for nearly nine months you will have been providing us not home for him and supplying food for his rapidly growing body nine months is not long in a lifetime but if you are like the average mother to be when it's nearly over you will be ready in fact you will be more you will be waiting and waiting everybody gets a little impatient for the baby toward the end of pregnancy that is everybody but the baby himself a's in military its all but for you and your husband those last weeks do seem to drag a little and chances are your husband will be looking forward to the day with just about as much anticipation as you will but however much the time seems to drag there isn't any doubt that the day will soon arrive when you will be going to the hospital so in preparation you will pack a bag to take along tooth brush make up a bed jacket perhaps and so on useful things and things to make you pretty and then one day in the middle of things probably when you least expect it labor begins rhythmically surely labor begins you'll feel the pains the labor contractions either low in the abdomen or low in the back under the flap bone midway between the hips the rhythm is slow at first the contractions come every half hour for about twenty seconds but soon the contractions lengthen the intervals shorten and you keep a record twenty five minutes twenty minutes fifteen minutes ten minutes and now it's time to call the doctor it will be most interested in what you have to tell him or he has after all been following your progress for nine months he will probably ask you whether you have any pain he's discharged whether much or little or a flow of water indicating that the bag of water surrounding your baby has broken and he will surely ask you how frequently the contractions are coming along any one of these three contractions ten minutes or so apart pick each this charge leakey's your sudden rush of water or any combination of them will indicate to the doctor that you and the baby are ready to go to the hospital it will tell them that you are on your way and so you are it's a relief to know that your baby is finally on his way you don't need to hurry there will be plenty of time of course your husband may get a little excited but don't let that bother you take your time following your doctor's call the staff will have made preparations for your arrival by the time you and your husband arrive everything will be ready and they will be expecting you at the hospital admission that you maybe ask a few questions but only a few and then you will be taken to the maternity ward to prepare for the delivery of your baby your husband will stay behind to answer more questions fill out the necessary forms and take care of the financial end of things when you reach your room you will get under arrest but on a hospital gown and roll into bed immediately a lot of people will become very much interested in you and your baby your arrival will start into action an experienced team dedicated to helping you bring your baby into the world they will be quiet and efficient they will do everything they can to make you comfortable they will help ensure success in this very important moment for you and your family soon your doctor arrives to take charge of things it will be following your progress closely now and first he will examine you to see how far along in labor you are and to check on the baby's position now let's move inside to see what has been happening here is a side view of the abdominal cavity in the upper part of the leg notice the distended abdomen with the navel in it's normally puffed out state the bladder and rectum have been squeezed aside by the uterus or woman containing the baby and by the vagina through which he will be born now labor as it is called is the work your body does in easing the baby out two sets of sell during pregnancy along muscles do most of the work during labor as they contract they move the baby down and out the openings surrounded by the sphincter muscle these think their muscles are intended to reverse their usual action now they must relax completely and allow the opening the stretch so the baby can move out into the vagina easily now if you let yourself become overly worried and overlayed tense this winter muscles may not relax as they should they may contract tightening around the opening opposing the action of the long muscles as they contract to push the baby out this may increase that this comfort of each contraction however most labors are normal and natural and if you are confident and relaxed let's think your muscles are also relaxed and gradually open up to let the baby that's why it's really important for you to know what's involved in labor and the birth of your baby so you can be reasonably relaxed and take it is easy as you can after the doctor has learned all he needs to know concerning you and the baby a nurse will shave off your pubic hair and give you an enema to help clear the way for your baby's birth and so you rest a patient patient so far as possible unit perhaps and the first stage of labor continues taking its own sweet time and when a contraction comes along you relax letting the uterus labor is divided into three stages the first and longest starts when the contractions begin when the mouth of the uterus begins to open gradually this thing through muscles relax at the same time the long muscles contract gently pushing the baby on his way the first stage ends when the opening is large enough to let the baby slip through during the first stage helpful doses of medicine may be given to you if you need them they will relieve some of the discomfort that your labor will be causing you and give you a peaceful state of mind try to relax each time your uterus contracts breathe slowly deeply easily deep slow abdominal breathing not only helps to relax you it also helps to get the baby into line for an easy delivery if your abdomen is held down the baby's head pushes against the side of the uterus you must make a detour to get out the opening by breathing with your abdomen you make it possible for the uterus to push forward at the top to stand up so the baby can be pushed directly down through the birth canal so far as you can try to relax with each contraction trying not to squeeze this will help the sphincter muscles relax and allow the uterus to o when the mouth of the uterus is opened completely the second stage of labor begins and soon you will be taken to the delivery room the delivery room is much like the doctor's examination room and its main piece of furniture is the delivery table where your baby they will be born there is a table with sterile drapes to cover your abdomen and legs and bo gowns towels and rubber gloves for the doctors and nurses everything is absolutely sterile to protect you and the baby there will be sterile solutions to wash you with just before the baby  anaesthetic sets a saddle block anaesthetic set and there will be gas available some others perhaps you may want a certain kind of anesthetic feel free to ask for it but by all means leave the decision in your doctor's hands finally there will be a bass i met ready to receive your baby and so you reach the delivery room ready to deliver your baby contractions are coming along about every three minutes but try not to be overly impatient try to keep your mind free of worry and hurried you can rely on your doctor and his helper you know they've brought a lot of babies into the world so you will know what to expect your doctor will tell you what he is going to do and more important what he wants you to do to help now what is happening inside your body well the baby's head is moving through the mouth of the uterus with each contraction he will move down the birth canal a little farther and at the same time he will rotate to face your back rather than facing your side as he did before in the second stage of labor you will be told to take several deep breaths while the uterus gradually increases in the strength of its contractions at the peak of the contractions you will take another breast and hold it in other words you will push at the peak of contractions with each push some describe it is leaning on it and the baby moves along a little farther take your time there is no reason to hurry this is hard work of course and you need to rest between each contraction and you won't be alone in your work your doctor will be working to he will be keeping you informed of progress and will be ready to receive the baby if he comes out remember in the second stage of labor you'll push with each contraction in the middle of things with everything moving along well you may suddenly wonder how the baby can possibly get through that small opening don't worry your stretching up for nine months your body is been preparing your doctor will be the ready to hold the baby's head and to manipulate him gently so his shoulders arms body and legs slide out easily and he will be a fine healthy baby announcing his arrival with a good loud pri dr will tie the umbilical cord and cut it since the court has no nerves neither you nor the baby will feel it and now you can hold your baby what a wonderful thing to give life to a new human being and while you're getting acquainted with your baby the third stage of labor begins the placenta that has been feeding him begins to come loose and another contraction or two discards it from your body and from five to twenty minutes it is called the after birth your baby is born the job is done and when your doctor says congratulations you did up find job it really made it back in your room you begin to realize how much you are going to enjoy your baby he's all yours every inch every ounce of him for you and your husband and the baby it is the beginning of a new era here a brim full of surprises and happiness dr dancer lawyer president what will he be if you've chosen a name for him don't forget the telephone the relatives are the announcements ready don't forget to get cigars and candy for the office well father will take care of that now for a well earn