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Chapter 2: Problem 11

Describe the major current approaches to childbirth. Parents-to-be have a variety of choices regarding the setting for the birth, medical attendants, and whether to use pain-reducing medication. Sometimes, medical intervention, such as cesarean birth, becomes necessary.

Short Answer

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Current approaches to childbirth involve choices like the setting (hospital, birthing center, or home), type of medical attendants (obstetrician, midwife, or doula), and pain management options (like epidurals or natural methods). In some cases, medical intervention such as a C-section might be necessary for the safety of the mother and baby.

Step by step solution

01

Understand different birth settings

The first aspect to discussing approaches to childbirth is knowing the different settings available. There are three main settings: home birth, birth center birth, and hospital birth. Home births are where the mother gives birth in her own home. Birth center births happen in midwife-led centers which feel more like home than a hospital. A hospital birth happens in a hospital where medical interventions are readily available if needed.
02

Explore the role of medical attendants

Medical attendants come in different forms. Obstetricians are medical doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth and they usually attend hospital births. Midwives are professionals trained to support and care for women during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. They can attend home births, birth center births, and hospital births. Doulas are not medical professionals but provide physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and after childbirth.
03

Explain options for pain management

There are several ways to manage pain during childbirth. Epidural analgesia is a common method used during hospital births, which involves injecting a local anesthetic into the lower spine to numb the lower half of the body. Other drug-free methods include breathing exercises, water birth, acupuncture, hypnobirthing, and utilizing a birthing ball.
04

Discuss medical intervention

Sometimes, medical intervention becomes necessary during childbirth. One common form of this is the cesarean section or C-section, a surgical procedure used to deliver the baby through incisions in the mother's abdomen and uterus. This is usually done when vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain the factors that lead to stillbirth, infant mortality, and postpartum depression. The infant mortality rate in the United States is higher than the rate in many other countries, and higher for low-income families than higher-income families. Postpartum depression, an enduring, deep feeling of sadness, affects about 10 percent of new mothers. In severe cases, its effects can be harmful to the mother and the child, and aggressive treatment may be employed.

Describe the process of cesarean delivery, and explain the reasons for its increase in use. Cesarean deliveries are performed when the fetus is in distress, in the wrong position, or unable to progress through the birth canal. The routine use of a fetal monitor has contributed to a soaring rate of cesarean deliveries.

Describe the role of genetic counselors and differentiate between different forms of prenatal testing. Genetic counselors use a variety of data and techniques to advise future parents of possible genetic risks to their unborn children. A variety of techniques can be used to assess the health of an unborn child if a woman is already pregnant, including ultrasound, CVS, and amniocentesis.

Describe the normal process of labor and the events that occur in the first few hours of a newborn's life. In the first stage of labor, contractions occur about every 8 to 10 minutes, increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity until the mother's cervix expands. In the second stage of labor, which lasts about 90 minutes, the baby begins to move through the cervix and birth canal and ultimately leaves the mother's body. In the third stage of labor, which lasts only a few minutes, the umbilical cord and placenta are expelled from the mother. After it emerges, the newborn, or neonate, is usually inspected for irregularities, cleaned, and returned to its mother and father. It also undergoes newborn screening tests.

Describe the learning capabilities of the newborn. From birth, infants learn through habituation, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning.
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