The womb, or uterus, which holds the baby, is like a large rubber bottle with a very small neck, almost closed. The neck is about a half inch long. In order for birth to take place, the mouth of the ‘bottle’ must be stretched to a diameter of about four inches to make room for the passage of the baby. The walls of the womb are little more than a powerful set of muscles. At a certain time, for reasons we do not know, the muscles begin to contract and force the baby downwards. Gradually the mouth of the womb—the cervix—is stretched until there is room for the baby to pass through. While this is happening, the mother experiences labour contractions.
At first, they are fairly far apart and last for a very short time. As labour progresses, they occur more often, are more intense, and last longer. Being sufficiently relaxed to take advantage of the intervals between pains makes a tremendous difference to the woman in labour.
Another reason why it is so important to be relaxed is that this encourages the cervix to dilate more rapidly. If a woman is restless during this stage of labour, it may help her to walk around a little. Sometimes breathing through the mouth, panting like a puppy, helps to relieve the tension during a contraction, and thus lessens its intensity. Experience has shown that if women will give some thought, and concentration, during their first, mild contractions, to discovering what makes them feel best, they will be well rewarded. At any rate, do not fight against the pains. There is nothing a woman needs to do to help during this period, so try and relax as much as possible.
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