Our goal is to provide a safe path to deliver a healthy and happy baby.
Today I’m talking about uterine contractions and when we talk about contractors, remember again, it’s all about a healthy, happy baby. Our goal is to provide a safe path for you to deliver a healthy baby and a happy baby.
DURATION: when it comes to contractions, in many ways it’s about the duration of the contractions or how long they last. This is all about contractions that last long enough, so that the baby gradually makes its way down the birth canal. From beginning to end, nurses, midwives and doctors like 45 to 60 second contractions, but no more than that, because more frequent contractions may be stressful for the baby.
FREQUENCY: contractions can be too frequent, or not frequent enough. Our goal is to have contractions every 2 to 3 minutes, but not more than five contractions in 10 minutes. If contractions are every 5 to 6 minutes, typically that is insufficient to move the baby down the birth canal.
INTENSITY: after duration and frequency it’s about intensity. Contractions need to be strong enough to push the baby down the birth canal. We have ways for judging that, but it’s important that they be strong enough – and sometimes that’s pretty unpleasant – because getting the baby out the birth canal and delivered is what were after. So, they have to be intense, but they can’t be too intense, because that stresses the baby and we must watch that very carefully.
This is a reason that we monitor, to be able to determine as in this instance, what effect the uterine contractions have on a healthy, happy baby.
And that’s our goal. Right? A healthy, happy baby.
And my goal is a healthy, happy you!
So stay tuned for my next installment, Uterine Contractions Part Two.
And don’t forget to subscribe to Be Healthy! Be Happy! News. This is Dr. Jim. Power your path to happiness!
The full-length YouTube video on the entire second segment: Fetal Monitoring: Uterine Contractions can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S4ueUbujok