Things I Wish I Had Known Before Childbirth
Feeling prepared for childbirth? Think again. The reality may be a whole lot different to your expectations.
Feeling prepared for childbirth? Think again. The reality may be a whole lot different to your expectations.
Visualising the miracle of birth is not easy. But a 'dilation board' can bring it all into perspective for mums-to-be!
Pregnant Minister for Women, Julie Anne Genter, cycled to hospital for her induction at 42 weeks.
The world awaits the arrival of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's baby. But how long will we have to wait?
There's no hard and fast rule on when the right time to start a family may be. But science offers us some tips when it comes to fertility factors.
The amount of bleeding after delivery can be quite frightening, but it’s completely normal and – if you think about it – expected.
Do you know how to tell the difference between Braxton Hicks and real labour pains?
Early and active 1st stage contractions are usually defined as pains that come every 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes (timed from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next contraction). They usually last more than 40 seconds and up to 70 seconds each time. Prelabour contractions are usually further apart, shorter in length (or very long eg. 2 minutes) and can often be erratic.
From about 8 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus begins to generate small waves of contractions. These are known as Braxton Hicks contractions
Foetal distress can occur during pregnancy, or more commonly during labour. Foetal distress can be due to a wide range of reasons.
Acupressure, Shiatsu and Reflexology work on similar principles to acupuncture. Learn more about the differences and benefits here
There are many medical methods of induction available today, find out more about them here.
There are possible side effects of having an epidural, read about what they are here.
Water births have many physical benefits, including pain relief and fast dilation of the cervix. Read more about them here
Read about what your body may do after birth and what it means.
Several things can be done that might make you have contractions and start your labour, but they'll only work if your body is ready.
Find out about the three main medical pain-relieving options during labour and what they may mean for you.
Choosing between an obstetrician or midwife may be an easy choice for those with a well-established preference, but for others it can be a confusing process.
Birth centres offer an alternative to public hospitals for giving birth. Find out whether your babys birth would be suited to a birth centre.
Baby's that are born overdue often show the following signs:
It can som [...]
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Occasionally (about 1 in every 400 births, or 0.25%) the baby is lying across ways in the uterus, called a 'transverse lie'
Everything you need to know for all the stages of labour, pain relief, the birth of your baby and more.
Premature labour occurs when you go into labour before the 37-week mark of your pregnancy. Find reassurance and be prepared for a premature labour and birth with an understanding of what to expect when you go through premature labour and give birth. Kidspot New Zealand
The first week after having a C-section is really tricky. Bianca Wordley has some tips to help you recover faster.
Labour occurs in three stages. Find how what happens during labour in the first stage including information about labour contractions. Find reassurance and be prepared for your labour and birth with an understanding of what to expect when you go through labour and give birth. Kidspot New Zealand
Understand your labour and birth better with our guide to labour terms including breech, cesarean, dilation and effacement. Find more on Kidspot New Zealand
Perineal tearing during birth is common but there are ways to reduce the risk of tearing or episiotomy such as perineal massage, Epi-no and water birth. Find more on Kidspot New Zealand