The due date is getting closer and closer, and the enthusiastic people around you are becoming more and more active in conveying various news about this important moment to you. Nervous expectant mothers are a little \”awe-ed\” about childbirth, and these statements make them feel that birth is unfathomable. Actually.
To this day, there are still many ridiculous myths about childbirth that many expectant mothers believe. These statements often make them feel a lot of unnecessary tension or worry, adding a lot of extra pressure to childbirth.
Today, we are going to clarify these fertility-related rumors for you.
Rumor: \”Once the water breaks, the fetus will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients and must be born as soon as possible.\”
Fact: The main component of amniotic fluid is fetal urine. Of course, it contains very small amounts of minerals, rare elements and growth hormones. Its main function is to prevent the fetus from being impacted by the outside world, act as a shock absorber, and maintain a constant temperature so that the baby is not affected by temperature differences. It can be seen that the amniotic fluid does not provide oxygen or nutrients to the fetus. Therefore, the outflow of amniotic fluid after the water breaks does not mean that the channels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus are interrupted. This \”lack of oxygen and nutrition\” will only increase the psychological burden on expectant mothers. How much does a pregnant woman know about amniotic fluid?
In fact, if a woman\’s water breaks near her due date, it may take a day (or sometimes longer) for her to start having contractions. Therefore, there is no need to rush to the hospital in panic. These expectant mothers may not need the help of oxytocin, and most will give birth within 24 hours.
If a pregnant woman\’s water breaks between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy, the doctor will find a way to deliver the baby early. Although it is considered a premature birth, the fetus\’s lungs are mature at this time and it can survive successfully after delivery. Because after the amniotic membrane ruptures, bacteria can easily enter the uterus from the vagina and cause fetal infection, so delivery should be timely within 24 hours after the water breaks. But if the fetus is still too small, the doctor will generally handle it based on the number of weeks of pregnancy of the expectant mother. Generally speaking, if the fetus is less than 28 weeks old, the doctor will conduct a detailed examination and then decide whether to abort or terminate the pregnancy. If the fetus develops to 32 to 35 weeks, and after examination, the fetus develops normally, the doctor usually uses the method of abortion: 1. On the other hand, some drugs are used to make the fetus\’s lungs more mature, and then the expectant mother is given some antibiotics to prevent infection.
In short, water breaking is not that scary, but you must take it seriously, stay calm, and go to the hospital in time.
Myth 1: \”Natural childbirth will damage the bladder, and you cannot hold in your urine after delivery.\”
Fact: You may have heard that natural childbirth can damage your bladder muscles and ligaments, causing postpartum urinary incontinence. The most common form of postpartum urinary incontinence is urine leakage as long as the abdomen is exerted, such as coughing, laughing, large movements of the waist and legs, etc. This condition does exist, but cannot be attributed to natural childbirth.
What we call postpartum urinary incontinence is medically called stress urinary incontinence. PregnantDuring this period, as the fetus grows, the uterus continues to expand and weight increases, which can easily cause the muscles and ligaments of the bladder neck and urethra to relax, thereby changing the normal positions of the bladder and urethra. In addition, after childbirth, the pelvic muscles and ligaments will be relatively loose, and the position of the bladder and urethra will be relatively lowered. These all provide the possibility for urinary incontinence. But this is only a short-term natural phenomenon after childbirth. Natural childbirth should not be viewed as a disadvantage and therefore fearful. Stress urinary incontinence caused by pregnancy and childbirth can be cured as long as you take good postpartum care, perform self-exercise of the pelvic muscles in a timely and appropriate manner, and avoid premature weight bearing.
If you think that caesarean section (that is, what we often call caesarean section) will not have such worries, then you should also understand that caesarean section is actually a very risky operation, and it has many complications. Risks include damage to the bladder from the incision.
Myth: “Ask your doctor to inject oxytocin to speed up labor and make contractions less painful”
Fact: Oxytocin injections, or oxytocin as it\’s commonly known to obstetricians, work by strengthening uterine contractions to induce labor. Whether to use oxytocin injection is not arbitrarily requested by the mother or her family. The decision must be carefully evaluated by an obstetrician, who performs a series of examinations and tests on the mother and fetus. Such as B-ultrasound to determine placental maturity, fetal size, amniotic fluid condition, etc., maternal cervical examination, fetal pelvic examination, etc. Oxytocin is used to induce labor. If used improperly, it can cause harm to pregnant women and fetuses, and even be life-threatening in severe cases. Therefore, oxytocin must be used with caution.
In addition, even if oxytocin is administered, it does not mean that contractions and labor will begin immediately. Labor usually begins several hours after oxytocin is given, and sometimes oxytocin may not work at all. If there are no other dangerous situations, natural birth cannot occur even after using oxytocin, and can only be solved by cesarean section.
Therefore, the use of oxytocin does not appear to shorten labor, reduce pain, and make normal labor easier and smoother, as some people imagine. Unless there is an overdue pregnancy or other necessary circumstances, oxytocin injection should be used as directed by your doctor.
Rumor: \”You must eat chocolate to replenish your energy during labor.\”
Fact: Moms are encouraged to eat something during their due date because the entire labor process takes a long time. Mothers need to endure pain and use force to deliver the baby, which consumes a lot of energy. Without sufficient physical strength, the labor of childbirth is detrimental to maternal health. The reason why many people prefer chocolate is that chocolate can be absorbed by the body in a short period of time and converted into a large amount of calories. However, what mom eats at this time still depends on her own taste and habits. Some mothers will experience acid reflux after eating chocolate, which will aggravate the pain during labor, which is unnecessary. Easy-to-digest, low-fat liquid or soft foods such as porridge and pastries are fine. Foods such as eggs and meat stay in the stomach for a long time, which can easily cause complications during childbirth.It may cause stomach discomfort or even vomiting, so it should not be eaten. It should be noted that no matter what you eat, don’t eat too much. Also pay attention to hydration.
Myth: “Prenatal enemas can easily cause postpartum constipation, so it’s best not to do them.”
Fact: Prenatal enemas may cause delayed bowel movements after delivery, but this is not a reason to refuse enemas. The main function of an enema is to avoid
During delivery, the mother excretes feces and contaminates the vagina, increasing the chance of infection. However, enema has contraindications, such as premature rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding, unconnected fetal head, abnormal fetal position, history of cesarean section, strong uterine contractions (expected to give birth within 1 hour), and severe heart disease. All pregnant women should not undergo enema. During delivery, if a woman without an enema excretes feces, the delivery nurse will quickly clean it up, so expectant mothers do not need to worry about this. In addition, there are many reasons for postpartum constipation, such as high physical exertion during childbirth, fatigue and laxity of abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, making it difficult to exert force; more bed rest and less activity after delivery, etc.
What other myths have you heard about childbirth?
– \”If the fetus is in breech position, a cesarean section is necessary\” (Tiantian Mama, Beijing)
Not necessarily. A comprehensive judgment should be made based on the size of the fetus, the way of presentation, and the size of the mother\’s pelvis.
– \”Dark nipples during pregnancy indicate that you are pregnant with a boy\” (Li Li, Shenzhen)
The color of nipples is affected by changes in endogenous hormone secretion. During pregnancy, the increase in progesterone and hormones that stimulate melanocytes in the body causes some parts of the body surface that are originally heavily pigmented to become darker, such as nipples, vagina, etc. It will take some time to recover quickly after giving birth. This phenomenon has nothing to do with the gender of the fetus.
– \”Pregnant women with deep myopia are prone to retinal detachment if they give birth naturally\” (Junjun mother, Shenyang)
During the second stage of labor, the mother does need to cooperate with the doctor Holding your breath forcefully will not cause retinal detachment as long as the method is correct. When the mother enters the delivery room, she should clearly explain her vision condition to the doctor and ask the doctor for the correct method of exerting force.