Normal Delivery

Every mother or expectant mother wants to have a normal vaginal delivery if it is at all possible. A normal delivery usually means a less stressful experience for mom and for baby. In most cases, a normal delivery is one that is a spontaneous vaginal delivery, that is, the delivery was not induced nor was the baby delivered by a Caesarian section. In recent years, a normal delivery has become more of the exception, than the norm. This article describes a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, what to expect, and some of the things that can occur that may prevent a normal delivery.

 

 

If you are a mom that had appropriate and good prenatal care, your OB/GYN or midwife should have prepared you for the day of the delivery for the most part. Full preparation is never possible, especially if you are a first time mom, but a few things are standard practice on the day of delivery and things you can expect.

 

When you come to the hospital for a normal spontaneous delivery, you will be admitted to a birthing room or suite. In most large and medium hospitals, each private room has all of the equipment needed for a normal delivery. You will have a quick physical exam to make sure mom and baby are okay. Things that will be checked are whether the baby is sitting right in the uterus and if the head is presenting first.

 

A fetal heart monitor will be attached to the baby to check its heart rate. Also, a machine will be used to monitor contractions. These two devices are very important to determining how the delivery is progressing. Changes in the baby’s heart rate can indicate that it is distress. A distressed baby may mean that labor needs to be induced (so that it is no longer a spontaneous delivery) or that it needs to be completed as a C-section (and it is no longer a normal vaginal delivery).

 

Importantly, the use of pain medications or epidural anesthesia does not prevent the delivery from being a spontaneous vaginal delivery by definition, but anesthesia could slow contractions and make it more difficult for mom to push effectively.

 

There will be a vaginal exam to check for a few things. One of the first things that your doctor will check is if your “water has broken.” This phrase means that the amniotic sac, filled with amniotic fluid has ruptured and released that fluid. Often this rupture takes place spontaneously but the doctor may painlessly do it manually with a small device. Also during the vaginal exam, the head of the baby (hopefully) will be felt across the cervix. If the head is not coming first, certain maneuvers can be tried to shift the baby, but if these maneuvers fail, the delivery is called a “breach birth” and may prevent a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Many breach births go to C-section.

 

During the vaginal exam, the cervix will be checked for dilation. In a non-pregnant woman, the cervix is usually closed or without dilation. During a normal delivery, though the cervix will dilate up to 10 centimeters to accommodate the baby’s head. Not only will the cervix dilate, but it will get thinner and more flexible. This is a good thing considering that the baby’s head is going to pass through it. If the cervix does not dilate or thin appropriately then the baby may not be able to be delivered vaginally or spontaneously.

 

The road to a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery is perilous when you consider the number of things that can go a little wrong and prompt a doctor to either provide medications (making it no longer spontaneous) or move to a surgical delivery. If the baby’s heart rate stays within a reasonable range, the uterus contractions are strong and frequent enough, the cervix dilates and thins, the baby’s head is coming out first and the pelvis (waist) of the mother is wide enough to pass the baby’s head, then chances are that mom will enjoy a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery.