title: Electric car

text: Wireless charging, either for stationary cars or as an electric road, is less common , but is used in some cities for taxis.


title: Electric car

text: Electric cars are usually charged overnight from a home charging station; sometimes known as a charging point, wallbox charger, or simply a charger; in a garage or on the outside of a house. typical home chargers are 7 kW, but not all include smart charging. Compared to fossil fuel vehicles, the need for charging using public infrastructure is diminished because of the opportunities for home charging; vehicles can be plugged in and begin each day with a full charge. Charging from a standard outlet is also possible but very slow.


title: Electric car

text: Public charging stations are almost always faster than home chargers, with many supplying direct current to avoid the bottleneck of going through the car's AC to DC converter, the fastest being 350 kW.


title: Electric car

text: Combined Charging System (CCS) is the most widespread charging standard, whereas the GB/T 27930 standard is used in China, and CHAdeMO in Japan. The United States has no de facto standard, with a mix of CCS, Tesla Superchargers, and CHAdeMO charging stations.


title: Electric car

text: Charging an electric vehicle using public charging stations takes longer than refueling a fossil fuel vehicle. The speed at which a vehicle can recharge depends on the charging station's charging speed and the vehicle's own capacity to receive a charge. some cars are 400 volt and some 800 volt. Connecting a vehicle that can accommodate very fast charging to a charging station with a very high rate of charge can refill the vehicle's battery to 80% in 15 minutes. Vehicles and charging stations with slower charging speeds may take as long as two hours to refill a battery to 80%. As with a mobile phone, the final 20% takes longer because the systems slow down to fill the battery safely and avoid damaging it.


title: Electric car

text: Some companies are building battery swapping stations, to substantially reduce the effective time to recharge. Some electric cars (for example, the BMW i3) have an optional gasoline range extender. The system is intended as an emergency backup to extend range to the next recharging location, and not for long-distance travel.


title: Electric car

text: Sweden is planning to open the first permanent electric vehicle charging road by 2025. By early 2023, the chosen charging technology is expected to be announced. A standard for ground-level power supply electric roads is expected to be published by 14 November 2022.


title: Electric car

text: During peak load periods, when the cost of generation can be very high, electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capabilities could contribute energy to the grid. These vehicles can then be recharged during off-peak hours at cheaper rates while helping to absorb excess night time generation. The batteries in the vehicles serve as a distributed storage system to buffer power.


title: Electric car

text: As with all lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicle batteries may degrade over long periods of time, especially if they are frequently charged to 100%; however, this may take at least several years before being noticeable. A typical warranty is 8 years or , but they usually last much longer, perhaps 15 to 20 years in the car and then more years in another use.


title: Electric car

text: Tesla became the world's leading electric vehicle manufacturer in December 2019. Its Model S was the world's top selling plug-in electric car in 2015 and 2016, and its Model 3 has been the world's best selling plug-in electric car for four consecutive years, from 2018 to 2021. The Tesla Model 3 surpassed the Leaf in early 2020 to become the world's cumulative best selling electric car. Tesla produced its 1 millionth electric car in March 2020, becoming the first auto manufacturer to do so, and in June 2021, the Model 3 became the first electric car to pass 1 million sales. Tesla has been listed as the world's top selling plug-in electric car manufacturer, both as a brand and by automotive group for four years running, from 2018 to 2021. At the end of 2021, Tesla's global cumulative sales since 2012 totaled 2.3 million units, with 936,222 of those delivered in 2021.


title: Electric car

text: , the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance is listed as one of the world's leading all-electric vehicle manufacturers, with global all-electric vehicle sales totaling over 1 million light-duty electric vehicles, including those manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors since 2009. Nissan leads global sales within the Alliance, with about 500,000 cars and vans sold by April 2020, followed by the Groupe Renault with more than 397,000 electric vehicles sold worldwide through December 2020, including its Twizy heavy quadricycle. Mitsubishi's only all-electric vehicle is the i-MiEV, with global sales of over 50,000 units by March 2015, accounting for all variants of the i-MiEV, including the two minicab versions sold in Japan. The Alliance's best-selling Nissan Leaf was the world's top-selling plug-in electric car in 2013 and 2014. Until early 2020, the Nissan Leaf was the world's all-time top-selling highway-legal electric car, and, , global sales totaled 550,000 units since inception.


title: Electric car

text: Other leading electric vehicles manufacturers are BAIC Motor, with 480,000 units sold, SAIC Motor with 314,000 units, and Geely with 228,700, all cumulative sales in China , and Volkswagen.


title: Electric car

text: The following table lists the all-time best-selling highway-capable all-electric cars with cumulative global sales of over 200,000 units:


title: Electric car

text: In the year of 2021, the total number of electric cars on the world’s roads went to about 16.5 million. The sales of electric cars in the first quarter of 2022 went up to 2 million. China has the largest all-electric car fleet in use, with 2.58 million at the end of 2019, more than half (53.9%) of the world’s electric car stock.


title: Electric car

text: Several national, provincial, and local governments around the world have introduced policies to support the mass-market adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. A variety of policies have been established to provide: financial support to consumers and manufacturers; non-monetary incentives; subsidies for the deployment of charging infrastructure; and long-term regulations with specific targets.


title: Electric car

text: Financial incentives for consumers are aiming to make electric car purchase price competitive with conventional cars due to the higher upfront cost of electric vehicles. Depending on battery size, there are one-time purchase incentives such as grants and tax credits; exemptions from import duties; exemptions from road tolls and congestion charges; and exemption of registration and annual fees.


title: Electric car

text: Among the non-monetary incentives, there are several perks such allowing plug-in vehicles access to bus lanes and high-occupancy vehicle lanes, free parking and free charging. Some countries or cities that restrict private car ownership (for example, a purchase quota system for new vehicles), or have implemented permanent driving restrictions (for example, no-drive days), have these schemes exclude electric vehicles to promote their adoption.


title: Electric car

text: Some government have also established long term regulatory signals with specific targets such as zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandates, national or regional emission regulations, stringent fuel economy standards, and the phase out of internal combustion engine vehicle sales. For example, Norway set a national goal that by 2025 all new car sales should be ZEVs (battery electric or hydrogen). While these incentives aim to facilitate a quicker transition from internal combustion cars, they have been criticized by some economists for


title: Electric car

text: creating excess deadweight loss in the electric car market, which may partially counteract environmental gains.


title: Electric car

text: Total global EV sales in 2030 were predicted to reach 31.1 million by Deloitte. The International Energy Agency predicted that the total global stock of EVs would reach almost 145 million by 2030 under current policies, or 230 million if Sustainable Development policies were adopted.


title: Tim Scott

text: Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Nikki Haley in 2013. He retained his seat after winning a special election in 2014, and was elected to full terms in 2016 and 2022.


title: Tim Scott

text: Before his election to the Senate, Scott was elected to the United States House of Representatives for , serving from 2011 to 2013. Before that, he served one term (from 2009 to 2011) in the South Carolina General Assembly and served on the Charleston County council from 1995 to 2009.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott is one of 11 African-Americans to have served in the U.S. Senate, and the first to have served in both chambers of Congress. He is the seventh African-American elected to the Senate and the fourth from the Republican Party. He is the first African-American senator from South Carolina, the first African-American senator to be elected from the Southern United States since 1881 (four years after the end of Reconstruction), and the first African-American Republican to serve in the Senate since Edward Brooke departed in 1979. Before entering politics, Scott worked in financial services.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott was born in North Charleston, South Carolina, a son of Frances (a nursing assistant) and Ben Scott Sr. His parents divorced when he was 7. He grew up in working-class poverty with his mother working 16-hour days to support her family. His older brother is a sergeant major in the U.S. Army.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott graduated from R.B. Stall High School. He attended Presbyterian College from 1983 to 1984, on a partial football scholarship; he graduated from Charleston Southern University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. Scott is an alumnus of South Carolina's Palmetto Boys State program, an experience he cites as influential in his decision to enter public service.


title: Tim Scott

text: After graduating from college, Scott worked as an insurance agent and financial adviser. He owns an insurance agency, Tim Scott Allstate.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott ran in a February 1995 special election for the Charleston County Council at-large seat vacated by Keith Summey, who resigned after he was elected mayor of North Charleston. Scott won the seat as a Republican, receiving nearly 80% of the vote in the white-majority district. He became the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since the late 19th century.


title: Tim Scott

text: In 1996, Scott challenged Democratic State Senator Robert Ford in South Carolina's 42nd Senate district, but lost 65%–35%.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott was reelected to the County Council in 2000, again winning in white-majority districts. In 2004, he was reelected again with 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Elliot Summey (son of Mayor Keith Summey).


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott served on the council from 1995 until 2009, becoming chairman in 2007. In 1997, he supported posting the Ten Commandments outside the council chambers, saying it would remind members of the absolute rules they should follow. The county council unanimously approved the display, and Scott nailed a King James version of the Commandments to the wall. Shortly thereafter, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State challenged this in a federal suit. After an initial court ruling that the display was unconstitutional, the council settled out of court to avoid accruing more legal fees. Of the costs of the suit, Scott said, "Whatever it costs in the pursuit of this goal is worth it."


title: Tim Scott

text: In January 2001, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Charleston County, South Carolina for racial discrimination under the Voting Rights Act, because its council seats were based on at-large districts. DOJ had attempted to negotiate with county officials on this issue in November 2000. Justice officials noted that at-large seats dilute the voting strength of the significant African-American minority in the county, who in 2000 made up 34.5% of the population. They had been unable to elect any "candidates of their choice" for years. Whites or European Americans made up 61.9% of the county population. County officials noted that the majority of voters in 1989 had approved electing members by at-large seats in a popular referendum.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott, the only African-American member of the county council, said of this case and the alternative of electing council members from single-member districts:


title: Tim Scott

text: I don't like the idea of segregating everyone into smaller districts. Besides, the Justice Department assumes that the only way for African-Americans to have representation is to elect an African-American, and the same for whites. Obviously, my constituents don't think that's true.


title: Tim Scott

text: The Department of Justice alleged that the issue was not a question of ethnicity, stating that voters in black precincts in the county had rejected Scott as a candidate for the council. The lawsuit noted that because of the white majority, "white bloc voting usually results in the defeat of candidates who are preferred by black voters." The Department added that blacks live in compact areas of the county, and could be a majority in three districts if the county seats were apportioned as nine single-member districts.


title: Tim Scott

text: The Department of Justice won the case. A new districting plan replaced the at-large method of electing the Charleston City Council. The federal court found that the former method violated the Voting Rights Act, following a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department.


title: Tim Scott

text: In 2008, incumbent Republican State Representative Tom Dantzler decided to retire. With support from advisors such as Nicolas Muzin, Scott ran for his seat in District 117 of the South Carolina House of Representatives and won the Republican primary with 53% of the vote, defeating Bill Crosby and Wheeler Tillman. He won the general election unopposed, becoming the first Republican African American State Representative in South Carolina in more than 100 years.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott supported South Carolina's right-to-work laws and argued that Boeing chose South Carolina as a site for manufacturing for that reason.


title: Tim Scott

text: In South Carolina Club for Growth's 2009–10 scorecard, Scott earned a B and a score of 80 out of 100. The South Carolina Association of Taxpayers praised his "diligent, principled and courageous stands against higher taxes."


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott entered the election for lieutenant governor but switched to run for South Carolina's 1st congressional district after Republican incumbent Henry Brown announced his retirement. The 1st district is based in Charleston, and includes approximately the northern 3/4 of the state's coastline (except for Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, which were included in the 2nd District after redistricting).


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott finished first in the nine-candidate June 8 Republican primary, receiving a plurality of 32% of the vote. Fellow Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond was second with 16%. Carroll A. Campbell III, the son of former Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr., was third with 14%. Charleston County School Board member Larry Kobrovsky ranked fourth with 11%. Five other candidates had single-digit percentages.


title: Tim Scott

text: A runoff was held on June 22 between Scott and Thurmond. Scott was endorsed by the Club for Growth, various Tea Party movement groups, former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Republican House Whip Eric Cantor, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, and South Carolina ssenator and Minuteman Project founder Jim DeMint. He defeated Thurmond 68%–32% and won every county in the district.


title: Tim Scott

text: According to the Associated Press, Scott "swamped his opponents in fundraising, spending almost $725,000 during the election cycle to less than $20,000 for his November opponents". He won the general election against Democratic nominee Ben Frasier 65%–29%. With this election, Scott and Allen West of Florida became the first African-American Republicans in Congress since J. C. Watts retired in 2003. Scott also became the first African-American Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in 114 years.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott was unopposed in the primary and won the general election against Democratic nominee Bobbie Rose, 62%–36%.


title: Tim Scott

text: In March 2011, Scott co-sponsored a welfare reform bill that would deny food stamps to families whose incomes declined to the point of eligibility because a family member was participating in a labor strike. He introduced legislation in July 2011 to strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its power to prohibit employers from relocating to punish workers who join unions or strike. The rationale for the legislation is that government agencies should not be able to tell private employers where they can run a business. Scott described the legislation as a commonsense proposal that would fix a flaw in federal labor policy and benefit the national and local economies. The NLRB had recently opposed the relocation of a Boeing production facility from Washington state to South Carolina.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott successfully advocated for federal funds for a Charleston harbor dredging project estimated at $300 million, stating that the project was neither an earmark nor an example of wasteful government spending. He said the project was merit-based and in the national interest because larger cargo ships could use the port and jobs would be created.


title: Tim Scott

text: During the summer 2011 debate over raising the U.S. debt ceiling, Scott supported the inclusion of a balanced-budget Constitutional amendment in the debt ceiling bill, and opposed legislation that did not include the amendment. Before voting against the final bill to raise the debt ceiling, Scott and other first-term conservatives prayed for guidance in a congressional chapel. Afterward, he said he had received divine inspiration for his vote, and joined the rest of the South Carolina congressional delegation in voting No.


title: Tim Scott

text: The House Republican Steering Committee appointed Scott to the Committee on Transportation and the Committee on Small Business. He was later appointed to the Committee on Rules and relinquished his other two assignments.


title: Tim Scott

text: On December 17, 2012, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley announced she would appoint Scott to replace retiring Senator Jim DeMint, who had previously announced that he would retire from the Senate to become the President of The Heritage Foundation. Scott is the first African American U.S. senator from South Carolina. He was one of three black U.S. Senators in the 113th Congress, alongside Mo Cowan and later Cory Booker (and the first since Roland Burris retired in 2010 after succeeding Barack Obama). He is the first African American to be a U.S. senator from the Southern United States since Reconstruction.


title: Tim Scott

text: During two periods, first from January 2, 2013, until February 1, 2013, and again from July 16, 2013, until October 31, 2013, Scott was the only African-American senator. He and Cowan were the first black senators to serve alongside each other.


title: Tim Scott

text: News media reported that Scott, Representative Trey Gowdy, former South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, former First Lady of South Carolina Jenny Sanford, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton were on Haley's short list to replace DeMint. Of choosing Scott, Haley said, "It is important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat, he earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat with the results he has shown."


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott ran to serve the final two years of DeMint's term and won. In January 2014, he signed an amicus brief in support of Senator Ron Johnson's legal challenge to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's Affordable Care Act ruling.


title: Tim Scott

text: In July 2018, Scott and Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris introduced a bipartisan bill to make lynching a federal hate crime.


title: Tim Scott

text: In February 2019, Scott was one of 16 senators to vote against legislation preventing a partial government shutdown and containing $1.375 billion for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border that included 55 miles of fencing.


title: Tim Scott

text: In April 2021, Scott delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's Joint Address to Congress.


title: Tim Scott

text: On May 28, 2021, Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.


title: Tim Scott

text: In August 2019, Scott said, "I plan to run for reelection, but that will be my last one, if I run." He was reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic nominee Krystle Matthews.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott led the drafting of a bill on race and police reform. Amid skeptical reactions from others in the Black community he tweeted, "Not surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of 'token' 'boy' or 'you're being used' in my mentions" and "Let me get this straight ... you DON'T want the person who has faced racial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?".


title: Tim Scott

text: The bill lacked provisions demanded by Democrats, including restrictions on qualified immunity. Nancy Pelosi called Scott's bill "inadequate", and said Republicans "understand that there's a need to get something done. ... They admit that and have some suggestions that are worthy of consideration—but so far, they were trying to get away with murder, actually—the murder of George Floyd." Senate Minority Whip Democrat Dick Durbin called the bill "token" legislation, although he later apologized to Scott. Two Democrats and one Independent senator who caucuses with Democrats broke with the party to support Scott's bill, but ultimately Democrats used the filibuster to block it; it received 55 of the required 60 votes.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott believes that federal spending and taxes should be reduced, with a Balanced Budget Amendment and the FairTax respectively implemented for spending and taxes.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott believes the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. He has said that U.S. health care is among the greatest in the world, that people all over the world come to study in American medical schools, waiting lists are rare, and that Americans are able to choose their insurance, providers, and course of treatment. Scott supports an alternative to the ACA that he says keeps its benefits while controlling costs by reforming the medical tort system by limiting non-economic damages and by reforming Medicare.


title: Tim Scott

text: In January 2019, Scott was one of six senators to cosponsor the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act, delaying the Health Insurance Tax for two years.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott supports infrastructure development and public works for his district. He opposes restrictions on deepwater oil drilling. He proposed the opportunity zone designation in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott describes himself as pro-life. He supports adult and cord blood stem cell research, but opposes taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research and the creation of human embryos for experimentation. He opposes assisted suicide and same-sex marriage.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott supports federal legislation similar to Arizona SB 1070. He supports strengthening penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. He also promotes cultural assimilation by making English the official language in the government and requiring new immigrants to learn English. He opposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott introduced a bill that would deny food stamps to families whose incomes declined to the point of eligibility because a family member was participating in a labor strike.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott advocated continued military presence in Afghanistan and believes early withdrawal would benefit Al-Qaeda. He views Iran as the world's most dangerous country and believes the U.S. should aid pro-democracy groups there. Scott opposed the 2011 military intervention in Libya.


title: Tim Scott

text: In November 2017, in response to efforts by China to purchase US tech companies, Scott was one of nine cosponsors of a bill that would broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by strengthening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to allow it to review and possibly decline smaller investments and add national security factors, including whether information about Americans would be exposed as part of transactions or whether a deal would facilitate fraud.


title: Tim Scott

text: In January 2018, Scott was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter seeking to preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement by modernizing it for the 21st century.


title: Tim Scott

text: After the shooting of Walter Scott (no relation), Scott urged the Senate to hold hearings on police body cameras.


title: Tim Scott

text: In 2017, Scott was one of 22 senators to sign a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. According to OpenSecrets, Scott has received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests since 2012.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott did not support the nomination of Ryan Bounds to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, effectively killing the nomination. His decision was based on what he called Bounds's "bigoted statements he made as a Stanford student in the 1990s." Marco Rubio joined him in opposing the nomination shortly thereafter, prompting Mitch McConnell to drop the nomination.


title: Tim Scott

text: In November 2018, Scott bucked his party in opposing the nomination of Thomas A. Farr for a federal judgeship. Farr had been accused of suppression of African-American voters. Scott cited Farr's involvement in the 1984 and 1990 Senate campaigns of Jesse Helms, which sought to suppress black voters, and a 1991 memo from the Department of Justice under the George H. W. Bush administration that stated that "Farr was the primary coordinator of the 1984 'ballot security' program conducted by the NCGOP and 1984 Helms for Senate Committee. He coordinated several 'ballot security' activities in 1984, including a postcard mailing to voters in predominantly black precincts that was designed to serve as a basis to challenge voters on election day." Further explaining his vote, Scott said the Republican Party was "not doing a very good job of avoiding the obvious potholes on race in America." In an editorial, the "Wall Street Journal" criticized Scott, arguing that Democrats would see Farr's defeat as a "vindication of their most underhanded and inflammatory racial tactics." In a letter to the "Wall Street Journal", Scott said the publication was trying to "deflect concerns" about Farr's nomination.


title: Tim Scott

text: In 2017, Scott reacted to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville by acknowledging that "Racism is real. It is alive". Asked to comment on Trump's statement that there had been "good people" on both sides at the rally and that there was "blame on both sides" for the violence that ensued, Scott said that while Trump had initially "rejected hatred, bigotry, and racism" in his "strong" comments on the ensuing Monday, his comments on Tuesday "started erasing the comments that were strong. What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised when Tuesday happens. There's no question about that [...] I'm not going to defend the indefensible."


title: Tim Scott

text: Trump invited Scott to meet with him on Wednesday, after which Scott said that Trump "was very receptive to listening. That is a key to understanding", and that he had "obviously reflected on what he's said, on his intentions and the perceptions of those comments" which were "not exactly what he intended".


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott called upon Trump to delete his tweets that attacked demonstrators against the murder of George Floyd. Scott said, "Those are not constructive tweets, without any question. I'm thankful that we can have the conversation. ... We talked about the fact that there is a constructive way to have a dialogue with a nation in this similar fashion that we had a conversation after Charlottesville, the President will listen, if you engage him with the facts of the issue". Scott also advocated that Trump delete his retweet of supporters chanting "white power", which he soon did.


title: Tim Scott

text: Scott is unmarried. He owns an insurance agency and is a partner in Pathway Real Estate Group, LLC. Scott is an evangelical Protestant. He has said that Steven Furtick's worship song "The Blessing" is what helped him make it through the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a member of Seacoast Church, a large evangelical church in Charleston, and a former member of that church's board.


title: Jeongyeon

text: Yoo Jeong-yeon (; born 1 November 1996), known mononymously as Jeongyeon (), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of Twice, a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment.


title: Jeongyeon

text: Jeongyeon was born as Yoo Kyung-wan on 1 November 1996 in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. She has two older sisters, one of whom is the actress Gong Seung-yeon. Her father was a chef who worked for Kim Dae-jung, a former president of South Korea. Jeongyeon took aerobics classes at a young age and developed an interest in singing and dancing soon afterward.


title: Jeongyeon

text: Jeongyeon failed an audition to join JYP Entertainment as a child but eventually joined the agency after passing an open audition in March 2010. She trained for five years before debuting with Twice. Between 2013 and early 2015, Jeongyeon was expected to become a member of a new JYP girl group alongside fellow trainees and now-Twice bandmates Nayeon, Sana, and Jihyo; however, the project was cancelled. Later in 2015, Jeongyeon participated in the television program "Sixteen", a reality television competition to determine the members of Twice. In the final episode, she was chosen as one of the nine members of the group.


title: Jeongyeon

text: In October 2015 Jeongyeon officially debuted as a member of Twice with the release of their first extended play (EP), "The Story Begins". The lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" was the first K-pop debut song to reach 100 million views on YouTube. Jeongyeon and her sister co-hosted the South Korean music program "Inkigayo" from July 2016 to January 2017, for which they both won the Newcomer Award at the 2016 SBS Entertainment Awards. Since Jeongyeon's debut, she has also been credited as songwriter on some of Twice's tracks. In Gallup Korea's annual music poll, Jeongyeon was voted among the top 20 most popular idols in South Korea for four consecutive years from 2016 to 2019 alongside her bandmate Nayeon.


title: Jeongyeon

text: On 17 October 2020, JYP Entertainment announced that Jeongyeon would be taking a hiatus due to anxiety. She resumed activities on 31 January 2021 at 30th Seoul Music Awards. On 18 August 2021, JYP Entertainment announced that Jeongyeon would be taking a second hiatus due to panic and anxiety disorder. She gradually resumed her activities from October 2021.


title: Jeongyeon

text: All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: Wendi McLendon-Covey (née McLendon; born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. Since 2013, McLendon-Covey has played the role of Beverly Goldberg, a family matriarch, on the ABC comedy series "The Goldbergs," for which she was nominated for two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: A native of Long Beach, California, McLendon-Covey worked numerous jobs after graduating high school before earning a degree from California State University, Long Beach, in 2000. After graduating, she became a member of The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy group in Los Angeles, and remained a member until 2009. McLendon-Covey began her acting career while still a member of the Groundlings, starring as Deputy Clementine Johnson in the improvisational series "Reno 911!" (2003-2008, 2020–present). She also had the lead role in the Lifetime short-lived comedy "Lovespring International" (2006), as well as minor roles in "Bewitched" (2005) and "Over Her Dead Body" (2008). McLendon-Covey had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom "Rules of Engagement" (2010-2013).


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: After a breakout performance in the 2011 comedy film "Bridesmaids", McLendon-Covey has appeared in a number of films, including "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (2012), "The Single Moms Club" (2014), "Blended" (2014), "Think Like a Man Too" (2014), "Hello, My Name Is Doris" (2015), "" (2018), "What Men Want" (2019), "Sylvie's Love" (2020), and "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" (2021). In 2019, after years in comedy roles, McLendon-Covey played a leading role in the independent drama film "Blush".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: McLendon-Covey was born in Bellflower, California, in the family of Carolyn and Robert McLendon. She was raised Baptist, in Long Beach, California. She went to DeMille Junior High and graduated from Millikan High School. She attended Long Beach City College, Golden West College, and California State University, Long Beach, where she graduated with a B.A. in liberal studies and creative writing.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: While McLendon-Covey was working at a hotel in Anaheim and after graduating from college, she enrolled in a weekend class for non-actors at The Groundlings, an improvisational group in Los Angeles. She officially joined The Groundlings in 2002, and meanwhile worked as an editor for California State University's academic journal of social work, a job she kept until 2012.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: While a member of the Groundlings, McLendon-Covey was a classmate of comedians Kaitlin Olson, Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, the latter two of whom she later starred alongside in the film "Bridesmaids". While a member of the Groundlings, McLendon-Covey steadily auditioned for television and film roles, but did not have an agent at the time and was unable to book jobs.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In 2003, she auditioned for the role of Deputy Clementine Johnson in the comedy series "Reno 911!" "I went in, and I thought, "Fuck this. I'm not gonna get it, but you know what? I'm just gonna go in [and try]," she recalled. At the time, the series had previously been considered by Fox. McLendon-Covey was cast in the role, and the series was subsequently picked up by Comedy Central.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In the third year of "Reno 911!", she also starred in the Lifetime comedy show "Lovespring International" in 2006 and has provided commentary for E!, TV Guide Channel, and VH1. In 2007, she starred in the comedy film "", based on Comedy Central's "Reno 911!" and also appeared in "Bewitched" (2005) and "Over Her Dead Body" (2008). She produced, wrote, and starred in the 2007 independent comedy film "Cook Off!". McLendon-Covey also guest-starred on television series such as "The Office", "10 Things I Hate About You", and "Cougar Town".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In 2011, McLendon-Covey starred in the financially successful and critically lauded comedy film "Bridesmaids" with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, and Ellie Kemper. Beginning in July that same year, she began starring in national TV ads for a new campaign by Hillshire Farm. From 2010 to 2013, she had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom "Rules of Engagement". She also had guest-starring roles in Fox's short-lived sitcom "I Hate My Teenage Daughter", TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland", and ABC's "Modern Family".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: McLendon-Covey appeared in the 2012 romantic comedy "What to Expect When You're Expecting", directed by Kirk Jones, and Steven Soderbergh's film "Magic Mike". She had roles in the Christmas comedy movie "A White Trash Christmas" about a mom visited by three ghosts intent on showing her a path to a brighter future, and in the comedy-drama film "The Breakup Girl" directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning Stacy Sherman about three estranged sisters dealing with the death of their father.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In February 2012, McLendon-Covey was cast in the HBO comedy pilot "The Viagra Diaries", created by "Sex and the City" creator and executive producer Darren Star, but when Goldie Hawn exited the pilot, McLendon-Covey also left the show. After she received five offers, she won the female lead role on ABC's comedy pilot "Only Fools And Horses". She also played one of the leads in Tyler Perry's film "The Single Moms Club" (2014). Also in 2014, she starred in "A Merry Friggin' Christmas" as Robin Williams' character's daughter, "Blended", as Drew Barrymore's character's best friend, and "Think Like a Man Too".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In January 2013, McLendon-Covey was cast in the lead role of the ABC comedy series "The Goldbergs", created by Adam F. Goldberg. Her portrayal of the character received critical praise, and she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In 2015, McLendon-Covey starred opposite Sally Field in the comedy-drama film "Hello, My Name Is Doris". Also that year, McLendon-Covey hosted ABC reality comedy series "Repeat After Me", produced by Ellen DeGeneres. Also in 2015, she played the female leading role opposite Nicolas Cage in the comedy film "Army of One", directed by Larry Charles.


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: McLendon-Covey had a dramatic role as Mark Felt's secretary Carol Tschudy in the political thriller film "" (2017), directed by Peter Landesman. She later played a leading role in the independent drama film "Blush" that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. She starred in the 2018 horror comedy "" and co-starred opposite Taraji P. Henson in the 2019 romantic comedy "What Men Want". Since 2018, she has played the voice role of Nancy Green in the Disney Channel animated series "Big City Greens". In 2020, she continued appearing in a dramatic roles co-starring opposite Tessa Thompson in "Sylvie's Love". In 2020, McLendon-Covey reunited with "Bridesmaids" co-stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in the comedy film "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In April 2020 during the global COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, McLendon-Covey started the pop culture podcast "Generation Ripe" with fashion art director and producer Dfernando Zaremba, which they co-host together. The podcast's audience is teenagers over 40 and features interviews with guests from all realms of the entertainment industry and the arts. She co-starred with Owen Wilson in the upcoming comedy film "Paint".


title: Wendi McLendon-Covey

text: In 2020, McLendon-Covey returned for the seventh season of "Reno 911!" which was aired on Quibi. In 2021, the movie "Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon" was released on Paramount+. The eighth season of the series, now titled "Reno 911!: Defunded", premiered on The Roku Channel in February 2022.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Eva Magdalena Andersson (born 23 January 1967) is a Swedish politician and economist who has served as Leader of the Opposition since October 2022 and Leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party since 2021. She has served as a Member of the Riksdag for Stockholm County since 2014. She previously served as Prime Minister of Sweden from November 2021 to October 2022, Minister for Finance from 2014 to 2021 and Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee from 2020 to 2022.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Andersson joined the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League in 1983. In 1992, she earned a masters degree in economics from the Stockholm School of Economics. She served as an adviser and director of planning in Göran Persson's administration and as an adviser to Mona Sahlin. After the 2014 Swedish general election, Andersson was elected to the Riksdag and became Minister for Finance in Stefan Löfven's administration. When Löfven announced his plans to step down in August 2021, she was regarded as the main candidate to succeed him. Soon after that, she was elected leader of the Social Democrats.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Andersson was elected Prime Minister of Sweden by the Riksdag on 29 November 2021. On 24 November 2021, Andersson had been elected to that position but resigned after an announcement by her coalition partner, the Green Party, that they were leaving the government in response to losing the annual budget vote in the Riksdag to the conservative opposition. Andersson then assumed the office of Prime Minister on 30 November 2021 as Sweden's first female Prime Minister.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: After her coalition lost its majority in the 2022 Swedish general election, Andersson announced her intention to resign as prime minister. She was succeded by Ulf Kristersson on 18 October the same year.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Andersson is the only child of Göran Andersson (1936–2002), a lecturer in statistics at Uppsala University, and teacher Birgitta Andersson (née Grunell; born 1939). Andersson was an elite swimmer in her youth.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: In her primary school years, she attended Malmaskolan in Norby which is a part of Uppsala. During her high school years, Andersson studied social sciences at the Cathedral School in Uppsala. She graduated in 1987 with top grades in all but one class.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: After graduating from high school, Andersson moved to Stockholm to study at the Stockholm School of Economics, where she graduated in 1992 with a master's degree in economics. She started her doctorate in economics at the Stockholm School of Economics from 1992 to 1995, but ended before completing the degree. As part of her doctoral studies, she studied abroad at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Vienna during autumn 1994 and at Harvard University during spring 1995.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Andersson joined the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (SSU) in 1983 during her first year of secondary school. In 1987, she was elected president of the Uppsala section of SSU.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: After completing her studies in economics, Andersson was employed in at Rosenbad as a political adviser to the-then prime minister Göran Persson from 1996 to 1998, and later served as Director of Planning from 1998 to 2004. She then spent time in the civil service, working as secretary of state in the Ministry of Finance from 2004 to 2006, before leaving to become a political adviser again, this time to opposition leader Mona Sahlin from 2007 to 2009. She left this role when the government nominated her for Chief Director of the Swedish Tax Agency, a position she held until 2012. She resigned when adopted as a Swedish Social Democratic Party candidate ahead of the 2014 Swedish general election.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: After the Social Democrats won the 2014 general election in which Andersson was elected as a member of the Riksdag, she was appointed as Minister for Finance by new prime minister Stefan Löfven in his cabinet. As a result of coalition negotiations, while Andersson had overall responsibility for the Finance Ministry, Per Bolund was given responsibility for the oversight of financial markets and consumer protection as Minister for Financial Markets. Andersson was reappointed as finance minister by Löfven following the 2018 Swedish general election.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: In 2020, members of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the primary policy advisory committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), chose Andersson to serve as chair of IMFC for a term of three years. She became the first European in that role after more than a decade, as well as the first woman to hold that position.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: In August 2021, Löfven announced he would resign as party leader at the party congress in November 2021. Andersson was quickly regarded by many as the candidate most likely to succeed him, and on 29 September 2021 the party's nominating committee announced that Andersson had been chosen as leader-designate ahead of the congress; should the designation be accepted by the Riksdag, Andersson would become leader and first female prime minister of Sweden.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Andersson was elected Leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party on 4 November 2021, becoming the party's second female leader after Mona Sahlin.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 10 November 2021, the incumbent prime minister Stefan Löfven formally resigned from office. As part of the 2021 Swedish government formation, the speaker of the Riksdag held talks with all party leaders on 11 November and shortly after tasked Andersson with forming a government, giving her one week. On 23 November, it was announced that Andersson had reached an agreement with the Left Party to support her at the upcoming prime ministerial vote. With the Centre Party having previously agreed to support her, Andersson had the support of the required number of MPs to become Sweden's next prime minister.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 24 November 2021, Andersson was elected as the prime minister of Sweden by the Riksdag. At the time of her election, she would have assumed office formally on 26 November. Although she did not receive a majority of "yes" votes, a majority did not vote against her due to abstentions. Under Sweden's principles of negative parliamentarism, since a majority was not opposed to Andersson's nomination, this was sufficient to elect her prime minister.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: A few hours after Andersson's election, her budget was defeated in the Riksdag. The opposition budget passed instead. Since the opposition budget was drafted with the support of the right-wing populist party Sweden Democrats, the Green Party pulled out of the coalition rather than be bound to govern under it, leading Andersson to resign before taking office. This was based on the constitutional convention that a prime minister should resign if a party leaves the governing coalition. She notified Speaker Andreas Norlén that she would be interested in leading a single-party government.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 29 November, Andersson was elected prime minister again by a narrow margin of two votes. This was expected after all parties that supported her in the first vote (the Centre Party, the Green Party, and the Left Party) indicated their willingness to support her when the Riksdag took another vote. On 30 November, Andersson and her administration formally assumed office when they met in council with King Carl XVI Gustaf and he announced them. Andersson is Sweden's first female prime minister, and the country's first female head of government since Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden abdicated in 1720. In her maiden speech as party leader, Andersson said that migrants to Sweden must learn Swedish, work, and graduate high school if they wish to receive welfare. She added that migrant men must let their female relatives work. In 2017, as Finance Minister, she said that she regretted the government's decision to grant asylum to 160,000 people during the European migrant crisis in 2015, as she believed that there was not enough housing and employment to integrate them.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 7 December, Andersson and Swedish health authorities announced new measures to contrast the COVID-19 pandemic. This included remote work to be made available by employers, adults should keep distance in public spaces, restaurants should avoid congestion, and masks should be used on public transport. Andersson emphasised that it was important for people to become vaccinated, and advised people to "take a break from hugging". On 21 December, Andersson presented new COVID-19 measures. Asked by the press if the new measures would affect her own Christmas celebrations or other plans, Andersson responded that the measures would affect her personally, and that she had to cancel a scheduled visit to Norway.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 8 January 2022, it was reported police had arrested a wanted woman who worked as a cleaning assistant at the private residence of Andersson. The arrest happened on 21 December, and the woman is said to be from Nicaragua, and that she had not left the county when her residence permit had expired. Several opposition politicians expressed concern over the lack of security surrounding the prime minister. Following a party leader debate on 12 January, Andersson tested positive for COVID-19. According to her press secretary, she began remote working after having gotten tested. Andersson was also reported to be in good shape.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: On 2 June, the Sweden Democrats (SD) put forward a confidence vote against Minister for Justice, Morgan Johansson, alleging that he did not properly tackle gang violence and the vast recruitment of people into them. Andersson stated that if the motion against Johansson passed, she and the entire government would resign, saying: "In Sweden, we have collective decision-making in the government. If you dismiss a minister because of political decisions, then you dismiss the entire government. It goes without saying." In August, a month before the 2022 Swedish general election, Andersson confirmed that she had confronted Christian Democrats (KD) leader Ebba Busch at "Expressen" about a supposed theft of campaign posters outside the Prime Minister's residence. Busch herself denied the allegations, while Andersson claimed that she had evidence of the theft.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Heading into the general election on 11 September 2022, Andersson's leadership moved the Social Democrats to the left after the publication of a May 2021 party report, "Distributional Policies for Equality and Fairness", which criticised the rising inequalities that emerged from political decisions by previous left and right governments. The Social Democrats remained the largest party in the Riksdag and made gains but the left's bloc, which also included the liberal Centre Party after breaking off with the centre-right Alliance in 2018, was narrowly defeated by the right's bloc, led by the Moderate Party (M), KD, and the Liberals (L), which included the far-right SD. Andersson conceded defeat on 14 September and subsequently announced her resignation while remaining the head of a caretaker government. Andersson said the results were not a loss for social democracy and described her party as "the Nordics' largest party". At the same time, she said a right bloc's government looked unstable and stated she would be ready to return prime minister in the future. She called upon M, KD, and L to reject SD, and said she was open to a government with M that would exclude SD.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Sweden and the Social Democrats began to reevaluate their traditional position of neutrality. The Social Democrats began a review of their policy which they intended to finish before summer of 2022. On 15 May, the party announced that it backed the accession of Sweden into NATO, reversing its previous policy. Andersson said Sweden did not want permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons on its territory. She welcomed the deal agreed by European Union leaders to ban more than 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of the year.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Turkey opposed Sweden joining NATO because according to Turkey it "hosts terrorist organisations which act against Turkey", including the PKK, YPG, and Gulen movement. On 28 June, the first day of the 2022 NATO summit in Madrid, the Turkish delegation dropped their opposition to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership applications and signed a tripartite memorandum addressing Turkey's concerns regarding arms exports and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. On 30 June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Sweden had made a promise to extradite to Turkey what he characterised as "73 terrorists". Andersson refused to deny Turkey's claim that Sweden had promised to deport Turkish political refugees and opponents wanted by Erdoğan's government.


title: Magdalena Andersson

text: Since 1997, Andersson has been married to Richard Friberg, a professor in economics at the Stockholm School of Economics; the couple have two children. They are avid outdoors people; they often go hiking, kayaking, and mountaineering. Andersson resides at Sager House, Stockholm.


title: Aperol

text: Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made of gentian, rhubarb and cinchona, among other ingredients. It has a vibrant orange hue. Its name comes from "apero", an Italian slang word for apéritif ("aperitivo").


title: Aperol

text: Aperol was originally produced by the Barbieri company, based in Padua, but is now produced by the Campari Group. Aperol was originally created in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, but it did not become successful until after World War II. Although it tastes and smells much like Campari, Aperol has an alcohol content of 11% — less than half that of Campari. They have the same sugar content, and Aperol is less bitter in taste. Campari is also much darker in color.


title: Aperol

text: Aperol sold in Germany had an alcohol content of 15% for some time to avoid German container deposit legislation regulations, but since 2021, it has been sold with an alcohol content of 11%.


title: Aperol

text: The Spritz, an aperitif cocktail, is often made using Aperol. The result is known as the Aperol Spritz. Another variant is the Aperol Sour.


title: Aperol

text: Since April 2010, Aperol has been the official sponsor of Moto GP, the Grand Prix of Motorcycle racing.


title: Aperol

text: Aperol had a partnership with Manchester United as the club's official global spirits partner from January 2014 until the end of the 2016/2017 season.


title: Childbirth

text: Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globally. In the developed countries, most deliveries occur in hospitals, while in the developing countries most are home births.


title: Childbirth

text: The most common childbirth method worldwide is vaginal delivery. It involves four stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix during the first stage, descent and birth of the baby during the second, the delivery of the placenta during the third, and the recovery of the mother and infant during the fourth stage, which is referred to as the postpartum. The first stage is characterized by abdominal cramping or back pain that typically lasts half a minute and occurs every 10 to 30 minutes. Contractions gradually becomes stronger and closer together. Since the pain of childbirth correlates with contractions, the pain becomes more frequent and strong as the labour progresses. The second stage ends when the infant is fully expelled. The third stage is the delivery of the placenta. The fourth stage of labour involves the recovery of the mother, delayed clamping of the umbilical cord, and monitoring of the neonate. all major health organizations advise that immediately following a live birth, regardless of the delivery method, that the infant be placed on the mother's chest (termed skin-to-skin contact), and to delay neonate procedures for at least one to two hours or until the baby has had its first breastfeeding.


title: Childbirth

text: A vaginal delivery is recommended over a cesarean section due to increased risk for complications of a cesarean section and natural benefits of a vaginal delivery in both mother and baby. Various methods may help with pain, such as relaxation techniques, opioids, and spinal blocks. It is best practice to limit the amount of interventions that occur during labour and delivery such as an elective cesarean section, however in some cases a scheduled cesarean section must be planned for a successful delivery and recovery of the mother. An emergency cesarean section may be recommended if unexpected complications occur or little to no progression through the birthing canal is observed in a vaginal delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: Each year, complications from pregnancy and childbirth result in about 500,000 birthing deaths, seven million women have serious long-term problems, and 50 million women giving birth have negative health outcomes following delivery, most of which occur in the developing world. Complications in the mother include obstructed labour, postpartum bleeding, eclampsia, and postpartum infection. Complications in the baby include lack of oxygen at birth, birth trauma, and prematurity.


title: Childbirth

text: The most prominent sign of labour is strong repetitive uterine contractions. Pain in contractions has been described as feeling similar to very strong menstrual cramps. Women giving birth are often encouraged to refrain from screaming. However, moaning and grunting may be encouraged to help lessen pain. Crowning may be experienced as an intense stretching and burning.


title: Childbirth

text: Back labour is a term for specific pain occurring in the lower back, just above the tailbone, during childbirth.


title: Childbirth

text: Another prominent sign of labour is the rupture of membranes, commonly known as "water breaking". This is the leaking of fluid from the amniotic sac that surrounds a fetus in the uterus and helps provide cushion and thermoregulation. However, it is common for water to break long before contractions begin and in which case it is not a sign of immediate labour and hospitalization is generally required for monitoring the fetus and prevention of preterm birth.


title: Childbirth

text: During the later stages of gestation there is an increase in abundance of oxytocin, a hormone that is known to evoke feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security around the mate. Oxytocin is further released during labour when the fetus stimulates the cervix and vagina, and it is believed that it plays a major role in the bonding of a mother to her infant and in the establishment of maternal behavior. The act of nursing a child also causes a release of oxytocin to help the baby get milk more easily from the nipple.


title: Childbirth

text: Station refers to the relationship of the fetal presenting part to the level of the ischial spines. When the presenting part is at the ischial spines the station is 0 (synonymous with engagement). If the presenting fetal part is above the spines, the distance is measured and described as minus stations, which range from −1 to −4 cm. If the presenting part is below the ischial spines, the distance is stated as plus stations ( +1 to +4 cm). At +3 and +4 the presenting part is at the perineum and can be seen.


title: Childbirth

text: The fetal head may temporarily change shape (becoming more elongated or cone shaped) as it moves through the birth canal. This change in the shape of the fetal head is called "molding" and is much more prominent in women having their first vaginal delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: Cervical ripening is the physical and chemical changes in the cervix to prepare it for the stretching that will take place as the fetus moves out of the uterus and into the birth canal. A scoring system called a Bishop score can be used to judge the degree of cervical ripening in order to predict the timing of labour and delivery of the infant or for women at risk for preterm labour. It is also used to judge when a woman will respond to induction of labour for a postdate pregnancy or other medical reasons. There are several methods of inducing cervical ripening which will allow the uterine contractions to effectively dilate the cervix.


title: Childbirth

text: Vaginal delivery involves four stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix during the first stage, descent and birth of the baby during the second, the delivery of the placenta during the third, and the 4th stage of recovery which lasts until two hours after the delivery. The first stage is characterized by abdominal cramping or back pain that typically lasts around half a minute and occurs every 10 to 30 minutes. The contractions (and pain) gradually becomes stronger and closer together. The second stage ends when the infant is fully expelled. In the third stage, the delivery of the placenta. The fourth stage of labour involves recovery, the uterus beginning to contract to pre-pregnancy state, delayed clamping of the umbilical cord, and monitoring of the neonatal tone and vitals. all major health organizations advise that immediately following a live birth, regardless of the delivery method, that the infant be placed on the mother's chest, termed skin-to-skin contact, and delaying routine procedures for at least one to two hours or until the baby has had its first breastfeeding.


title: Childbirth

text: Many women are known to experience what has been termed the "nesting instinct". Women report a spurt of energy shortly before going into labour. Common signs that labour is about to begin may include what is known as "lightening", which is the process of the baby moving down from the rib cage with the head of the baby engaging deep in the pelvis. The pregnant woman may then find breathing easier, since her lungs have more room for expansion, but pressure on her bladder may cause more frequent need to void (urinate). Lightening may occur a few weeks or a few hours before labour begins, or even not until labour has begun. Some women also experience an increase in vaginal discharge several days before labour begins when the "mucus plug", a thick plug of mucus that blocks the opening to the uterus, is pushed out into the vagina. The mucus plug may become dislodged days before labour begins or not until the start of labour.


title: Childbirth

text: While inside the uterus the baby is enclosed in a fluid-filled membrane called the amniotic sac. Shortly before, at the beginning of, or during labour the sac ruptures. Once the sac ruptures, termed "the water breaks", the baby is at risk for infection and the mother's medical team will assess the need to induce labour if it has not started within the time they believe to be safe for the infant.


title: Childbirth

text: The first stage of labour is divided into latent and active phases, where the latent phase is sometimes included in the definition of labour, and sometimes not.


title: Childbirth

text: The latent phase is generally defined as beginning at the point at which the woman perceives regular uterine contractions. In contrast, Braxton Hicks contractions, which are contractions that may start around 26 weeks gestation and are sometimes called "false labour", are infrequent, irregular, and involve only mild cramping.


title: Childbirth

text: Cervical effacement, which is the thinning and stretching of the cervix, and cervical dilation occur during the closing weeks of pregnancy. Effacement is usually complete or near-complete and dilation is about 5 cm by the end of the latent phase. The degree of cervical effacement and dilation may be felt during a vaginal examination.


title: Childbirth

text: The active phase of labour has geographically differing definitions. The World Health Organization describes the active first stage as "a period of time characterized by regular painful uterine contractions, a substantial degree of cervical effacement and more rapid cervical dilatation from 5 cm until full dilatation for first and subsequent labours. In the US, the definition of active labour was changed from 3 to 4 cm, to 5 cm of cervical dilation for multiparous women, mothers who had given birth previously, and at 6 cm for nulliparous women, those who had not given birth before. This was done in an effort to increase the rates of vaginal delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: Health care providers may assess the mother's progress in labour by performing a cervical exam to evaluate the cervical dilation, effacement, and station. These factors form the Bishop score. The Bishop score can also be used as a means to predict the success of an induction of labour.


title: Childbirth

text: During effacement, the cervix becomes incorporated into the lower segment of the uterus. During a contraction, uterine muscles contract causing shortening of the upper segment and drawing upwards of the lower segment, in a gradual expulsive motion. The presenting fetal part then is permitted to descend. Full dilation is reached when the cervix has widened enough to allow passage of the baby's head, around 10 cm dilation for a term baby.


title: Childbirth

text: A standard duration of the latent first stage has not been established and can vary widely from one woman to another. However, the duration of active first stage (from 5 cm until full cervical dilatation) usually does not extend beyond 12 hours in the first labour("primiparae"), and usually does not extend beyond 10 hours in subsequent labours ("multiparae").


title: Childbirth

text: Dystocia of labour, also called "dysfunctional labour" or "failure to progress", is difficult labour or abnormally slow progress of labour, involving progressive cervical dilatation or lack of descent of the fetus. Friedman's Curve, developed in 1955, was for many years used to determine labour dystocia. However, more recent medical research suggests that the Friedman curve may not be currently applicable.


title: Childbirth

text: The expulsion stage begins when the cervix is fully dilated, and ends when the baby is born. As pressure on the cervix increases, a sensation of pelvic pressure is experienced, and, with it, an urge to begin pushing. At the beginning of the normal second stage, the head is fully engaged in the pelvis; the widest diameter of the head has passed below the level of the pelvic inlet. The fetal head then continues descent into the pelvis, below the pubic arch and out through the vaginal opening. This is assisted by the additional maternal efforts of pushing, or bearing down, similar to defecation. The appearance of the fetal head at the vaginal opening is termed crowning. At this point, the mother will feel an intense burning or stinging sensation.


title: Childbirth

text: When the amniotic sac has not ruptured during labour or pushing, the infant can be born with the membranes intact. This is referred to as "delivery en caul".


title: Childbirth

text: Complete expulsion of the baby signals the successful completion of the second stage of labour. Some babies, especially preterm infants, are born covered with a waxy or cheese-like white substance called vernix. It is thought to have some protective roles during fetal development and for a few hours after birth.


title: Childbirth

text: The second stage varies from one woman to another. In first labours, birth is usually completed within three hours whereas in subsequent


title: Childbirth

text: labours, birth is usually completed within two hours. Second-stage labours longer than three hours are associated with declining rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery and increasing rates of infection, perineal tears, and obstetric haemorrhage, as well as the need for intensive care of the neonate.


title: Childbirth

text: The period from just after the fetus is expelled until just after the placenta is expelled is called the "third stage of labour" or the "involution stage". Placental expulsion begins as a physiological separation from the wall of the uterus. The average time from delivery of the baby until complete expulsion of the placenta is estimated to be 10–12 minutes dependent on whether active or expectant management is employed. In as many as 3% of all vaginal deliveries, the duration of the third stage is longer than 30 minutes and raises concern for retained placenta.


title: Childbirth

text: Placental expulsion can be managed actively or it can be managed expectantly, allowing the placenta to be expelled without medical assistance. Active management is the administration of a uterotonic drug within one minute of fetal delivery, controlled traction of the umbilical cord and fundal massage after delivery of the placenta, followed by performance of uterine massage every 15 minutes for two hours. In a joint statement, World Health Organization, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the International Confederation of Midwives recommend active management of the third stage of labour in all vaginal deliveries to help to prevent postpartum haemorrhage.


title: Childbirth

text: Delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord for at least one minute or until it ceases to pulsate, which may take several minutes, improves outcomes as long as there is the ability to treat jaundice if it occurs. For many years it was believed that late cord cutting led to a mother's risk of experiencing significant bleeding after giving birth, called postpartum bleeding. However a recent review found that delayed cord cutting in healthy full-term infants resulted in early haemoglobin concentration and higher birthweight and increased iron reserves up to six months after birth with no change in the rate of postpartum bleeding.


title: Childbirth

text: The fourth stage of labour is the period beginning immediately after childbirth, and extends for about six weeks. The terms "postpartum" and "postnatal" are often used for this period. The woman's body, including hormone levels and uterus size, return to a non-pregnant state and the newborn adjusts to life outside the mother's body. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal period as the most critical and yet the most neglected phase in the lives of mothers and babies; most deaths occur during the postnatal period.


title: Childbirth

text: Following the birth, if the mother had an episiotomy or a tearing of the perineum, it is stitched. This is also an optimal time for uptake of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as the contraceptive implant or intrauterine device (IUD), both of which can be inserted immediately after delivery while the woman is still in the delivery room. The mother has regular assessments for uterine contraction and fundal height, vaginal bleeding, heart rate and blood pressure, and temperature, for the first 24 hours after birth. Some women may experience an uncontrolled episode of shivering or postpartum chills following the birth. The first passing of urine should be documented within six hours. Afterpains (pains similar to menstrual cramps), contractions of the uterus to prevent excessive blood flow, continue for several days. Vaginal discharge, termed "lochia", can be expected to continue for several weeks; initially bright red, it gradually becomes pink, changing to brown, and finally to yellow or white.


title: Childbirth

text: At one time babies born in hospitals were removed from their mothers shortly after birth and brought to the mother only at feeding times. Mothers were told that their newborn would be safer in the nursery and that the separation would offer the mother more time to rest. As attitudes began to change, some hospitals offered a "rooming in" option wherein after a period of routine hospital procedures and observation, the infant could be allowed to share the mother's room. As of 2020, rooming in has increasingly become standard practice in maternity wards.


title: Childbirth

text: Humans are bipedal with an erect stance. The erect posture causes the weight of the abdominal contents to thrust on the pelvic floor, a complex structure which must not only support this weight but allow, in women, three channels to pass through it: the urethra, the vagina and the rectum. The infant's head and shoulders must go through a specific sequence of maneuvers in order to pass through the ring of the mother's pelvis. Range of motion and ambulation are typically unaffected during labour and it is encouraged that the mother move to help facilitate progression of labour. The vagina is called a 'birth canal' when the baby enters this passage. Six phases of a typical vertex or cephalic (head-first presentation) delivery:


title: Childbirth

text: Failure to complete the cardinal movements of birth in the correct order may result in complications of labour and birth injuries.


title: Childbirth

text: Skin-to-skin contact (SSC), sometimes also called kangaroo care, is a technique of newborn care where babies are kept chest-to-chest and skin-to-skin with a parent, typically their mother, though more recently (2022) their father as well. This means without the shirt or undergarments on the chest of both the baby and parent. A 2011 medical review found that early skin-to-skin contact resulted in a decrease in infant crying, improved cardio-respiratory stability and blood glucose levels, and improved breastfeeding duration. A 2016 Cochrane review also found that SSC at birth promotes the likelihood and effectiveness of breastfeeding.


title: Childbirth

text: As of 2014, early postpartum SSC is endorsed by all major organizations that are responsible for the well-being of infants, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that "the process of


title: Childbirth

text: childbirth is not finished until the baby has safely transferred from placental to mammary nutrition." It is advised that the newborn be placed skin-to-skin with the mother following vaginal birth, or as soon as the mother is alert and responsive after a Caesarean section, postponing any routine procedures for at least one to two hours. The baby's father or other support person may also choose to hold the baby SSC until the mother recovers from the anesthetic.


title: Childbirth

text: The WHO suggests that any initial observations of the infant can be done while the infant remains close to the mother, saying that even a brief separation before the baby has had its first feed can disturb the bonding process. They further advise frequent skin-to-skin contact as much as possible during the first days after delivery, especially if it was interrupted for some reason after the delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: La Leche League advises women to have a delivery team which includes a support person who will advocate to assure that:


title: Childbirth

text: It has long been known that a mother's level of the hormone oxytocin elevates in a mother when she interacts with her infant. In 2019, a large review of the effects of oxytocin found that the oxytocin level in fathers that engage in SSC is increased as well. Two studies found that "when the infant is clothed only in a diaper and placed in between the mother or father's breasts, chest-to-chest [elevated paternal oxytocin levels were] shown to reduce stress and anxiety in parents after interaction."


title: Childbirth

text: For births that occur in hospitals the WHO recommends a hospital stay of at least 24 hours following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and 96 hours for a Cesarean section. Looking at length of stay (in 2016) for an uncomplicated delivery around the world shows an average of less that 1 day in Egypt to 6 days in (pre-war) Ukraine. Averages for Australia are 2.8 days and 1.5 days in the UK. While this number is low, two-thirds of women in the UK have midwife-assisted births and in some cases the mother may choose a hospital setting for birth to be closer to the wide range of assistance available for an emergency situation. However, women with midwife care may leave the hospital shortly after birth and her midwife will continue her care at her home.


title: Childbirth

text: In the U.S. the average length of stay has gradually dropped from 4.1 days in 1970 to a current stay of 2 days. The CDC attributed the drop to the rise in health care costs, saying people could not afford to stay in the hospital any longer. To keep it from dropping any lower, in 1996 congress passed the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act that requires insurers to cover at least 48 hours for uncomplicated delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: In many cases and with increasing frequency, childbirth is achieved through labour induction or caesarean section. Labour induction is the process or treatment that stimulates childbirth and delivery. Inducing labour can be accomplished with pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical methods. Inductions are most often performed either with prostaglandin drug treatment alone, or with a combination of prostaglandin and intravenous oxytocin treatment.


title: Childbirth

text: Caesarean section is the removal of the neonate through a surgical incision in the abdomen, rather than through vaginal birth. Childbirth by C-sections increased 50% in the US from 1996 to 2006. In 2012, about 23 million deliveries occurred by Caesarean section. Induced births and elective cesarean before 39 weeks can be harmful to the neonate as well as harmful or without benefit to the mother. Therefore, many guidelines recommend against non-medically required induced births and elective cesarean before 39 weeks. The 2012 rate of labour induction in the United States was 23.3 per cent, and had more than doubled from 1990 to 2010. By 2022 it had climbed to 32%.


title: Childbirth

text: The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines recommend a full evaluation of the maternal-fetal status, the status of the cervix, and at least a 39 completed weeks (full term) of gestation for optimal health of the newborn when considering elective induction of labour. Per these guidelines, indications for induction may include:


title: Childbirth

text: Induction is also considered for logistical reasons, such as the distance from hospital or psychosocial conditions, but in these instances gestational age confirmation must be done, and the maturity of the fetal lung must be confirmed by testing. The ACOG also note that contraindications for induced labour are the same as for spontaneous vaginal delivery, including vasa previa, complete placenta praevia, umbilical cord prolapse or active genital herpes simplex infection.


title: Childbirth

text: A Caesarean section, also called a C section, can be the safest option for delivery in some pregnancies. During a C section, the patient is usually numbed with an epidural or a spinal block, but general anesthesia can be used as well. A cut is made in the patient’s abdomen and then in the uterus to remove the baby. A C section may be the best option when the small size or shape of the mother's pelvis makes delivery of the baby impossible, or the lie or presentation of the baby as it prepares to enter the birth canal is dangerous. Other medical reasons for C section are placenta previa (the placenta blocks the baby’s path to the birth canal), uterine rupture, or fetal distress, like due to endangerment of the baby’s oxygen supply. Before the 1970s, once a patient delivered one baby via C section, it was recommended that all of her future babies be delivered by C section, but that recommendation has changed. Unless there is some other indication, mothers can attempt a trial of labour and most are able to have a vaginal birth after C section (VBAC).


title: Childbirth

text: Like any procedure, a C section is not without risks. Having a C section puts the mother at greater risk for uterine rupture and abnormal attachment of the placenta to the uterus in future pregnancies (placenta accreta spectrum). The rate of deliveries occurring via C section instead of vaginal deliveries has been increasing since the 1970s. The WHO recommends a C section rate of between 10 to 15 percent because C sections rates higher than 10 percent are not associated with a decrease in morbidity and mortality.


title: Childbirth

text: Obstetric care frequently subjects women to institutional routines, which may have adverse effects on the progress of labour. Supportive care during labour may involve emotional support, comfort measures, and information and advocacy which may promote the physical process of labour as well as women's feelings of control and competence, thus reducing the need for obstetric intervention. The continuous support may be provided either by hospital staff such as nurses or midwives, doulas, or by companions of the woman's choice from her social network.There is increasing evidence to show that the participation of the child's father in the birth leads to a better birth and also post-birth outcomes, providing the father does not exhibit excessive anxiety.


title: Childbirth

text: Continuous labour support may help women to give birth spontaneously, that is, without caesarean or vacuum or forceps, with slightly shorter labours, and to have more positive feelings regarding their experience of giving birth. Continuous labour support may also reduce women's use of pain medication during labour and reduce the risk of babies having low five-minute Agpar scores.


title: Childbirth

text: Eating or drinking during labour is an area of ongoing debate. While some have argued that eating in labour has no harmful effects on outcomes, others continue to have concern regarding the increased possibility of an aspiration event (choking on recently eaten foods) in the event of an emergency delivery due to the increased relaxation of the esophagus in pregnancy, upward pressure of the uterus on the stomach, and the possibility of general anaesthetic in the event of an emergency cesarean. A 2013 Cochrane review found that with good obstetrical anaesthesia there is no change in harms from allowing eating and drinking during labour in those who are unlikely to need surgery. They additionally acknowledge that not eating does not mean there is an empty stomach or that its contents are not as acidic. They therefore conclude that "women should be free to eat and drink in labour, or not, as they wish."


title: Childbirth

text: At one time shaving of the area around the vagina, was common practice due to the belief that hair removal reduced the risk of infection, made an episiotomy (a surgical cut to enlarge the vaginal entrance) easier, and helped with instrumental deliveries. It is currently less common, though it is still a routine procedure in some countries even though a systematic review found no evidence to recommend shaving. Side effects appear later, including irritation, redness, and multiple superficial scratches from the razor. Another effort to prevent infection has been the use of the antiseptic chlorhexidine or providone-iodine solution in the vagina. Evidence of benefit with chlorhexidine is lacking. A decreased risk is found with providone-iodine when a cesarean section is to be performed.


title: Childbirth

text: An assisted delivery is used in about 1 in 8 births, and may be needed if either mother or infant appears to be at risk during a vaginal delivery. The methods used are termed obstetrical forceps extraction and vacuum extraction, also called ventouse extraction. Done properly, they are both safe with some preference for forceps rather than vacuum, and both are seen as preferable to an unexpected C-section. While considered safe, some risks for the mother include vaginal tearing, including a higher chance of having a more major vaginal tear that involves the muscle or wall of the anus or rectum. For women undergoing operative vaginal delivery with vacuum extraction or forceps, there is strong evidence that prophylactic antibiotics help to reduce the risk of infection. There is a higher risk of blood clots forming in the legs or pelvis – anti-clot stockings or medication may be ordered to avoid clots. Urinary incontinence is not unusual after childbirth but it is more common after an instrument delivery. Certain exercises and physiotherapy will help the condition to improve.


title: Childbirth

text: Some women prefer to avoid analgesic medication during childbirth. Psychological preparation may be beneficial. Relaxation techniques, immersion in water, massage, and acupuncture may provide pain relief. Acupuncture and relaxation were found to decrease the number of caesarean sections required. Immersion in water has been found to relieve pain during the first stage of labour and to reduce the need for anaesthesia and shorten the duration of labour, however the safety and efficacy of immersion during birth, water birth, has not been established or associated with maternal or fetal benefit.


title: Childbirth

text: Most women like to have someone to support them during labour and birth; such as a midwife, nurse, or doula; or a lay person such as the father of the baby, a family member, or a close friend. Studies have found that continuous support during labour and delivery reduce the need for medication and a caesarean or operative vaginal delivery, and result in an improved Apgar score for the infant.


title: Childbirth

text: Different measures for pain control have varying degrees of success and side effects to the woman and her baby. In some countries of Europe, doctors commonly prescribe inhaled nitrous oxide gas for pain control, especially as 53% nitrous oxide, 47% oxygen, known as Entonox; in the UK, midwives may use this gas without a doctor's prescription. Opioids such as fentanyl may be used, but if given too close to birth there is a risk of respiratory depression in the infant.


title: Childbirth

text: Popular medical pain control in hospitals include the regional anaesthetics epidurals (EDA), and spinal anaesthesia. Epidural analgesia is a generally safe and effective method of relieving pain in labour, but has been associated with longer labour, more operative intervention (particularly instrument delivery), and increases in cost. However, a more recent (2017) Cochrane review suggests that the new epidural techniques have no effect on labour time and the use of instruments or the need for C-section deliveries. Generally, pain and stress hormones rise throughout labour for women without epidurals, while pain, fear, and stress hormones decrease upon administration of epidural analgesia, but rise again later.


title: Childbirth

text: Medicine administered via epidural can cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the fetus. Epidural analgesia has no statistically significant impact on the risk of caesarean section, and does not appear to have an immediate effect on neonatal status as determined by Apgar scores.


title: Childbirth

text: Augmentation is the process of stimulating the uterus to increase the intensity and duration of contractions after labour has begun. Several methods of augmentation are commonly been used to treat slow progress of labour (dystocia) when uterine contractions are assessed to be too weak. Oxytocin is the most common method used to increase the rate of vaginal delivery. The World Health Organization recommends its use either alone or with amniotomy (rupture of the amniotic membrane) but advises that it must be used only after it has been correctly confirmed that labour is not proceeding properly if harm is to be avoided. The WHO does not recommend the use of antispasmodic agents for prevention of delay in labour.


title: Childbirth

text: For years an episiotomy was thought to help prevent more extensive vaginal tears and heal better than a natural tear. Perineal tears can occur at the vaginal opening as the baby's head passes through, especially if the baby descends quickly. Tears can involve the perineal skin or extend to the muscles and the anal sphincter and anus. Once common, they are now recognised as generally not needed. When needed, the midwife or obstetrician makes a surgical cut in the perineum to prevent severe tears that can be difficult to repair. A 2017 Cochrane review compared episiotomy as needed (restrictive) with routine episiotomy to determine the possible benefits and harms for mother and baby. The review found that restrictive episiotomy policies appeared to give a number of benefits compared with using routine episiotomy. Women experienced less severe perineal trauma, less posterior perineal trauma, less suturing and fewer healing complications at seven days with no difference in occurrence of pain, urinary incontinence, painful sex or severe vaginal/perineal trauma after birth.


title: Childbirth

text: In cases of a head first-presenting first twin, twins can often be delivered vaginally. In some cases twin delivery is done in a larger delivery room or in an operating theatre, in the event of complication e.g.


title: Childbirth

text: For external monitoring of the fetus during childbirth, a simple pinard stethoscope or doppler fetal monitor (""doptone"") can be used.


title: Childbirth

text: A method of external (noninvasive) fetal monitoring (EFM) during childbirth is cardiotocography (CTG), using a "cardiotocograph" that consists of two sensors: The "heart" (cardio) sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, similar to a Doppler fetal monitor, that continuously emits ultrasound and detects motion of the fetal heart by the characteristic of the reflected sound. The pressure-sensitive "contraction" transducer, called a "tocodynamometer" (toco) has a flat area that is fixated to the skin by a band around the belly. The pressure required to flatten a section of the wall correlates with the internal pressure, thereby providing an estimate of contraction.


title: Childbirth

text: Monitoring with a cardiotocograph can either be intermittent or continuous. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that for healthy women undergoing spontaneous labour continuous cardiotocography is not recommended for assessment of fetal well-being. The WHO states: "In countries and settings where continuous CTG is used defensively to protect against litigation, all stakeholders should be made aware that this practice is not evidence-based and does not improve birth outcomes."


title: Childbirth

text: A mother's water has to break before internal (invasive) monitoring can be used. More invasive monitoring can involve a fetal scalp electrode to give an additional measure of fetal heart activity, and/or intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC). It can also involve fetal scalp pH testing.


title: Childbirth

text: Per figures retrieved in 2015, since 1990 there has been a 44 per cent decline in the maternal death rate. However, according to 2015 figures 830 women die every day from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth and for every woman who dies, 20 or 30 encounter injuries, infections or disabilities. Most of these deaths and injuries are preventable.


title: Childbirth

text: In 2008, noting that each year more than 100,000 women die of complications of pregnancy and childbirth and at least seven million experience serious health problems while 50 million more have adverse health consequences after childbirth, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged midwife training to strengthen maternal and newborn health services. To support the upgrading of midwifery skills the WHO established a midwife training program, Action for Safe Motherhood.


title: Childbirth

text: The rising maternal death rate in the US is of concern. In 1990 the US ranked 12th of the 14 developed countries that were analysed. However, since that time the rates of every country have steadily continued to improve while the US rate has spiked dramatically. While every other developed nation of the 14 analysed in 1990 shows a 2017 death rate of less than 10 deaths per every 100,000 live births, the US rate has risen to 26.4. By comparison, the United Kingdom ranks second highest at 9.2 and Finland is the safest at 3.8. Furthermore, for every one of the 700 to 900 US woman who die each year during pregnancy or childbirth, 70 experience significant complications such as haemorrhage and organ failure, totalling more than one per cent of all births.


title: Childbirth

text: Compared to other developed nations, the United States also has high infant mortality rates. The Trust for America's Health reports that as of 2011, about one-third of American births have some complications; many are directly related to the mother's health including increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and physical inactivity. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has led an initiative to improve woman's health previous to conception in an effort to improve both neonatal and maternal death rates.


title: Childbirth

text: The second stage of labour may be delayed or lengthy due to poor or uncoordinated uterine action, an abnormal uterine position such as breech or shoulder dystocia, and cephalopelvic disproportion (a small pelvis or large infant). Prolonged labour may result in maternal exhaustion, fetal distress, and other complications including obstetric fistula.


title: Childbirth

text: Eclampsia is the onset of seizures (convulsions) in a woman with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy in which there is high blood pressure and either large amounts of protein in the urine or other organ dysfunction. Pre-eclampsia is routinely screened for during prenatal care. Onset may be before, during, or rarely, after delivery. Around one per cent of women with eclampsia die.


title: Childbirth

text: A puerperal disorder or postpartum disorder is a complication which presents primarily during the puerperium, or postpartum period. The postpartum period can be divided into three distinct stages; the initial or acute phase, six to 12 hours after childbirth; subacute postpartum period, which lasts two to six weeks, and the delayed postpartum period, which can last up to six months. In the subacute postpartum period, 87% to 94% of women report at least one health problem. Long-term health problems (persisting after the delayed postpartum period) are reported by 31 per cent of women.


title: Childbirth

text: According to the WHO, hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide accounting for approximately 27.1% of maternal deaths. Within maternal deaths due to hemorrhage, two-thirds are caused by postpartum hemorrhage. The causes of postpartum hemorrhage can be separated into four main categories: Tone, Trauma, Tissue, and Thrombin. Tone represents uterine atony, the failure of the uterus to contract adequately following delivery. Trauma includes lacerations or uterine rupture. Tissue includes conditions that can lead to a retained placenta. Thrombin, which is a molecule used in the human body’s blood clotting system, represents all coagulopathies.


title: Childbirth

text: Postpartum infections, also historically known as childbed fever and medically as puerperal fever, are any bacterial infections of the reproductive tract following childbirth or miscarriage. Signs and symptoms usually include a fever greater than 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), chills, lower abdominal pain, and possibly bad-smelling vaginal discharge. The infection usually occurs after the first 24 hours and within the first ten days following delivery. Infection remains a major cause of maternal deaths and morbidity in the developing world. The work of Ignaz Semmelweis was seminal in the pathophysiology and treatment of childbed fever and his work saved many lives.


title: Childbirth

text: Childbirth can be an intense event and strong emotions, both positive and negative, can be brought to the surface. Abnormal and persistent fear of childbirth is known as tokophobia. The prevalence of fear of childbirth around the world ranges between 4–25%, with 3–7% of pregnant women having clinical fear of childbirth.


title: Childbirth

text: Most new mothers may experience mild feelings of unhappiness and worry after giving birth. Babies require a lot of care, so it is normal for mothers to be worried about, or tired from, providing that care. The feelings, often termed the "baby blues", affect up to 80 per cent of mothers. They are somewhat mild, last a week or two, and usually go away on their own.


title: Childbirth

text: Postpartum depression is different from the "baby blues". With postpartum depression, feelings of sadness and anxiety can be extreme and might interfere with a woman's ability to care for herself or her family. Because of the severity of the symptoms, postpartum depression usually requires treatment. The condition, which occurs in nearly 15 percent of births, may begin shortly before or any time after childbirth, but commonly begins between a week and a month after delivery.


title: Childbirth

text: Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder that can develop in women who have recently given birth. Causes include issues such as an emergency C-section, preterm labour, inadequate care during labour,


title: Childbirth

text: lack of social support following childbirth, and others. Examples of symptoms include intrusive symptoms, flashbacks and nightmares, as well as symptoms of avoidance (including amnesia for the whole or parts of the event), problems in developing a mother-child attachment, and others similar to those commonly experienced in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many women who are experiencing symptoms of PTSD after childbirth are misdiagnosed with postpartum depression or adjustment disorders. These diagnoses can lead to inadequate treatment.