With each expulsive contraction you’ll probably feel more of your baby moving forward, and then when the contraction’s gone, he’ll move backwards a little. Imagine a tortoise poking his head out of his shell and then pulling it back in.
Obviously there’s no room to spare, so you’re likely to feel the resistance as the head does this. But your vagina is very lubricated, so it’ll be a smooth – if tight – feeling. It’s all very clever as this movement is stretching your perineum (the area between your vagina and your back passage) nice and gently.
Eventually, your baby won’t retreat any more, but will continue to move forward. Now your midwife will be able to see more and more of his head, and the opening of your vagina will be stretching and thinning. This is known as crowning. Picture your head being pushed though a tight-fitting polo neck – that’s kind of what it looks like.
Some women experience overwhelming feelings of joy and love when they first hold their slippery little newborn, but for others the truth is that they’re exhausted and just want to sleep. You’ll be encouraged to cuddle your baby against your skin, to keep him warm, but if you’d rather not then that’s also fine.
- 30498 views
