Women can have a normal delivery if she is guided well all through her 9 months. 1st stage of labor is from starting of labor pains till the doctor can feel the visible head. Nature has its own rules for women to deliver normally. Women have wider hip bones which resemble a wash basin and head of baby can easily fit in when head starts to descend during labor pains / earlier during the 9th month.

Antenatal check ups need good counselling besides routine check ups of BP, weight gain, swellings if any, proteins in urine, sugar levels in blood, iron & folic acid ,calcium supplements as tablets plus a high protein diet ++ good counselling as if woman will have a normal delivery for sure if every other parameter suits her.

Even mothers carrying twins can be helped to have normal deliveries because these days good labor rooms have ultrasound machines + devices to monitor conditions of fetal heart + a ready OT & NICU in case some complication happens ( rare because babies weigh only less than 2 kg each and delivery is simple)

How to relax the mother to be for 1st time during 1st stage of labor which can last for more than 12 hours?

Simple Antenatal exercises are helpful.

She the novice will have to be taught the difference between cramps pain vs labor pains which occur with regular frequency of 5-10 minutes, last for 30-60 seconds, go on increasing and are Bearable.

A relaxed mother to be can cope with pains better than a conditioned woman carrying lots of fears about whole process.

According to books the ratio of Normal vs. Operative Deliveries is 90 :10 but recently there has been seen a Reversal !

 We are getting more women opting for operative deliveries with helpful doctors yielding in !

Studies are carried out by people doing Research on Evolution of Human female Species.

Women are indeed getting genes for pelvic bones mutated through evolution for having a narrow pelvic bone compared to Apes.

Help her remain Stress free by giving her choices like-

1) It is a wonderful time in life of a woman and her mother /mother in law have been through the same process.

2) light nourishment only, preferably sips of ORS type liquids/ diluted milk but no fats because she may vomit to confuse the doctors because vomiting is associated with opening up of the passage to deliver baby.

3) Keep the mind focused on something like reading/knitting/watching TV/ everything that does not carry pain

4)Walk around the ward in between pain.

5) try to ignore screaming women

6) There are medicines to Augment Labor, to reduce 12 hours of natural phenomenon to about 4 hours.

7) A good doctor will remain with woman all through her 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages of labor till the time the baby is handed over to the baby doctor.

8) As a last resort woman can ask for Epidural injection to have a painless Normal Delivery.

9) It is better to have a Suspense of gender of baby.

10) Knowing about female baby can lead to Depression in some women and knowing about male baby can lead to Elation hampering with natural processes of labor which starts from 1st labor pain and lasts till the baby is delivered & examined by baby doctor.

Good Luck to Every woman with healthy 'Pain'