Chapter 12
Pushing: stage 2 of labor
In this chapter:
Watch for signs that stage 2 is near or starting....................................................... 195
What happens during stage 2 of labor..................................................................... 196
How the baby moves through
the vagina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Help the mother have a safe birth............................................................................. 199
Check the mother’s and baby’s
physical signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Support the mother’s pushing . . . . . . 200
Watch for warning signs.............................................................................................. 202
Watch the speed of the birth . . . . . . . . 202
Watch for bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
during pushing
Help the mother give birth......................................................................................... 206
Help prevent tears in the
vaginal opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
If necessary, clear the baby’s
nose and mouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Check for a cord around the
baby’s neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
give the baby to the mother . . . . . . . 212
Stool in the amniotic waters
(green or yellow) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Cut the cord when it turns white
and stops pulsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Deliver the baby’s shoulders . . . . . . . . 210
Deliver the baby’s body and
Baby is breech................................................................................................................ 215
Delivering a frank or complete
Delivering a footling breech . . . . . . . . . . .
breech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
218
Delivering twins............................................................................................................ 219
Dangers of twin births . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Delivering twins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Baby is very small or more than 5 weeks early........................................................ 221
194