Assisted Labor

During delivery, sometimes it is observed that medical assistance is provided and needed to help the baby and mother for easy delivery. One should know the importance of intervention.

Sometimes it so happens that the mother contractions weaken and they mother might get exhausted. The baby might be pre-term and the skull may require protection. The mothers pelvis is not open wide so as to push the baby out. Or even the baby may show slow heart rate and may pass meconium. Under All these conditions the assistance of labor becomes mandatory.

Induction- induction is done if the doctor feels that the health of the mother and the child are at risk. It can be done if the baby is overdue. The placenta decreases in effectiveness after 41 weeks. It may happen that the baby’s health may compromise due to lack of food and oxygen.

During this oxytocin is administered to induce labor. This is done if the labor has not started naturally. With the use of this synthetic hormone, it is supposed that the own hormones that the body produces are used to start labor.

Sometimes the labor is slow and the mother’s contractions might have stopped. Then it is recommended to administer hormone oxytocin via drip, this is done to restart the labor and speed up the entire process. This then again brings intense contractions.

Another way of inducting pain is with prostaglandin gels. These are inserted in the vagina; they soften the cervix and start the dilation process.

Breaking the waters- an ARM is performed in this. This artificial rupture of the membrane is done by the doctor if the contractions have slowed down. The doctor may do this is if the baby is not doing well. The procedure is painless. A hook similar to crochet hook is introduced into the vagina and the membranes are ruptured. The contractions are then intensified.

Forceps/ vent house- they are used if the baby is not coming down the birth canal. A vent house is an extractor with a rubber cap. It is used as suction to pull the baby’s head out. The pulling and the pushing by the mother are done simultaneously. This vacuum extraction can initially show a misshapen head of the baby, but it will become normal after a couple of days.

Forceps are used only if the baby’s head is close to the birth canal. An episiotomy is done that maneuvers more room for the forceps. The baby’s head is pulled with forceps while the mother bears the contractions. The bruise developed on child’s head will eventually fade away.

It is important for the mother and the father to educate themselves about these assistance.