Your baby’s breathing exercises naturally stop about 24 to 48 hours before labour commences. Unborn babies have around 75 to 100mls of amniotic fluid in their lungs (aprox. 25 mls per kg of body weight). During labour, hormones are released to trigger your baby’s system to absorb some of this fluid into their blood stream. A small amount remains in their lungs at birth, which is fully absorbed within 24 hours. This is why newborns often sound a little gurgly when they breathe during the first hour or so after birth.
If you do not experience labour (i.e. an elective Caesarean) there is an increased chance your baby will experience a condition called wet lung, where they tend to breathe more rapidly, possibly requiring observation in the intensive care nursery for a few hours.
If your baby is born around this time congratulations! If your baby has not arrived as yet – try and be patient and remember that the normal length of a pregnancy is any time from 37 to 42 weeks.
About due dates
A German obstetrician called Naegele first developed the universal estimation of human gestation in the early 1800’s. He declared that a pregnancy should last 10 lunar months or 40 weeks, which is 280 days or about 9 calendar months. However, we now know that a lunar month is 29.53 solar days, meaning 295 days, which is closer to 42 weeks!
One study found that the average length of a human pregnancy was about 40 weeks + 8 days for first time mothers, and 40 weeks + 3 days for mothers having their second or subsequent babies.
If women were left to go into labour spontaneously without being induced:
About 50% would have their baby between 39 and 41 weeks and up to 88% between 38 and 42 weeks.
5% of babies would be born on their actual due date.
6 to 7% of babies would be born premature (before 37 weeks).
If not induced, a very small percentage of babies would be born after 42 weeks.
Labour 101: a condensed overview
If you haven’t had time to do much preparation for this birth, or you feel you need a quick refresher on the main things to know – browse through our Labour 101 – condensed overview.
It is specially designed for time-poor mums and dads to be!
Other considerations
Rubella vaccination
During early pregnancy, a routine blood test can indicate a woman’s immunity to Rubella. If this level was low, it is usually recommended to have a Rubella vaccination after the baby is born. The aim is to provide immunity for potential future pregnancies and it is usually given just before being discharged home from hospital.
Postnatal exercise
Postnatal exercises can begin within a week of giving birth. However, women who have had a caesarean are usually advised to delay most abdominal exercises until about 7 to 14 days after the operation. Check with your caregiver. If you have back pain, you may wish to seek some guidance from the hospital’s physiotherapist. Some women like to do their exercises regularly. Others do them when they remember, feel inclined or have time.
Baby at birth
Physical recovery
The early weeks after giving birth are a time for the woman to learn, heal and recover. It is very common to have aches and pains to varying degrees, and you will usually feel sore, swollen and tender, especially if stitches were needed after a vaginal birth, or your baby was delivered by caesarean.
Emotional highs and lows
Most new mothers experience a range of emotional highs and lows in the days and weeks following the birth of their baby. These not only stem from the normal hormonal changes, but also the sheer physical, emotional and spiritual experience of giving birth. Emotions will be very different for each individual woman and if this is not your first baby, you may experience similar feelings to your previous birth/s, or they could be completely different. .
Women who have had a caesarean (and their partners) may also experience unique emotions, in addition to the normal postnatal adjustments.
Support strategies
During the early weeks of mothering most women require the same physical and emotional support, and unconditional love, that was needed during the pregnancy and birth. Some women pre-plan certain support strategies for this period, as well as rely on partners, family and friends (if these are available).
Postnatal variations
The postnatal recovery for the woman is usually uncomplicated. However, as with the labour and birth, the healing process can also deviate from the norm. If you develop complications, then your stay in the hospital may be extended, or you may need to return to the hospital after going home (or transfer to another hospital).
What to expect from your caregiver
For most women, the first few days after the birth are spent in hospital. However some women choose to go home early. For women having a home birth, they are already there! Where you spend your early postnatal recovery will determine the type of care you receive and how long your professional support continues, before relying on community services, networking, family and friends.
