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Delivering a baby should be a joyous experience that every mother remembers fondly. While hospital births are the most common type of delivery for Americans, a few other delivery options are available for those not comfortable delivering in a hospital setting. Many new parents choose an alternative delivery style for the arrival of their new bundle of joy.
Giving birth can be both exciting and intimidating. Planning ahead for the setting and situation of your delivery will take some of the pressure off and allow you to relax more easily when the time to give birth arrives. In addition to several locations for the birth, various options for pain management, presence of others and kinds of delivery are available. Consult with your physician to determine what options are appropriate for your individual pregnancy.
Genital herpes, caused by the herpes simplex virus, is a sexually transmitted disease. The HSV-2 virus can be transmitted to newborns during delivery, although experts appear divided on the risk probability. Women who are infected during the last trimester of pregnancy have a higher risk of delivering an infected child than women who acquired the infection earlier. For such women, many obstetricians recommend delivery by cesarean section. Regardless of the odds, newborns can and do become infected; HSV-2 in newborns can lead to encephalitis, hepatitis, clotting problems, eye infections and death.
A normal healthy pregnancy will last anywhere from 37 to 40 weeks before a woman's body goes through the stages of labor and delivery. Labor and delivery that take place in four stages once a woman has completed gestation and her body and baby are ready to go through childbirth.
A normal labor and delivery is one that occurs naturally without the need for a Caesarean section, vacuum or forceps. It is possible to have medical interventions, such as an epidural or intravenous medication, for pain relief during a normal labor and delivery.
During pregnancy, babies move around constantly, but where they end up immediately prior to childbirth is extremely important. If a baby fails to turn so that the head is downward, the result could be fetal distress, neurological problems or death.
The birth of a baby marks the culmination of nine months of planning and great anticipation. It is perhaps the most miraculous experience in a woman's life. But every so often, the birthing process doesn't go as planned, and potentially serious complications can interfere with this normally joyful process of bringing new life into the world.
Impending baby delivery can cause anxiety levels to fly off the charts. With so many methods available, choosing a type of delivery may prove overwhelming. You may choose a natural method of birth - keeping you more involved but more susceptible to pain during labor - or surgery, which keeps you free of pain during delivery but offers a host of post-birth complications. Knowing your options helps you make a well-informed decision.
Footling breech presentation, when one or both of the baby's feet present to the birth canal, is a rare complication that requires extreme care during delivery. Whenever possible, footling breech deliveries should be performed by experienced medical professionals in a hospital, as a Cesarean section is often necessary. Occasionally, footling breech babies can be delivered vaginally as follows.
In frank breech presentation, the baby is aligned vertically within the uterus with the buttocks facing down. The hips are flexed with legs extending up toward the head. Most breech babies must be delivered by experienced medical professionals, and a cesarean section is often performed. However, vaginal delivery is sometimes possible.
