In the first stage the woman starts to perceive contractions causing the cervix to dilate. For the most part, this stage takes longer because the cervix must dilate ten centimeters for the fetus to be born. Women who have had children before may or may not take as much as some women who are going to be a mother for the first time. For example, the patient I assisted was a first-time mom, so it took longer for the cervix to dilate to ten centimeters. Throughout the dilation process the doctor or nurse is occasionally checking the women’s cervix to know the position of the baby and how long till birth. In addition, the blood pressure is checked for both the women and the baby as well as the temperature. As a certified nursing assistant, I assisted the nurse by handling equipment and checking the vital signs for the patient. During this stage the nurse may give suggestions to the women that will help control the strong contractions that occur when the baby starts to descend. According to Yildirin, “Midwifes should educate women about spontaneous pushing antenatally and in the first stage of labour, waiting patiently throughout and respecting the women’s instincts and provide support and encouragement” (Holvey, 2014, 183). Providing this information in advance allows the process to run smoother because patients like the one I assisted had difficulty controlling herself because the pain she felt was sharp, but it was due to the …show more content…
In this stage the women may feel pressure and the need to push or the women may be fully dilated and not feel the need to push. Also, it is important that the women have support from a love one because it also helps her feel encourage. The position to give birth will differ from women to women because each woman find a position to which its more comfortable to push. The women will start to have stronger and longer contractions than before. With each contraction that the women get she must push for about ten seconds continually. Doing this procedure will allow the baby to move downward. Various women will need ice chips, oxygen, or change of position because the contractions are strong and painful. Such as, the patient I assisted, she had to have oxygen through an oxygen mask. Once the baby’s head begins to appear the health care team prepares the sterile equipment and the doctor arrives. The doctor then instructs the patient that when the next contraction comes she must push for the entire ten seconds for the baby to fully come out. Although, the patient I assisted would not last the ten seconds, so the doctor used a suctioning tube to assist the patient to give birth. After the baby is born the doctor may ask the family member in the room to cut the umbilical cord. According to Pamela, “Immediately following the birth of the baby, if the baby is breathing well and otherwise