If you are a first time parent to be, then you probably have been wondering what to expect in labor? The process of giving birth is not the same for everyone.
Some will have complications while others will barely have enough time to get to the hospital before the baby is born.
Whether it lasts for only a few hours or almost a day, labor does go through three clear stages.
Below, you will find detailed information about the various stages of delivery and what you can expect to experience during each one.
The First Stage When you are wondering what to expect in labor, you need to start at the first stage.
This is the longest stage of delivery.
It last several days or even weeks and many times women do not even know they are in the first stages of labor until the very end of this phase.
Initial symptoms you might experience can often be mistaken for an upset stomach or gas, and include: • Cramps • Diarrhea • Spotting • Backache The first phase of labor is divided into three key stages itself and these are: • The Latent Phase: Lasting sometimes up to a week or more, the latent phase of the first stage of labor is when women will begin having their first contractions.
You may feel these, but they will not give you more than a minimal amount of discomfort.
You can take walks, relax with friend and family and do other light activities that will help distract you.
During this phase, your cervix will dilate to 3-4 cm.
• Active Phase: During this phase, your contractions will get stronger and close together until they are only about 4-5 minutes apart.
You will be far more uncomfortable, your water will likely break if it hasn't already and you will find it more difficult to move around.
Your cervix will be about 6-7 cm at this time and it is time to call the doctor if you have not already.
• The Transition Phase: In this part of the first stage of labor, you are transitioning into the second stage and this is the part of delivery that most women dread when they think about what to expect in labor.
Your contractions will be very painful; will last for a longer amount of time and you may not even feel a break between contractions.
You will likely get the urge to use the bathroom, as the baby's head begins to descend.
You will begin to get the urge to push and the cervix will become fully dilated at 10cm.
If you have had an epidural, they may lower your dosage of medicine so that you can help and participate in the birthing part of labor.
The Second Stage of Labor This is the actual pushing and delivery part of the labor process.
Again, while some women have an easy time pushing their baby into the world, others can labor through this stage for hours.
If you have had an epidural, then this stage may go more slowly as you learn how to push even though you can't feel much of anything.
If your water has not broken on its own at this stage, your care provider will break the bag with an amnio hook.
This is a painless procedure that will speed the delivery process along even more.
You need to listen to the doctors or midwife's instructions carefully during this stage, as you begin pushing.
You are usually asked to push each time you have a contraction to help speed the process up, but there may be times your provider needs you to slow down or stop pushing all together in order to get the baby out safely without damage to you or the newborn.
Once the baby is out, the cord will be cut and you will move on to the third and final stage of labor with your new baby in your arms.
The Third Stage of Labor After all the hard work has been done, you are not finished yet.
Your uterus will begin to shrink right away and the placenta will detach from the uterus wall.
It is necessary to deliver your baby's placenta as well.
If it or any part of it is left inside the body, it can quickly cause infection and other complications that could even lead to death.
Sometimes, the placenta will drop out easily on its own and other times, the nurse, midwife or doctor will push down rather hard and massage your stomach to push out blood and the placenta.
This stage of labor can last only a few minutes or may drag on for a half hour or so.
When the placenta is out, you will continue to experience light contractions as your uterus contracts and attempts to return to its normal size.
Light over the counter pain medication is usually sufficient in treating any discomfort you may have at this point.
What to Expect After You Deliver? While women wonder what to expect in labor, they do not usually consider what they should expect after labor.
After delivering your baby, your vitals will be taken and the doctor will check to make sure your uterus is contracting well.
There may be more massaging of the stomach at this time, which can be uncomfortable.
Your baby will be checked over by the professionals and given an APGAR test to make sure everything is in order.
They may also be given a shot of Vitamin K at this time.
You will go on to experience cramps for a few days and these will be a little stronger if breast feeding.
Giving birth can be a scary thought for women who are about to have their first child.
The information above is designed to help you know what to expect in labor so that you can go into the process confident and unafraid.
It is important however, to keep in mind that no two people's experiences in labor are exactly the same, so the above information should be used as a general guideline and not a rule book of what must happen and when.
To learn more, you should speak with a healthcare professional such as the nurse-midwives at the UNT Nurse-Midwives group.