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During the three stages of labor, your body will prepare for your baby's delivery (stage one), then deliver the baby (stage two), and finally deliver the placenta. Throughout labor, your body will use contractions to dilate and efface the cervix. Learn the difference between actual labor contractions and Braxton Hicks contractions, as well as the indications of labor and what to do once in labor
As your pregnancy nears its end, your body will prepare for labor and delivery. This is the method via which your baby will be born. Labor varies greatly from person to person. Some labors are brief, while others are long and laborious. Other people may suffer labor that stalls or stops, necessitating medical intervention.
The average labor lasts 12 to 24 hours for a first birth and eight to ten hours for subsequent births. Throughout this time, you will go through three phases of labor. The first stage of labor is typically the longest, lasting from when you initially go into labor until your cervix opens. The beginning of this period is known as early labor. Early labor is classified as dilating between 0 and 6 centimeters.
As your contractions strengthen, you will continue to the second stage of labor, known as active labor. Active labor is defined as dilating from 6 to 8 centimeters before moving to the second stage, which is dilating from 8 to 10 centimeters. During active labor, your contractions will intensify and your cervix will swiftly open. The second stage of labor occurs when you push. This is the stage of labor in which you will give birth to your kid.
The third stage occurs when you deliver the placenta. This is also known as afterbirth.
During these stages, your body prepares for labor by dilatation and effacement.
Dilation is the stretching and opening of your cervix to prepare for your baby's birth. Dilation ranges from 1 to 10 centimeters. Your provider will perform a vaginal exam to determine how dilated you are during your labor. In the second stage of labor, you will be 10 centimeters dilated and ready to deliver your baby.
Effacement: During childbirth, the cervix expands and thins. Cervical shortening and thinning are quantified as percentages. Throughout your labor, you will advance from 0% to 100% effacement.
Imagine your cervix as a round entryway that needs to extend outward and narrow before your baby may pass through. Contractions are what create the stretching and thinning. Contractions can be described in a variety of ways, including uncomfortable, period-like cramps and painful abdominal tightening. You may also notice a dull aching in your back and lower abdomen, as well as pressure in your pelvis.
When you have a contraction, your uterine muscles tighten at regular intervals to dilate and efface your cervix. During contractions, your abdomen hardens. Between contractions, your uterus relaxes, and your abdomen softens. Even if they are unpleasant, each contraction helps you move forward through your labor.
It can be tough to tell when you're actually in labor. First-time parents, in particular, may mistake other symptoms or irregular practice contractions (known as Braxton Hicks contractions) for actual labor. True labor follows a pattern and progresses consistently over time.
When you're in actual labor, your contractions will follow a pattern. Instead of the erratic Braxton Hicks contractions you may have had during your pregnancy, which appeared and then disappeared at random, these contractions will continue for an extended amount of time. When you are truly in labor, you should be looking for three things.
How frequent are your contractions? Keep track of them using a journal or labor app on your phone to ensure they arrive at regular intervals.
Duration: How long are your contractions? Your contractions will become increasingly prolonged as your labor progresses. Use a stopwatch, a clock, or your phone's timer to record the duration of each contraction.
Intensity: Are your contractions becoming stronger? As you progress through the stages of labor, your contractions may become stronger and more severe. Keep a record of how your contractions feel over time.
Many women have several pre-labor signs that might hint that labor will start soon. These signs of labor include:
Backaches.
Diarrhea.
Weight loss.
Nesting (cleaning and organizing your home).
No one knows for sure what causes labor to start, but several hormonal and physical changes may point to the beginning of labor.
Braxton Hicks, often known as practice contractions, are irregular contractions that do not induce cervical changes. Consider them a test run for the real thing. They can begin near the conclusion of your pregnancy and confuse folks into thinking they're in labor. This is known as fake labor.
A Braxton Hicks contraction feels like a quick, sudden tightening of your abdominal muscles. Although this is remarkably similar to how a contraction feels, Braxton Hicks contractions do not occur in a predictable pattern or progress over time. They may also stop if you lie down or relax. Keep track of your practice contractions as they occur. Writing them down is the most effective technique to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent labor.
Lightening is the process by which your baby settles or lowers into your pelvis. This can occur several weeks or even hours before labor. When this happens, you may notice an increase in lower pelvic pressure. After lightening, your uterus may sit more on your bladder, causing you to urinate more frequently. After your baby is born, you may realize that you are no longer short of breath.
During pregnancy, a large piece of mucus known as a plug covers the cervical opening. This plug keeps your uterus locked off from the delivery canal and the rest of your body, preventing bacteria from entering. When your cervix softens, thins, and opens, mucus is ejected into the vagina. Not every mucus plug will appear the same.
Mucus plugs can be clear or colored.
Pink.
Slightly bloodied.
Labor might begin soon after you lose your mucus plug or several weeks later.
Once you're in labor, you should keep track of your contractions. Your healthcare physician will want to know how long your contractions last (duration), how often they occur (frequency), and how intense they are. When timing your contractions, you'll need a device to record them, such as pen and paper or a phone app, as well as a timer or clock. Make sure to keep track of each contraction from beginning to end, as well as the duration between them. This second measurement will assist your provider in determining the frequency of your contractions.
It can be difficult to measure the severity of your contractions. This might vary greatly from person to person. Keeping note of the strength of your contractions is often as simple as recording when you are unable to move, talk, or laugh during them.
You may be familiar with the phrase "my water broke." This is actually the rupture of the amniotic membrane. During pregnancy, your baby is within a fluid-filled sac known as a bag of water. When this membrane ruptures, you may experience a sudden gush or trickle of liquids. This experience, like many others during labor and childbirth, can be unique to each individual. The fluid is normally odorless and can appear clear or straw-colored.
Unlike some pregnant women's urine leaks, this will not stop. The amniotic fluid will frequently continue to leak.If your water breaks, contact your healthcare practitioner. Inform your provider about the time your water broke, the volume (trickle or gush), the color of the fluid, and the odor. Do not use tampons if your water has burst. Your labor may begin right after your water bursts. Some women are already in labor when their water breaks, while others do not experience the first stage of labor for some time afterward.
If you have any questions, call your healthcare practitioner. Your provider can answer any questions you have regarding the difference between actual and fake labor, as well as talk about how you feel. When you discover that you are having regular contractions, call your provider to discuss when you should go to the hospital. Some women can stay at home during early labor, but others may need to come in sooner.
You should also contact your healthcare provider if:
think your water has broken. This could be a sudden gush of fluid or a trickle of fluid that leaks steadily.
Are bleeding (more than spotting).
Experience contractions that are very uncomfortable and have been coming every five minutes, lasting for one minute and have been like this for one hour.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will check in at the labor and delivery counter. The majority of patients will be seen in a triage room first. This is part of the admissions process. It is normally recommended that you bring only one individual to the triage room.
You will be transferred from the triage area to the labor, delivery, and recovery (LDR) room. You will be requested to wear a hospital gown. Your pulse, blood pressure, and temperature will be measured. An external fetal monitor will be placed on your belly for a brief period of time to monitor uterine contractions and your baby's heart rate. Your healthcare professional will also inspect your cervix to determine how far along labor has proceeded.An intravenous (IV) line might be placed into a vein in your arm to deliver fluids and medications.
There are two forms of deliveries: vaginal and caesarean section. During vaginal delivery, your baby will naturally come out through the birth canal. A C-section is a surgical operation in which your doctor creates a cut in your belly and delivers the baby in an operating room. Vaginal delivery is the most common method of birth. However, you may need a C-section for a variety of reasons, such as:
If the baby is not in the head-down position.
If the baby is too large to naturally pass through your pelvis.
If the baby is in distress.
If placenta blocks your cervix (a condition called placenta previa).
If you have health issues or complications in your pregnancy that make a C-section the safest option.
If there’s an emergency situation that requires your baby to be delivered quickly.
In many cases, a cesarean delivery is not determined until after labor begins.
The length of your hospital depends on the facility where you give birth and the type of delivery. Because C-sections are surgical procedures, you will usually spend more time in the hospital. If you have problems or health issues during your delivery, you may need to stay in the hospital for an extended amount of time.
