Congratulations on carrying your pregnancy to term. Now it’s time to go to the hospital to receive your bundle of joy. You must have heard a lot about labor, but you don’t know what to expect and what to do when it starts. That way, you need to know the labor stages before you make that journey to the health center.
Stage one: Dilation/ active labor
Your cervix will become thinner as the baby’s head descends to the pelvis. The process is long and painful, especially for first-time mothers. The cervix will dilate from 4 to 8 centimeters, and your midwife will keep checking how far you’re dilated.
If your water doesn’t naturally break at this stage, a nurse will do it using a gloved finger (membrane sweep) or a long thin instrument. Don’t get discouraged if you feel like this phase will last forever.
The caregiver will continue to monitor the baby’s heart rate to ensure that all goes well. To ease your pain;
- Breathe very slowly during a contraction, especially the stronger ones.
- Make sure you are in a comfortable position when the contraction begins.
- Focus on an object as long as the contraction lasts.
- Take in a slow deep breath at the beginning and end of the contraction.
- Breathe a little slower than your normal breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue this until the contraction ends. Then take a deep breath at the end of the contraction. Click here to read more about breathing exercises during labour.
Stage 2: Expulsion/Transition Labour
Your cervix is now fully dilated (8 to 10 centimeters), and the baby’s head moves to the vagina. It is a hard time for moms, but it usually lasts less than an hour. Your contractions will come about every two to three minutes.
Take the contractions one at a time. You’ll feel pressure on your bowel, and you may feel sick to your stomach. Your body may shake a bit too. Now is the time you’ll have the urge to push. Let your delivery team know when you feel this.
The medical team will move you from the labor ward to the delivery room. To push a baby means to contract your abdominal muscles and your uterine contractions rhythmically.
First-time mothers can take up to forty minutes. However, those who have given birth before can take less than 20 minutes. Pushing the baby out comes automatically, so you don’t need to study how to do it.
Once it’s time to push, the doctors will ask you to part your legs. Then they will guide you on how to birth the child. Kindly follow instructions. When the baby is out, the doctor will place the baby on your chest and cut the umbilical cord.
Final thoughts
The secret to a hustle free labor is being active throughout the pregnancy. Keep exercising till you go to deliver, and eat a balanced diet from day one. Finally, when the contractions begin, be patient with yourself, your baby, and the doctor.
