Dr Meenakshi Ahuja, Director- Obstetrics and Gynecology Fortis
The human bodies are naturally designed for normal childbirth. Giving birth is one of the most natural experiences a woman can have. The term ‘normal delivery’ is often used interchangeably with ‘vaginal delivery’. Both these terms refer to the process by which a baby is pushed out of the birth canal by the mother.
Unless there are any contraindications as listed by your doctor, there is no reason why a woman shouldn’t gear up in her pregnancy to have a normal childbirth. Labour is perceived as difficult, prolonged, risky and painful, but you can actually work through pregnancy to make it a gratifying process
Here are some tips that you can follow:
- Eat Healthy: Remember in pregnancy, just because you are carrying a life inside you don’t mean you eat for two. Your calorie requirement increases by only 300 calories which are in the extra glass of milk. Know so, eat small frequent meals, eat healthy and keep your diet rich in protein rather than a carb-laden diet.
- Gain optimum weight- Though the standard recommended weight gain in pregnancy is 10-15 kg, remember the weight gain is dependent on your weight when you start the pregnancy. If you are overweight, we recommend that you put on less weight because increased weight gain will make you prone to complications of pregnancy like gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes. Having an uncomplicated pregnancy is actually the easiest way to ensure an easy delivery, so keep it simple
- Exercise regularly: Ensure that you walk for at least 40 minutes daily. Having an active lifestyle is going to help you deliver normally. Besides the scheduled walk, be busy around the house, and manage your own chores, and unless contraindicated, comfortably climb a couple of flights of stairs too.
- Do stretches and breathing exercises, build up your stamina to help you in labour. Once your doctor gives you the go ahead, enroll in an antenatal exercise program of choice, be it yoga, Pilates or aerobics, or a combination, under supervision. Swimming is a fabulous exercise and builds up your stamina, you’re breathing and does not put strain or pressure on any part of the body, works like a meditation too.
- Discuss your birth plan with your doctor – Do discuss your options, your keenness for normal birthing and your pain threshold, your anxieties and your fears regarding delivery – your obstetrician should be someone you are comfortable with and confident of, and she can allay your fears and anxieties. Discuss options of pain relief in labour including epidural analgesia, and the exam errors of the team in pain relief.
- Relax- this is very important, learn to work towards a normal delivery, but don’t get stressed about it and let the pressure of delivering normally overwhelm you and would counterproductively to your body.
- Enjoy your pregnancy, and trust in yourself & your doctor, and remember, the easiest way to ensure a normal delivery is to avoid complications during your pregnancy.
