Living and Loving – August 2019

pregnancy & birth

L&L | AUGUST 2019 | 29

labour and birth more stressful for the

baby. For mom, baby is getting bigger,

the skull is becoming harder, and

labour could be longer, the birth more

painful, and interventions unavoidable.

What to do

Although vaginal examinations are

preferably avoided until labour has

started, your healthcare provider

needs to know what’s happening to

your cervix – and the best way to do

this is with an internal examination. If

the cervix is long, firm, hard, tight and

feels like a “nose”, it means labour is

a long way away. If the cervix is flat,

soft, ripe and ready to open (and

feels like “lips”), labour is likely to start

soon. A good, old-fashioned remedy

is ingesting castor oil, but this can

make birth rather messy since it also

causes diarrhoea. A much nicer way to

stimulate labour is sex – not only does

it lubricate the vagina and stimulate

the cervix, it also helps prepare the

perineum (the area between the

vagina and the anus). I don’t know why

it’s not recommended more often.

Many women, midwives and

homeopaths also swear by the benefits

of Raspberry Leaf tea. It’s said to

soften muscles and help with labour.

Click on Birth, then General

Articles for tips on how to bring

labour on the natural way.

LIVING

AND

LOVING

.CO.ZA

What happens next?

The last few weeks of pregnancy are

difficult. It’s almost impossible to sleep,

you need to pee every five minutes,

you’re uncomfortable and irritable

and everybody says you look as

though you’re ready to “pop”. Going

beyond your due date is like missing

your flight, the next, and the next.

Your healthcare provider may not be

surprised to find you waiting in the

consulting room in your dressing gown

when the time comes for an induction.

Stimulating labour artificially is

mechanical and invasive. Usually,

using oxytocin or Pitocin, the cervix

may be softened and stimulated, or

your healthcare provider may use a

combination of both these methods.

The cervix is softened with a pessary

(usually prostaglandin) inserted

into the vagina. Some midwives

use dried seaweed stems that

swell when they absorb vaginal

fluids. Another method is to use a

small balloon catheter (called a

hygroscopic dilator) that’s inserted

into the cervix and gently inflated.

This usually falls out on its own when

the cervix is about 3cm dilated.

If natural labour is imminent,

inductions are usually successful,

but if not, a C-secion will be done

within a specific time frame.

Inductions are often said to be more

painful. Contractions are monitored and

an epidural usually helps the mother

cope with pain, but a C-section will

be done if either mom or baby aren’t

coping. Recent research has found fewer

C-sections are necessary when labour

is induced before 42 weeks, but the

incidence is higher when the pregnancy

continues beyond 42 weeks. LL

What not to do

Don’t ignore your healthcare

provider’s advice if an induction or

C-section is recommended. In African

countries, the content of traditional

herbal medications such as isihlambezo,

imbelikosane and umchamo wemfene is

questionable and not recommended.

Don’t attempt to do anything to induce

labour yourself – simply relax and

heed the advice of your

healthcare provider.

PHOTOGRAPHY

GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK

What can be done?

After 40 weeks, your healthcare

provider may suggest keeping a

kick-chart. This involves making a

note of when and how often your

baby moves, and making sure this

happens at least 10 times during this

period. If you’re worried, go for a walk,

shower or have something to eat. If

your baby has not moved after two

hours, call your healthcare provider,

who may also suggest monitoring

your baby for a while to make sure

there are no problems and your baby

isn’t stressed. Women younger than

25 and those older than 35 will be

monitored more carefully as they

are more likely to have problems.

After 42 weeks, an induction or

C-section becomes unavoidable.