BS 8 - The birth

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BS 8 - The birth

Childbirth

• Birth of the baby
• Birth of the placenta (this includes the membranes     that held the baby, placenta and the water during the pregnancy).

Actual picture coming up on the next slide, be prepared ;)

Membranes = vliezen. We also call this the amniotic sac. This surrounds the foetus and placenta inside of the uterus. Think of it like a big balloon keeping all the water in.

Childbirth

• Birth of the baby
• Birth of the placenta (this includes the membranes     that held the baby, placenta and the water during the pregnancy).

Membranes = vliezen, these surround the foetus and placenta inside of the uterus. Think of them like a big balloon.

Childbirth

• Childbirth itself can be divided in

several stages.

• Starts with contractions - muscles of the uterine wall contract
• Cervix: mouth of the womb (uterus) widens
• Amniotic sac breaks
• Amniotic fluid flows out of vagina
• Dilation of cervix to 10cm can take up to 24 hours
• Delivery of the baby
• Placenta is expelled

Stage 1: dilation

• This can take a long time (sometimes more than 24 hours!)
• The contractions (which are just muscle cramps of the uterus) slowly start, and increase in strenght slowly. Later on they will also increase in frequency, happening more often.
• The cervix and vagina will widen, slowly making space for the baby 

In Dutch, we call this process 'ontsluiting'

Stage 2: expulsion

• When the dilation phase has widened the cervix far enough, the contractions will get very powerful and rapid.
• This is a sign for the mother to start pushing, and the baby will come out quickly.
• This stage does not take very long, as soon as the head comes out the rest follows fast.

Stage 3: afterbirth

• A little while (minutes) after the expulsion phase, the placenta will be 'born'. We call this the afterbirth.
• Again, contractions come with this. These are not as bad as the contractions of the baby's birth, of course.

And then..?

• When the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut. This is because now the baby can breathe and eat/drink, so it doesn't need the nutrients via the placenta anymore.
• The end of the umbilical cord will slowly deteriorate and fall off eventually. This then forms the belly button as we know it.
• Fun fact: the differences in belly buttons that we have depend on the person who folds it after birth!

And then..?

• The uterus wil quickly shrink back to its normal size (no bigger than a hand)
• However, the belly muscles and skin will take some more time.
• Due to this, the mother often looks a bit pregnant for a few more weeks.

Difficult births

• Normally, the baby is positioned with its head first.
• However, sometimes the baby is on the wrong side (butt first, feet first, or even completely turned to the side).

Difficult births

• Normally, the baby is positioned with its head first.
• However, sometimes the baby is on the wrong side (butt first, feet first, or even completely turned to the side).
• Another problem that can occur is that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's throat, legs or arms
• This could cut off oxygen supply, which is dangerous.

How to solve that?

• A caesarian section is the way to solve that (keizersnede)
• This involves an operation where the surgeon opens up the uterus and takes the baby out.

What have we learned?

1. What the uterus lining of a pregnant woman looks like. 
2. What pregnancy is and how a foetus develops in the uterus.
3. How the placenta belongs to the mother and the umbilical cord belongs to the baby.
4. The different phases of childbirth (contractions, dilation, delivery)
5. What is born along with the baby - umbilical cord, amniotic sac and placenta