Birth
There are three stages of labour:
In the first stage of labour, the cervix has to open fully (10 centimeters) so that the baby can be born. The cervix has to shorten and soften, these changes may start in late pregnancy, before labour has begun. Days or hours before labour starts the cervix may start to open a little, and the mucus plug may come out. This is called a show.
During early labour, the cervix starts to open and widen. It'll go from being closed to about 3cm or 4cm dilated. The pregnant woman may not notice this starting, as her uterus may be contracting very gently. It may feel like period cramps, or a dull ache or backache. Many women notice that they're getting increasingly painful contractions and that they're coming regularly. Early contractions are usually more than five minutes apart and short, perhaps only 30 or 40 seconds long.
As labour progresses the contractions usually become longer and more frequent, as she moves into the active stage of labour. This is when the cervix opens from 3cm or 4cm to 10cm. Contractions are more powerful now. A contraction usually starts gradually, building up to a peak of intensity before fading away.
Contractions may come as often as every three to four minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds. They are very intense. Between contractions, the pregnant woman may be able to talk, move around, have a drink or eat while she prepares herself for the next one. Contractions in the active phase open the cervix more rapidly, but it may still be many hours before it is fully dilated.
The transitional phase happens when the pregnant woman moves from the first stage of labour to the second, the pushing stage. It often starts when the cervix is about 8cm dilated. It ends when the cervix is fully dilated, or when she gets the urge to push. The contractions may be less frequent, but much stronger and longer. Sometimes they come in a double wave. Each one may peak, start to fade but then increase in intensity again before fading away completely. It's common for the water to break just before or during transition. Women feel this stage in different ways.
Once the woman is fully dilated she can push her baby down her vagina (the birth canal) and, at long last, meet him or her for the first time. She'll feel the pressure of her baby's head between her legs. With each contraction she may get two or three strong urges to push. With every push, the baby will move through the pelvis a little, but at the end of the contraction, he'll probably slip back again. When the baby's head is far down in the pelvis, the pregnant woman will probably feel a hot, stinging sensation. This will happen as the opening of the vagina starts to stretch around the baby's head. The midwife or Obstetrician will tell you when she can see the baby's head, and he is no longer slipping back between contractions. The midwife may ask you to stop pushing and take short, panting breaths for the next two or three contractions. This helps make sure that the baby is born gently and slowly, and helps avoid tearing of the vagina or needing an episiotomy.
Once the baby is born, the third stage begins. Contractions, weaker this time, will start up again. These will make the placenta gradually peel away from the uterus wall. The placenta, with the membranes of the empty bag of waters attached, will drop to the bottom of the woman`s uterus and out through her vagina. Many hospitals routinely give an injection which makes the placenta come out. This is called a managed third stage. This speeds up the third stage and the woman won't have to do any pushing. The midwife or doctor will examine the placenta and membranes to make sure that nothing has been left behind.
- First Stage: When contractions gradually open up the neck of the uterus (cervix). The first stage of labour consists of early labour, active labour and the transitional phase.
- Second Stage: When the pregnant woman pushes her baby out into the world.
- Third Stage: Delivering the placenta.
In the first stage of labour, the cervix has to open fully (10 centimeters) so that the baby can be born. The cervix has to shorten and soften, these changes may start in late pregnancy, before labour has begun. Days or hours before labour starts the cervix may start to open a little, and the mucus plug may come out. This is called a show.
During early labour, the cervix starts to open and widen. It'll go from being closed to about 3cm or 4cm dilated. The pregnant woman may not notice this starting, as her uterus may be contracting very gently. It may feel like period cramps, or a dull ache or backache. Many women notice that they're getting increasingly painful contractions and that they're coming regularly. Early contractions are usually more than five minutes apart and short, perhaps only 30 or 40 seconds long.
As labour progresses the contractions usually become longer and more frequent, as she moves into the active stage of labour. This is when the cervix opens from 3cm or 4cm to 10cm. Contractions are more powerful now. A contraction usually starts gradually, building up to a peak of intensity before fading away.
Contractions may come as often as every three to four minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds. They are very intense. Between contractions, the pregnant woman may be able to talk, move around, have a drink or eat while she prepares herself for the next one. Contractions in the active phase open the cervix more rapidly, but it may still be many hours before it is fully dilated.
The transitional phase happens when the pregnant woman moves from the first stage of labour to the second, the pushing stage. It often starts when the cervix is about 8cm dilated. It ends when the cervix is fully dilated, or when she gets the urge to push. The contractions may be less frequent, but much stronger and longer. Sometimes they come in a double wave. Each one may peak, start to fade but then increase in intensity again before fading away completely. It's common for the water to break just before or during transition. Women feel this stage in different ways.
Once the woman is fully dilated she can push her baby down her vagina (the birth canal) and, at long last, meet him or her for the first time. She'll feel the pressure of her baby's head between her legs. With each contraction she may get two or three strong urges to push. With every push, the baby will move through the pelvis a little, but at the end of the contraction, he'll probably slip back again. When the baby's head is far down in the pelvis, the pregnant woman will probably feel a hot, stinging sensation. This will happen as the opening of the vagina starts to stretch around the baby's head. The midwife or Obstetrician will tell you when she can see the baby's head, and he is no longer slipping back between contractions. The midwife may ask you to stop pushing and take short, panting breaths for the next two or three contractions. This helps make sure that the baby is born gently and slowly, and helps avoid tearing of the vagina or needing an episiotomy.
Once the baby is born, the third stage begins. Contractions, weaker this time, will start up again. These will make the placenta gradually peel away from the uterus wall. The placenta, with the membranes of the empty bag of waters attached, will drop to the bottom of the woman`s uterus and out through her vagina. Many hospitals routinely give an injection which makes the placenta come out. This is called a managed third stage. This speeds up the third stage and the woman won't have to do any pushing. The midwife or doctor will examine the placenta and membranes to make sure that nothing has been left behind.
References
http://sudburysupport.ca/support-pregnancy.php
http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp
http://www.youtube.com/?gl=CA
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080111015256AA2EWtD
http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/stages-of-pregnancy.cfm
http://www.babycenter.ca/
http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/pregnancy-your-first-trimester
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childbirth.html
http://www.jnjcanada.com/Default.aspx?__redir=true
http://www.pampers.ca/home
http://www.huggies.com/en-CA
http://www.kidspot.com.au/Pregnancy-Conception-7-surprising-fertility-facts+3632+121+article.htm
http://www.whattoexpect.com/preconception/conception-myths.aspx
http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp
http://www.youtube.com/?gl=CA
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080111015256AA2EWtD
http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/stages-of-pregnancy.cfm
http://www.babycenter.ca/
http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/pregnancy-your-first-trimester
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childbirth.html
http://www.jnjcanada.com/Default.aspx?__redir=true
http://www.pampers.ca/home
http://www.huggies.com/en-CA
http://www.kidspot.com.au/Pregnancy-Conception-7-surprising-fertility-facts+3632+121+article.htm
http://www.whattoexpect.com/preconception/conception-myths.aspx
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." -Rajneesh