Baby Delivery Cost

C-section and Vaginal childbirth are the 2 types of procedures of delivering a baby. The procedure of a typical baby delivery has 3 stages to it: dilation of cervix, pushing and birth, and expulsion of the placenta.

A woman conceives when male and female reproductive cells form an egg in a women's uterus. Second time mothers deliver the baby in close to 8 hours, whereas the first-timers do so in 14 hours!

Following are the minimum, maximum & average costs for Baby Delivery in top 12 cities of India.

The first stage of dilation and effacement of cervix is further sub-divided into 3 stages:

1. Early phase - This phase is the beginning of labour. It sees softening and dilation of the cervix from 0 to ¾ cm. This stage typically lasts for over 6-10 hours for first-time mothers. It is in this stage that the bag of membrane breaks and so it is termed as "water break" which either happens before going into labour or in this phase.
2. Active phase - Contractions become more frequent and more intense in this phase. The cervix further dilates from 4 to 7 cm. Pains are so intense that women find it even hard to talk, the pain generally emanates from thighs, lower back and abdomen, similar to menstrual cramps. This phase lasts for over 3-6 hours.
3. Transition phase - Contractions become more intense. The body experiences mounting fatigue and nausea because of effacement and dilation. There is pressure in the rectal area too.

The second stage is of pushing and subsequent birth of the baby. This stage commences when the cervix dilates completely and lasts for 1-1.5 hours. The intense pain continues unabated. The baby's head becomes visible after this and then it can come out with a push through the vaginal opening.

In the last phase, after the baby comes out, the women is asked to further push down to expel the placenta.

Eating and drinking well before the delivery is extremely important to stay hydrated and nourished during labour. Post childbirth, the mother can return back to her normal weight, if she follows a healthy diet and regular exercise.

6 weeks post surgery, it is time to see the doctor for the post natal checkup. Feeling a bit low or depressed post childbirth is absolutely normal and these conditions are likely to subside in a week's time. You need to contact your doctor if you get a burning sensation while urinating and increased frequency of visiting the washroom for passing urine.