When after nine months waiting the time of delivery finally arrives, it is normal to be nervous, to have doubts and concerns, more than you already imagined. For example, sometimes, even if the pregnancy time is fulfilled, water does not break or begin to give birth, it can also cost to get the dilation necessary to give birth or there are other delays. Therefore, it is vital to be with doctors and follow the advice they give in each situation.
Anyway, there are some homemade and natural methods, that is, you can practice both at home and in the hospital and without medication, to get the necessary dilation. In we explain how to dilate faster in childbirth. Notes!
How many centimeters to dilate in childbirth
Dilation is certainly a sign that the baby is on its way and will be born in a few hours. In addition, it is the longest and most painful part of childbirth, so it is best to walk slowly and breathe deeply to better carry this part and all the symptoms it entails.
To give birth it is necessary to dilate the birth canal up to about 10 cm. This means that the average is in this measure but it is true that new or primiparous mothers may need to reach these 10 cm for the baby to start leaving and take longer to get it, while those who have already given birth can give birth with some centimeter of dilation less without problems and take less.
In case the usual time of dilation and delivery passes and the minimum of centimeters necessary for the baby to leave is not reached, the doctors may decide that the parturient perform some exercises to help this process or end up performing a cesarean section.
How long it takes to dilate in labor
It is also convenient to know a little about the normal time of dilation in childbirth, because in this way you can realize if you are taking too long to dilate and you need to do something else to get it or the help of a doctor. Dilation of the cervix begins when uterine contractions occur in labor and, in fact, it is the longest phase of labor. Exactly, the work of dilation is divided into 3 phases known as latent, active and deceleration.
- In the latent phase of dilation, stronger and more frequent contractions occur. The first contractions can last a few hours or last one day, although it is not the most common, until moving on to the next phase. In this part of the process, it dilates up to 3 cm or 4 cm. Here you can read about How to Recognize Labor Contractions.
- The active phase in dilation is the one that occurs when the cervix dilates more quickly. The body has to maintain between 3 cm or 4 cm reached in the previous phase and manage to dilate up to 8 cm or 9 cm. This part usually lasts an average of 5 hours in new mothers, but in those who have already been mothers before it usually takes about 2 hours.
- The last part is the deceleration phase and is so called because the dilation of the cervix begins to be slower again. Here the complete dilation occurs and the baby already begins to pass through the uterine canal until birth. This last part of dilation only involves increasing one or two centimeters, but it can cost about 3 hours more on average.
Thus, in mothers who are having their first child, it is normal for the part of the dilation between 4 cm and the final 10 cm to last an average of 8 hours.
In addition, the time limit for this process is 18 hours, as it is considered that it is unlikely that they will be more, but if it is the case the doctors never let them exceed and act. In mothers who have already had other children, it is normal that they do not exceed 12 hours in this part.
How to dilate faster in childbirth with folk remedies
In case the doctors consider that you are starting to go slower than usual in the dilation part, you can try several home remedies such as exercises, postures and infusions among others. Take note of how to dilate faster for childbirth:
Have sex
It is one of the best home remedies to dilate during labor. However, the doctor must give the go-ahead to this measure, as it is not convenient if during pregnancy there has been a time when the specialist has prohibited having sex or absolute rest. This way to improve dilation is effective because the muscle contractions that occur during intercourse, as well as those of the orgasm itself, increase contractions in the uterus and help stimulate the opening of the cervix. In addition, semen has a substance that facilitates this task, as it helps to mature this part by increasing its flexibility, which causes it to dilate.
Exercise to dilate more
Although it is not advisable to overdo it or force but to keep moving and do certain exercises to stimulate the birth canal to widen. You can use a Pilates ball and sit on it by making light and gentle movements back and forth or in circles. Another option is to walk to dilate more, something simple that is very effective to expand the cervix more. In addition, these exercises keep you focused and less painful than if you stay fully stretched and still during this phase of delivery. You also have to remember that you need to breathe well, so be aware of breathing in childbirth to control pain during dilation and you will see that you relax and feel less pain. Learn here How to breathe in childbirth to control pain.
Stimulates your oxytocin production
It is the hormone responsible for producing uterine contractions, which will cause the cervix to dilate, and also stimulate milk production. To increase your oxytocin production, take infusions of raspberry leaves, eat dark chocolate, stimulate the nipples, laugh a lot and have sex with your partner. These are tips that stimulate the uterus, the baby to move and the production of this hormone itself.
Postures to dilate more in childbirth
- Lying on the left side and with a pillow between your legs, this way you will relax your lower back and improve the circulation of your legs and pelvic area. It is better that it is on the left side because this favors circulation to the placenta.
- Another useful posture that you can do in bed is the following: get on your knees in bed with your legs as far apart as you can, but putting your toes together.
- To achieve your goal, support your knees and hands on the floor or on the bed and swing back and forth and, in addition, combine this movement with making circles with the hips also supported in this way. You will notice that you dilate more and the pains are relieved.
- The last posture that we recommend is that you sit in a chair but with this one upside down, that is, looking at the backrest with your legs open placing one on each side of the chair and you can lie on the backrest to rest. This posture will help you relieve the tension of the lumbar area, you can relax resting legs, shoulders and cervicals and the pressure of the baby in the pelvis is reduced. Therefore, this position serves to rest and stretch the birth canal, so you can combine it with the previous ones.
