The antepartum or prenatal period begins upon conception and ends just before your baby is delivered. A baby is considered full-term by the end of the 37th week, but pregnancy normally lasts for about 40 weeks.

During this time, the goal is to ensure the health of both baby and mother. Your physician will develop an individualized plan of care based on your health history and present medical condition, age, and any other needs and concerns you have. There will be regularly-scheduled prenatal visits, during which your obstetrician will:

• evaluate your health and that of the fetus
• estimate gestational age
• identify your risk for complications
• anticipate problems before they occur and prevent them, if possible
• provide patient education and promote communication

The postpartum period begins right after you deliver your baby and lasts for eight weeks. During this time, a woman’s body undergoes great changes, just as it did during pregnancy – only in reverse. Your experience after delivery will partly depend on whether you had a vaginal delivery or a Cesarean section. It is normal to experience vaginal soreness and discharge, contractions, urination or bowel problems, hemorrhoids, sore and leaky breasts, hair loss, skin changes, mood changes, and concerns about your weight. Your obstetrician/gynecologist will advise you when symptoms necessitate an office visit or treatment. Don’t feel self-conscious about communicating any concerns about your physical and emotional health with your ob/gyn.

About six weeks after delivery, you will have your postpartum check-up to be sure you are healing well. Your ob/gyn will also check your weight and blood pressure, and may perform a breast exam. You will likely have questions about resuming sexual activity, family-planning and breastfeeding, and may want to discuss how you and your family are adjusting to life with baby. This is a new and exciting, often challenging, phase of life, and your ob/gyn is here to help you every step of the way.

VBAC refers to “vaginal birth after c-section.” Patients who have had a prior cesarean delivery may be able to deliver their next baby vaginally. Benefits of a VBAC over c-section include less pain after delivery, shorter recovery, avoiding a surgical scar on your uterus, and a more active role in the process for you and your birthing partner. A VBAC is a safe choice for many women, but there are risks that you and your obstetrician/gynecologist will discuss to determine if it is right for you.

If you and your doctor agree to try a VBAC, you will have what is called a 'trial of labor after cesarean.' This means that the plan will be to enter labor with the goal of delivering vaginally; however, as with any labor, there are no guarantees of vaginal delivery, and you may ultimately need a c-section. If you choose VBAC, you will be closely monitored and if you or the baby show signs of distress, an emergency c-section will be performed. About 4 out of 10 women who begin with a trial of labor need to have a c-section.

Vaginal birth, in which the baby descends through the birth canal and emerges through the vagina, is the method of delivery recommended for most women. However, women with certain conditions, such as herpes virus with active lesions, untreated HIV infection and complete placenta previa (when the baby’s placenta covers all of the mother’s cervix), as well as some women who have had a previous Cesarean-section, are often advised to avoid vaginal deliveries because of the associated health risks. In these cases, a C-section is a safe, lower-risk alternative.

Labor usually begins with the passing of the mucous plug, which protects the uterus from infection during pregnancy. Thereafter, a woman’s water may break, also referred to as the rupture of membranes. As labor progresses, strong contractions soften and dilate the cervix until it is flexible and wide enough (at least 10 centimeters) for the baby to exit the mother’s body. The length of labor varies. Women giving birth for the first time may labor for 12 to 24 hours, while those who have previously delivered may labor for six to eight hours.

Every labor and delivery is unique. It varies from woman to woman, and a mother who has delivered more than once will have a different experience every time.