Components Of Labor
A component of labor is described as the understanding of the physiological processes of labor during pregnancy and childbirth. This is when the pregnancy is already on its full term and may proceed to the child birthing stage. The first component is the passenger, which is the placenta and the fetus that will go through a hollow canal towards their freedom to the outside environment. Both the fetus and the placenta moves out from the female reproductive system during child birth and will begin their journey to experience the physical atmosphere. The fetus will then turn into an infant once it is successfully expelled from the reproductive system of the mother during the labor and delivery processes inside the delivery room of the hospital.
The passageway is another component of labor where both the fetus and the placenta pave their way through the outside environment. The passageway is facilitated by the uterus to push the baby and the placenta through the vaginal canal. The contraction of the uterus pushes the baby in an outward direction from the cervix, then to the vaginal canal, and then to the outside environment that will officially transform the fetus into a baby. If normal delivery is not possible due to complications of pregnancy, a caesarian section is an alternative component. This is a major surgical procedure that prompts surgeons to cut the lower abdomen of the baby through the uterus. The baby will then expelled manually by the surgeons and the assisting medical professional to retrieve the infant and introduce them to the world.
The position of the mother is an important component of the labor process and the child birthing procedure. The mother is requested in a lithotomy position because this is the most common method to give birth. There are at least more than 50% of the total numbers of females who have been placed in this position. Other positions include side lying, squat position, kneeling position, and in an upright birth positions. The position depends on the doctor’s order when assisting patients to deliver their baby. There are different cultures that impact the practice of health care system because some places around the world associate their religious beliefs to allow mothers follow a certain position to give birth to their child. This is for as long as the delivery of the baby is safe as facilitated by the team of obstetricians and health care personnel during childbirth.
The physiological response is an important component of labor because the mother’s body begins to return to its normal state after the baby is already detached from the system. This occurs when the placenta completely fall off from the wall of the uterus and will come along with the fetus that will turn into an infant once it has been successfully delivered. The circulatory system starts to return to its normal delivery of blood products after it will now close the main vessels connecting between the baby and the mother. Healing process takes place after the delivery when the injured parts of the reproductive system engage in a physiologic response wherein it triggers the immune response to fight against infectious contaminants as the system regenerates. The uterus begins to return to its normal space by allowing the myometrium to become thinner as it sloughs off extra layers out from the body (Lawrence, Lewis, Hofmeyr, Dowswell & Styles, 2013).
Reference
- Lawrence A, Lewis L, Hofmeyr GJ, Dowswell T & Styles C.(2013) Maternal positions and mobility during first stage labor. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 2.
