PSY 2105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, Prenatal Development, Umbilical Cord
22 Sep 2016
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The perinatal period begins with birth: birth typically occurs at 38 weeks, birth process lasts about 16 hours (first child) Usually much less time for your second/third/fourth child: the fetus initiates the birth process by secreting chemical messages that induce rhythmic contractions of the uterus. Some women experience braxon hicks (irregular contractions) late in the pregnancy. When there is less time between contractions with high intensity, that is called active labour: three stages of birth process. Have to be 10cm dilated before pushing. This is the part that takes the longest. If a woman can"t dilate to 10cm they can try to speed it along (but they want your body to do it naturally) Delivery of the placenta and other membranes. There"s a lot of variablility to what women feel during this stage. Doctors check for holes or tears in the placenta. Cultural variations exist in attitudes towards pregnancy and birth: western society treats pregnancy as an illness.
