Expectant mothers urged to get confidant into labour ward to reduce labour time

The Head of Maternal and Child Birth Service at Craddle Maternity Hospital, Maame Serwaa Major is advising expectant mothers to get their birth partners or someone they trust to join them to the labour ward to help reduce their labour time, anxiety and pain during labor.
Speaking on Adom FM’s reality show for pregnant women, ‘Nyinsen Ne Awuor’, the Midwife said most pregnant women, especially first timers feel uncomfortable about expressing their labor pains in front of people they are not familiar with and that sometimes delay delivery.
“If you are a first-time mum, active labor may take about eighteen hours and this could be much shorter if you go along with someone you trust to give both physical and emotional support,” she said.
Maame Serwaa Major however advised that pregnant women should take their birth plan seriously, saying it is a major factor to deliver safely without any complications.
“There are three stages to labor and birth – the first stage is when the woman experiences cramps, backache, tummy upset, loose bowels and her water might break and there will be a bloody show, even though the baby may not be ready to come out yet,” she said.
The Midwife said at the first stage, unless the cervix expands to at least 4cm, the woman will not be considered as someone in active labor yet, adding that there is need for regular and stronger contractions to indicate active labour.
“At the second stage, your cervix will be fully dilated to 10cm and you must constantly check the heartbeat of the baby whiles the mother keeps pushing till she delivers – and the final stage is when the placenta is detached from your womb; that is where it gets risky for both mother and child if they are not properly observed,” She added.
She however gave the assurance that preparation classes are normally organize at various hospitals for pregnant women who are a few days away from giving birth to psych them up for the labor ahead.
Maame Serwaa Major is therefore urging expectant mothers to take advantage of those classes to aid safety delivery.