview of later development A hazardous period

Periods
Period of partunate Period of neonate

- simple automatics reaction to a particular stimulus

Sucking Swallowing Placing Tonic Neck Stepping Moro Darwinian (Grasping) Babinsky Swimming Rooting