This post is dedicated to all genders who went through the process of carrying, birthing, and bringing life into this world. You are amazing and deserve some love and appreciation for all your hard work during the pregnancy stages to the celebration of birth.
This weekend I finished a Birth Doula training in the United States, and I can honestly say I never thought I could learn more about a vagina. It is true, that the vagina is a mysterious mechanism. Men love it as it gives them pleasure, women grew up with it and sometimes it takes awhile to love it. We know it is a part of our body, and yes it gives us pleasure too. The most amazing aspect of the vagina is that it is a part of a woman's body that gives birth to new life.
Stages of Pregnancy
The typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and is divided into three trimesters. The first trimester is conception to 12 weeks, the second trimester is 13 to 27 weeks, and the third trimester starts at 28 weeks and runs until the end of the pregnancy.
I have not had the pleasure of carrying a child or giving birth, but I will now be an advocate and a person that empowers people of all genders in their birthing process. The following are some of the emotions and body changes a person goes through during their pregnancy changes.
I will be a helper to families or people who are alone primarily in their second and third stages of pregnancy to birth and then after the birth celebration that is called postpartum.
Some of the physical and emotional changes that will take place during the trimesters are:
First trimester
- Fatigue.
- Tender and swollen breasts.
- Nausea.
- Food cravings.
- Mood swings.
- Weight gain or loss.
Second trimester
- Baby bump.
- Physical aches and pain in different parts of the body.
- Stretch marks.
- Itching.
- Swelling.
- Dark patches on skin.
Third trimester
- Difficulty breathing.
- Hemorrhoids.
- Baby dropping.
- Contractions.
- Heartburn.
- Difficulty sleeping.
You might be wondering why I started this post talking about the vagina, and I guess it is because I found the vagina to be just a small fascinating part of the machine that results in the birth of a baby. There are so many other internal parts to speak of and those are the uterus, pubic bone, bladder, cervix, and sacrum. In fact, women use their entire body in order to create life.
However, it is the cervix and the vagina that expands to allow the baby enter the world through this amazing canal. the most amazing part about the vaginal delivery is that there are three stages.
First stage of vaginal delivery
- Cervix opens and thins to the full dilation of 10. The average first labor is 1 cm per hour during the active phase of labor. The cervix will dilate faster if a child was born prior.
Second stage of vaginal delivery
- Baby moves through the birth canal and is born. This stage of the labor lasts from 15 minutes to three hours.
Third state of vaginal delivery
- The placenta passes through the birth canal and comes out of the body approximately 30 minutes after the birth of the baby.
At this point I have only sat through one of my dearest friend's labor and delivery. So, I am more textbook than experience at this time, but I am so looking forward to helping little souls come into this world through the amazing people I will meet in the near future.
The video's I saw during my training assisted with the real life visual of a birthing in many different positions, the job of massaging all parts of the body, and words of empowering I will be able to provide. Such as breathing and visualizing techniques, keeping a safe space, and just being there for others through this magical experience. Also, the basic education of lactation instructions. I will assist with teaching new parent's in this area too.
The bottom line to everything that I learned was that every pregnancy is different, there are many ways to have a successful birth. There is not just one way. The advocacy I will be able to provide will empower the one giving birth to give life the way they choose. That is woman power at its best!
So, if you happen to be around the Colorado area keep me in mind to assist you in your birthing celebration! Peace.
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