Birth

“What normally causes labor to begin?” Although the complex process that causes labor to begin is not fully understood, researchers believe that the most important trigger is a surge of hormones released by the fetus. This hormone surge, which prepares the lungs and digestive system for life outside the womb, signals the fetus’s readiness for birth. In response to these signals, hormone receptors in the woman’s uterus turn on and the muscles in her uterus change to allow her cervix, at the lower end of her uterus, to open. In short, when a woman goes into labor on her own, this is a powerful signal that her baby is ready to be born and that her body is ready for labor.  After intense labor contractions,the mother pushes her baby into the world, she then warms and nourishes her baby at her breast.

A picture perfect delivery, but all too rare in today’s world of childbirth.

Cesarean sections, which are meant to be used when the life of the mother and baby are at risk, now make up 34% of the deliveries in the US, the norm should be 5-10%. Scheduled C-sections before a woman’s due date are a trend.  Also, labor intervention such as labor induction when cervix is not soft and ready, continuous electronic monitoring and an epidural in the early stages of  labor, all increase the likelihood of a cesarean.

 Dr. Alan Fleischman, president of the March of Dimes , says that women need to understand how important it is for a baby to go to term.  “Fetuses are not just getting fatter in the last month.  They are growing and developing.  Their lungs and brains and kidneys are developing.”

A vaginal delivery at term is best for the mother and best for the baby.  A woman’s ability to give birth should be nurtured and supported.  It is after all, the miracle of  miracles, the ability to bring another human being into the world.