At last, after such a long wait your due date is approaching. Along with the excitement and sense of anticipation, you must also be feeling a little apprehension. If you are preparing for delivery and looking for information on what the birthing process is going to be like, we have the goods for you.

Labor has three stages, and the first 2 to 3 hours after birth is sometimes considered to be the fourth stage of labor. Let’s take a look at some signs that indicate that labor is beginning and what happens during each stage of labor.

Signs That Childbirth is Beginning

As your due date gets closer, you’ll find that your baby has moved lower and settled into your pelvis. Some women also get a burst of energy as labor approaches and feel an urge to clean or cook (an instinct called nesting). Here are some signs that indicate the start of labor:

• Your contractions become stronger and come closer together.
• You get lower back pain and cramps that don’t go away.
• While you’re pregnant a plug of mucus blocks your cervix. A bit before labor starts, or in the early stage of labor, this plugs comes away and you have a pink or brownish jelly-like discharge. The pink or brownish color is due to the presence of blood. Don’t worry, though. It’s normal to lose a little blood during this process. However, if you start losing more blood it could be a sigh that you need medical attention. Labor starts immediately after this process for some women while it may take a few days for others.
• Your water might break. This usually happens during labor but can also happen before labor begins. The water that drains out is the amniotic fluid that protects your baby. If labor doesn’t start after your water breaks, you need medical attention as your baby’s no longer protected and there is a higher risk of infection. You should also seek medical attention if you lose blood or if the water is smelly.

The birth of your baby is a special experience and every delivery is unique. But here’s a general idea of what to expect during the process of childbirth:

1. The First Stage: Onset Of Labor

The first stage begins with the onset of labor and ends when the cervix is fully opened. Your cervix needs to open about 10 cm for your baby to pass through. This is what’s called being “fully dilated.” Your water could break at any time during this stage. This is the longest stage of labor, usually lasting about 12 to 19 hours.

Stage 1 has three phases:

• The first phase, known as early labor, encompasses the period from the beginning of labor till the cervix dilates to 3 cm.
• The second phase, known as active labor, covers the period where the cervix dilates from 3 cm to 7 cm.
• The third phase, known as transition, covers the period where the cervix dilates from 7 cm to 10 cm.

Let’s now take a look at what happens during each phase.

Early Labor Phase

Early labor generally lasts around 8 to 12 hours. During this phase, your cervix will thin and open up to 3 cms. Your contractions will usually be mild and irregular – a contraction might occur between 30 to 45 seconds, with a period ranging from 5 to 30 minutes between each contraction. Your contractions will become increasingly more frequent and stronger during the course of this phase.

What Should You Do?

• Try and relax during this phase. It’s not yet time to go to the hospital.
• If your labor starts at night, try to get some sleep. If it happens during the day do gentle, simple activities around the house.
• Get something to eat and drink. You’ll need all the energy you can muster soon.
• Your birth support partner can help you time your contractions and keep you calm.

Active Labor Phase

The active labor phase usually lasts around 3 to 5 hours. Your cervix will dilate to 7 cms during this time. Your contractions will be longer, closer, and more intense. They may last around 45 to 60 seconds with a 3- to 5-minute gap in between.

What Should You Do?

• It time to go to the hospital now.
• Practicing breathing techniques or relaxation exercises in between contractions can be helpful.
• It’s a good idea to switch positions frequently during this phase.
• Walking around or having a warm bath may also be helpful.
• Keep drinking sufficient water and urinate often.
• Your birth support person can track your contraction and offer encouragement. He or she can also help you feel more comfortable (by propping up pillows, distracting you with music etc.) and massage your lower back and abdomen.

Transition Phase

Though this is the shortest phase of the first stage of labor, it is also the most challenging. This phase could last between 30 minutes to 2 hours and your cervix will dilate to 10 cm at the end of this phase. Contractions can be long and intense and may even overlap. A typical contraction may last around 60 to 90 seconds and you may get a gap of 30 seconds to 2 minutes in between. You could experience chills, hot flashes, nausea, or gas during this period.

What Should You Do?

• This is a difficult phase and you might need quite a bit of the support at this time.
• Focus on your breathing and try to get through it one contraction at a time.
• When you feel the urge to push, let your doctor know.
• Your birth support partner can offer much-needed encouragement and remind you to relax between contractions during this phase.

2. The Second Stage: Pushing And Delivery

The second stage is when you start pushing and deliver your baby. This generally lasts between 20 minutes to 2 hours. Contractions may last between 45 to 90 seconds with a 3- to 5-minute gap in between. Sometimes, your doctor may make a small cut (known as episiotomy) to make your vaginal opening larger in order to quicken delivery or avoid a tear.

What Should You Do?

• Choose a position that you feel comfortable giving birth in. Women give birth in various positions like sitting, kneeling, squatting, or lying back. An upright position like squatting may have some benefits like reducing the duration of this stage. But concentrate on choosing a position that you find easy.
• You will need to use all your energy to push forcefully during contractions and rest in between.
• When your baby’s head is about to come out, your doctor may ask you not to push but to blow short breaths out your mouth. This is to give the skin and muscles of the area between your anus and vagina time to stretch. It also allows your baby’s head to be born gently and slowly.
• After the baby’s head is out, the rest of the baby is generally born in the next couple of contractions. You can expect to hold your baby against you almost immediately.
• Your birth support partner can help you relax, encourage you, and give you ice chips to help you through this phase

3. The Third Stage: Out Comes The Placenta

The third stage is the shortest and it involves the delivery of the placenta. This stage can take anywhere between 5 minutes to half an hour. Your doctor may massage your uterus and gently pull the umbilical cord, which will help deliver the placenta. You could experience some shivering after the placenta is delivered, but this is normal and not a cause for concern.

4. The Fourth Stage: Post-Birth Phase

The first 2 to 3 hours after birth make up the fourth stage of labor. You might experience fatigue, chills, tremors, and some discomfort during this stage. You could also feel dizzy if you try to stand up. But the hard work of labor is over and you can now enjoy your baby.

What Should You Do?

• Try to get some rest to recover from all the hard work that went into labor.
• You can take a warm shower if you wish, but make sure that someone is nearby to help if you feel weak or dizzy.
• Placing an ice pack covered with a towel between your legs can help reduce swelling.
• Breastfeed your baby and give her plenty of skin to skin contact. Placing your baby against your skin is the best way of keeping her warm and calm.
• Have some fluids and something to eat if you feel hungry.

During pregnancy, avoid thinking too much about your probability of having a normal delivery or a cesarean section. Try to stay away from too much planning because it is likely that you won’t be able to stick to it.

About 85% of pregnant women do have a fair chance of delivering vaginally, but only about 65% are successful. If you are one of those women who want to have a baby the normal way take a look at some useful pregnancy tips for vaginal delivery.

10 Pregnancy Tips For Vaginal Delivery

1. Regular Exercises

Doing mild exercises throughout pregnancy can help you build not only good stamina but also keep you active during this span. Regular exercises with vitality can strengthen the pelvic muscles. Kegel exercises are particularly helpful. The strong thigh muscles are helpful in combating the stress of labor pains.¹

Pelvic stretches and tilts, deep squats, aquatic pregnancy exercises can open your hips and make your pelvic muscles stronger to enable you to have a normal delivery. Keep in mind to exercise under the supervision of an expert as wrongly done exercises can do harm to you and your baby.

You can also try prenatal yoga, which increases flexibility and will help you have breathing control. Yoga will also keep you relaxed and calm.

2. Watch Your Diet

Eat properly and eat rightly. You must keep a tab on your weight, too much weight gain can interfere with your chances of having a normal delivery.

Many times women put on a lot of weight on the excuse of pregnancy by eating fatty foods. Keep your cravings under control. Nutrition is important not only for your health but also for the health and development of your baby.

Food is essential for making you strong and for nourishing your body. A healthy and well-nourished mother is capable of facing the challenges of labor easily and more comfortably. Drink a lot of water and eat a lot of green fresh vegetables and fruits.

3. Keep Away Your Stress

Stay away from stress, anxiety, and too much contemplation. Your current phase requires you to stay cool and composed. There are times when avoiding stress is quite difficult to still to try to be calm.

Read good books about parenting and be in the company of good, friendly people. Steer yourself clear from situations and people that make you anxious or cause you discomfort.

Remember maternal stress can adversely affect the baby’s health and wellness.

4. Practice Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are very important as during the process of delivery you need to hold breath from time to time. Proper and sufficient oxygen supply is mandatory for enhancing the growth of the baby.

So, practice meditation and deep breathing exercises regularly. This way you will inch a step closer to having a normal delivery.

5. Educate Yourself

Educate yourself well about the process of delivery and labor. Get information on natural pain management techniques like breathing, relaxation, and other natural labor management coping techniques.

You can ask your doctor to tell you more about delivery or can join prenatal classes to enhance your knowledge about the phenomenon of giving birth.

Prenatal classes that cover labor pain management techniques would be particularly helpful. You can also research online, read good books, and have a confident mind.

6. Regular Massages

You need to have regular massages done after the seventh month of pregnancy. It reduces stress, helps an expectant mother tackle labor efficiently and mitigates joint pains and muscular tensions.

7. Find The Right Support People For Labour

It’s very important to have the right to support people at your birth if you want a drug-free birth.

You might think it will be all wonderful having mom, sisters and all the family to be there to watch your baby be born, but are they going to encourage you and help you get to where you want to go?

Or are they going to collapse into a bawling heap and tell you how awful it all is and a little pain relief can’t hurt? The support people in your labor are more important than you think.

If your support people start to panic, you are more likely to panic too – and that’s when you might be looking for the next exit to the epidural freeway. Be sure your support people are strong because they are going to have to be there for you and not for them.

8. Move Around! Don’t Sit Still!

When you arrive at the hospital, keep moving to stay comfortable. If you’re strapped to a monitor, you’re bound to the bed. Ask ahead of time if your hospital allows intermittent fetal monitoring, which gives you the freedom to get up.

Walk and stretch, sit on a birthing ball, and hop in and out of the birthing tub if it’s available. Use a combo of gravity and hip movement to help the baby come down.

Movement of the hips, belly dancing, hula dancing, squatting, rocking, pelvic tilts and such help maneuver the baby down and through to find the easiest path out of the mother.

9. Visualize The Finish Line

The transition phase, when the uterus is dilating from 7 to 10 centimeters and then it’s time to push, is when most moms-to-be want to call it quits.

Make sure your partner knows you’ll need a good pep talk at this stage. This is absolutely normal, your body is doing what it’s supposed to do, it’s almost over.

Also, try to have an open mind. If you reach the point where natural labor is just not happening, you have to accept what’s good for your child. The goal is a healthy baby.

10. Trust Your Body

Women have been birthing since the beginning of time and while mortality rates during childbirth are much lower than that of our ancestors, their instinctive ways of birthing is much more efficient and less painful than what we commonly experience on our backs, in a bed, at the convenience of doctors.

Have confidence and faith in your amazing birthing body, follow your instincts in labor and allow your body and your baby to do exactly what they know to do.

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