In what cases can we speak of a slide birth?

If many women report a long, tedious birth in several stages, in some rare mothers, it is quite the opposite that happens: the baby comes out surprisingly and without delay, to the point that some give birth on the parking lot of the maternity ward, or without having time to receive an epidural. An event illustrated by Cindy Poumeyrol, former finalist of Koh Lanta last year on Instagram.

So slide birth is not a myth?

The pictorial term slide, like a baby sliding outwards, is slightly nuanced in medicine. We therefore speak of a “rapid” delivery, when a maximum of 4 hours pass (sometimes less) between the start of painful contractions and the expulsion of the baby. This can happen when the dilation of the cervix is ​​complete, that is to say it reaches 10 cm, which causes the irremediable urge to “push”, this is what we call the expulsive reflex, which occurs in women who give birth without an epidural. The baby can sometimes go down into the pool alone.

Remember that during a “classic” birth in a primiparous woman, i.e. a woman pregnant with her first child, dilation occurs at a rate of 1 cm per hour, sometimes much more. It is therefore rare for a delivery to take less than 8-10 hours for a first baby.

What can cause such rapid labor?

It is generally impossible to predict a slide birth, which affects the whole family as well as the team of professionals. “Physiologically, it is the discharge of prostaglandin which causes uterine contractions and causes the cervix to open, but this phenomenon cannot be explained. reacts Professor Pierre-Emmanuel Bouet interviewed by the Journal des Femmes in 2022.

On the other hand, although we cannot predict it in a primiparous woman, we do know that the more children and deliveries a woman has, the quicker they will be. There are therefore more “rapid” deliveries among multiparous women, and the first signs of imminent delivery should prompt the parental couple to go to the maternity ward quickly.

Does this delivery involve risks?

Babies born through slide delivery do well after delivery even if they can be a little “groggy” by this express arrival into life and sometimes require a little help or a little oxygen.

The flash can, however, cause some hassle on the mother’s side: slide birth presents a greater risk of bleeding after delivery, as the uterus has difficulty contracting properly and regaining its initial volume. If the delivery took place before arrival at the maternity ward (in the fire truck for example) it is also necessary to ensure upon arrival at the hospital that the placenta has come out, and that it is not there is more bleeding. Surveillance is put in place.

Finally, the event can be a little difficult to digest for a mother, who has not had time to organize her delivery, nor to obtain her epidural, especially if it involves a first childbirth. In this case, the maternity psychologist generally ensures that the new mother can talk about her feelings. She will also try to detect any possible underlying trauma.

But in many cases, after the shock of the arrival, mothers are often happy to have their baby in their arms, a little earlier than expected!

What are the signs that indicate a departure for maternity

Are you dreading a slide birth? However, there is no need to rush to the maternity ward at the slightest sign during the last month of pregnancy.

• According to midwives, it is appropriate for a first baby to head to the maternity ward when the contractions are regular and 5 minutes apart for two hours;
• If it’s not your first baby, head to the hospital when the contractions are coming every 10 minutes and not 5;
• Finally, a crack in the water bag or a loss of water should also invite you to go to the maternity ward, just like bleeding;
• On the other hand, although the loss of the mucus plug, or a boost in energy can be signs of the end of pregnancy, they do not indicate imminent delivery.