What to Expect : Your contractions are the strongest, longest and closest together. Contractions can last 60 to seconds and are usually 2 to 3 minutes apart. Your cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters and when you reach 10 centimeters, you begin the second stage. What to Expect : Your cervix has fully dilated to 10 centimeters. You may feel pressure and the urge to push. Your doctor or midwife will let you know when to start pushing. However, you only push when you are having a contraction and you can rest in between.
What to Expect : Your placenta is delivered. You may experience chills or shakiness during this time. This stage can take up to 30 minutes. Once the placenta is delivered, you enter the fourth stage of labor as your uterus returns to its original size.
Many people feel light cramping during this period. This can be due to beliefs about pain in labor, pain tolerance, support in labor and delivery, and previous injury or trauma.
There are both medicated and nonmedicated options available. Discuss with your provider the pain management options available to you during your labor and childbirth. Watch this video to learn how to manage labor pains that begin at home and explore your pain-management choices once you get to the hospital. Most birth plans include having a vaginal delivery, however, there are times where an unscheduled, or even an emergency, cesarean delivery is necessary.
Your doctor may require you to have an unplanned cesarean delivery for several reasons - labor is not progressing, contractions are too weak, the umbilical cord is pinched or wrapped, abnormal heart beat is detected in the fetus, there is an issue with the placenta, the baby is too large, or the baby is breech.
Understanding what to expect with a cesarean birth will help you better prepare in the event you require this procedure. To learn more about the risks and benefits of a cesarean delivery, watch the Elective Primary Cesarean video. You can save time on delivery day by filling out forms in advance. Find out how to pre-register for admission to Cedars-Sinai. Skip to content. Expert Team. In this final stage, you'll deliver the placenta with a small push and slight traction on the umbilical cord by the obstetrician.
If the placenta has detached from the uterus, it will only take about five minutes to deliver it. However, the process can take as much as an hour, according to the Mayo Clinic. After labor, you should be proud of yourself for working hard and persevering through all the painful contractions. Whether your labor lasts hours or days, the result will be the same: a baby is born and that can make the whole process worth it.
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It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. This may make your contractions feel stronger and more painful, so your midwife will talk to you about pain relief. If breaking your waters does not work, your doctor or midwife may suggest using a drug called oxytocin also known as syntocinon to make your contractions stronger.
This is given through a drip that goes into a vein, usually in your wrist or arm. Oxytocin can make your contractions stronger and more regular and can start to work quite quickly, so your midwife will talk to you about your options for pain relief. You will also need electronic monitoring to check your baby is coping with the contractions, as well as regular vaginal examinations to check the drip is working.
The 2nd stage of labour lasts from when your cervix is fully dilated until the birth of your baby. Your midwife will help you find a comfortable position to give birth in. You may want to sit, lie on your side, stand, kneel, or squat, although squatting may be difficult if you're not used to it.
If you've had lots of backache while in labour, kneeling on all fours may help. It's a good idea to try some of these positions before you go into labour.
Talk to your birth partner so they know how they can help you. Find out what your birth partner can do. When your cervix is fully dilated, your baby will move further down the birth canal towards the entrance to your vagina.
You may get an urge to push that feels a bit like you need to poo. You can push during contractions whenever you feel the urge. You may not feel the urge to push immediately. If you have had an epidural, you may not feel an urge to push at all. If you're having your 1st baby, this pushing stage should last no longer than 3 hours. If you've had a baby before, it should take no more than 2 hours. This stage of labour is hard work, but your midwife will help and encourage you.
Your birth partner can also support you. When your baby's head is almost ready to come out, your midwife will ask you to stop pushing and take some short breaths, blowing them out through your mouth. This is so your baby's head can be born slowly and gently, giving the skin and muscles in the area between your vagina and anus the perineum time to stretch.
Sometimes your midwife or doctor will suggest an episiotomy to avoid a tear or to speed up delivery. This is a small cut made in your perineum. You'll be given a local anaesthetic injection to numb the area before the cut is made. Once your baby is born, an episiotomy, or any large tears, will be stitched closed. Find out about your body after the birth , including how to deal with stitches. Once your baby's head is born, most of the hard work is over. What should I do? If I'm 1cm or 2cm dilated, does this mean I'm in labour?
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