Joy Wilkins

The organ in which the developing fetus resides is called the uterus.

• The uterus is the medical term for the womb. It is about the size and shape of a pear. The uterus sits low in the abdomen and is held in position by muscles, ligaments and fibrous tissues. The uterus is joined to the vagina by the cervix that is also called the neck of the womb.

• Functions of the uterus include nurturing the

fertilized egg that develops into the fetus and holding it there until the baby is mature enough for birth. The fertilize egg gets implanted into the endometrium and derives nourishment from blood vessels which develops for this purpose. The fertilized egg becomes an embryo, develops into a fetus and develops until childbirth.

The time required for the development of a fetus is call gestation.

The three stages of labor and delivery are the dilation stage, the expulsion stage, and the

placental stage.Dilation stage consists of regular contractions within the cervix. Full cervix dilation occurs when the mother is about 4 inches. The length of this stage varies from mother to mother. Many factors determine how long labor will last.

Experts say that expulsion takes from 15 to 50 minutes. During this time, uterine contractions strengthen and become more frequent. The mother will feel the need to push. The baby goes through a series of passive movements which will eventually lead to crowning (the first sign of the baby’s head).

The placental stage consists of the period immediately following delivery. Expulsion of the placenta takes 5 to 10 minutes. Sometimes it is difficult but you should not pull on it. Gentle uterine massage may be used to assist in the release. The placenta should be examined to insure all of it is out of the uterus; otherwise this could cause death for the mother.