Stages of Labour

Here are the plain facts about the stages of labour just in case you are interested in what is actually happening instead of just standing there looking like a rabbit in a headlight.

Stage 1
The first stage of labour is called cervical dilation. It is the longest period of labour and it can last any where from a few hours to a day. During this stage the woman’s cervix will dilate to around 10cm.

Stage 2
The second stage of labour is where the baby begins to be pushed down the birth canal with each contraction. At this stage the contractions can be very painful and last around sixty seconds with a gap of around 2-3 minutes this part of the labour usually takes around two hours but times vary. At the end of this stage the baby will be born.

Stage 3
The third stage is the delivery of the placenta which has nourished the baby during pregnancy, many people do things with the placenta, eat them freeze them and that is up to the individual. It could be said that there is a fourth stage that is often discounted this is where the mother is checked for tears and repair them, this is where the mother comes to terms with the new situation the joy of a new life and the relief that it is all over.

You are a Dad!