What should pregnant women do to easily give birth?

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In favorable health conditions for mother and baby, doctors often advise pregnant women to give birth naturally to ensure faster recovery, and to limit the use of drugs that can affect breast milk. So what should pregnant women do to make it easier to give birth naturally?

1. Indicated when to give birth naturally?

If the following conditions are met, doctors often recommend that pregnant women give birth vaginally to ensure the best health for both mother and baby:
Pregnant women have good pregnancy health: This is a very important condition to Pregnant women can give birth naturally. If the pregnant woman has some risk problems such as coagulopathy, pre-eclampsia, etc., she will not only give birth naturally but switch to cesarean section to ensure safety; Unobstructed Fetal Birth Path: Normal delivery can only go smoothly if the baby's outflow tract is unobstructed. In case the pregnant woman has tumors that obstruct the birth canal or the location of the placenta is not favorable,... the doctor will prescribe cesarean section intervention instead of a vaginal birth; Good fetal health: Only in good health can your baby pass through the birth canal and be born. If the baby has problems such as knotted umbilical cord, umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, prolapsed umbilical cord, etc., pregnant women should choose to have a caesarean section; Normal fetal weight: If the baby has a standard weight for the mother's body, it will be convenient for a normal birth. In case the baby has too much weight, it will cause difficulties in the normal delivery process, a cesarean section may be considered; Baby's biparietal diameter and mother's uterine opening are favorable: Babies with large biparietal diameter (head circumference) will find it difficult to pass through the mother's cervix to get out. Besides, if the mother's cervix is ​​dilated, the fetus cannot be delivered normally. Therefore, during antenatal care, the doctor will advise the mother on the method of normal delivery and caesarean section in accordance with the baby's head circumference/the mother's uterine opening; The right side of the baby: If the pregnancy is transverse or the baby is inverted, the baby will not be able to give birth naturally, but need a cesarean section.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of vaginal birth

Before learning what pregnant women need to do to ease childbirth, readers should understand the advantages and disadvantages of the vaginal delivery method:
2.1 Advantages Helps pregnant women recover quickly. After giving birth about 1-2 days, the mother can move and walk; The uterus of the pregnant woman has a better contraction, so the fluid is quickly exhausted, and there is less blood loss due to childbirth; Reducing the risk of complications of bladder damage, blood clots in the legs, ... for pregnant women; Women who give birth normally will have more milk than a cesarean section. Breastfeeding babies early stimulates growth and early immune system; During labor, the newborn baby will be exposed to beneficial bacteria in the vagina, so the immune system is stimulated early. At the same time, thanks to the pressure during birth, the fluid in the baby's lungs is pushed out more, the baby has a better airway than the baby born by caesarean section. 2.2 Limitations The labor pain can be prolonged causing the mother to lose strength. There are many cases where pregnant women are exhausted and have to undergo surgery; The expected date of birth and the actual date of birth may be different, causing concern for pregnant women; After giving birth, women may experience urinary incontinence due to the effects on the pelvic floor; Some cases of vaginal birth require technical intervention to make the delivery easier.

3. What should pregnant women do to ease birth?

What to do to ease childbirth is often a question of many pregnant women and their families. Here are some ways to help pregnant women give birth easily that pregnant women should refer to:
3.1 Build good exercise habits during pregnancy One of the easy tips for pregnant women is to build a habit of exercise regularly every day. Regular exercise helps the mother and baby stay healthy and helps the mother's body adapt and get used to the changes as the baby grows up, healthy enough to go through the labor phase later.
According to many studies, pregnant women who exercise for about 30 minutes a day can reduce bone pain and help muscles relax slowly. From there, the labor process of pregnant women will be faster and more convenient, helping the mother to have less pain and not lose too much strength. So, this is a good habit that pregnant women need to build throughout their pregnancy.
Exercise options for pregnant women include:
Swimming; Kegel exercises; Practicing Yoga helps reduce pressure on the back, chest, shoulders and hips for pregnant women; The movements toning the thigh muscles (because when giving birth, the thighs will have to bear a lot of force); Walking about 30 - 60 minutes/day to improve health, limit pregnancy constipation, reduce high blood pressure, help pregnant women give birth more easily; Squat: Helps open the pelvis, bringing the fetus into the right position. At the same time, Squat also improves pregnant women's calves, which is very useful during labor. 3.2 Limiting stress During pregnancy, pregnant women often suffer from psychological stress. The key to the good health of both mother and baby is that pregnant women need to try to stay calm, control their moods and avoid stress. Because psychological stress can make labor difficult for pregnant women.
Specifically, negative emotions make the fetus more susceptible to receiving stress signals from the mother, adversely affecting the baby's brain, causing the child to be malnourished in the womb. At the same time, stress also puts pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia, vaginitis during pregnancy,...
So what should pregnant women do to ease childbirth? Pregnant women should choose some measures to avoid stress during pregnancy such as: Meditating, listening to their favorite songs, ... At the same time, the family needs more psychological support for pregnant women by paying more attention.
3.3 Eat right A diet full of nutrients and food groups will help both mother and baby stay healthy. Scientific and balanced nutrition for pregnant women includes:
Prioritize dark green vegetables because they contain many good micronutrients for the body; Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins such as bread, rice, cereals, shrimp, crab, fish,...; Eat a lot of fresh fruit to fully supplement vitamins and minerals; The diet should include iron-rich foods; Eat seafood in moderation; Limit sugary foods, sweet foods and processed foods;

Near the end of pregnancy, pregnant women should prioritize the following foods and drinks to help speed up labor and give birth naturally according to folk tips for easy delivery:
Drink basil juice: In the last 3 months of pregnancy, pregnant Women can drink basil juice to help labor quickly. How to do it as follows: Wash 1 handful of basil, grind it with about 300ml, add a little sugar for easy drinking; Eat sweet potato vegetables: During pregnancy, pregnant women should eat sweet potato vegetables regularly because it is a vegetable that provides a lot of fiber, vitamins and effectively improves constipation. Not only that, in the last stage of pregnancy, eating sweet potato vegetables also helps the cervix to soften quickly, shortening the labor time so that pregnant women can give birth more easily. In particular, after giving birth, women should still eat sweet potatoes to have more milk for their babies; Eat black sesame tea: From the 8th month of pregnancy (from the 34th to 35th week), pregnant women can eat black sesame tea for easy delivery. Pregnant women should cook black sesame with tapioca flour, served with quail, only eat 1 bowl of tea at a time; Eat eggplant: In the last month of pregnancy, pregnant women should eat eggplant to help the cervix elastic better, from which the labor process will be more favorable; Eat/drink pineapple juice: From the 39th week of pregnancy, pregnant women should eat or drink pineapple juice to make labor faster and easier. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that stimulates labor and softens the cervix. Some other fruits that also contain bromelain are mango, papaya,...; Drink perilla leaf juice: If 1 week before the due date of labor without showing signs of labor, pregnant women can drink perilla leaf juice to speed up the labor process. How to do it as follows: Take a few perilla leaves, wash and grind for drinking water, drink about 500ml per day. According to folklore, perilla leaves have the effect of making the cervix soft and open faster, making it easier for pregnant women to give birth; Drink hot coconut water: If you start to feel labor, pregnant women can drink warm coconut water and then eat 1 more boiled egg to help the cervix open faster, easier to give birth naturally; Foods containing sugar and starch: Help pregnant women have an abundant source of energy to have the strength to "get through labor". What should pregnant women do to easily give birth? From eating, pregnant women should also pay attention:
Do not eat too much, avoid letting yourself gain so much weight that you are overweight or obese. Because overweight pregnant women are often prone to complications during childbirth, so they have to choose a cesarean section; During labor, if pregnant women feel thirsty, ask a doctor for assistance in drinking water; Spicy foods can help warm the body, which is good for vaginal delivery. However, many pregnant women experience heartburn, indigestion, and diarrhea when eating spicy foods, so each woman monitors her own body to choose whether to eat or remove spicy dishes from her menu. 3.4 Practice breathing properly Breathing exercises play a very important role in the labor process. Pregnant women need to learn how to breathe properly from the beginning of pregnancy because deep breathing helps blood and air circulation better. Deep breathing also helps pregnant women not to be short of breath, calm and relieve pain during childbirth. During pregnancy, pregnant women can attend antenatal classes to receive guidance from an obstetrician. The right way to breathe, to push, to make birth easier and to avoid causing adverse effects on the fetus.

3.5 Some other notes To know what pregnant women need to do to ease childbirth, pregnant women and their families need to pay attention:
Abdominal massage during labor to stimulate fertility faster; Proper delivery: When lying on the delivery table, the pregnant woman will be instructed by the midwife or doctor on how to push. Pregnant women will push in time with the contractions of the uterus so that the baby is born as quickly as possible; Epidural Anesthesia: This is a local anesthetic method that helps pregnant women lose pain sensation in the lower half of the body during childbirth but still feel uterine contractions. To give birth more gently, pregnant women can choose this method; With husband and relatives in the delivery room: To reduce stress during childbirth; Warm baths: Relieves discomfort and pain during labor. However, pregnant mothers should pay attention not to bathe in too hot water to avoid harming the fetus. And if your water breaks, pregnant women should not take a hot bath, but need to go to the hospital quickly. Knowing the above notes will help pregnant women answer the question of what a pregnant woman needs to do to have an easy birth. Pregnant women should take the initiative to take care of their health by building a scientific diet, exercise and reasonable rest, combined with regular antenatal checkups!
At Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a package maternity service as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout the pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of highly qualified doctors Regular check-ups, early detection of abnormalities The Package Maternity package helps to facilitate convenient for the birthing process Newborns get comprehensive care

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.