FIRST STAGE
Early labour
Early labour is considered one of the three parts of the first stage of labour. This happens when your cervix starts to thin out gradually and dilates. At this stage, you will start to feel contractions but not quite at a regular interval. This stage is quite tricky to determine because some pregnant women often go into false labour.
Depending on the pain threshold of a woman, others won’t be able to feel any pain and could still be going about their normal routines. But there are some women who feel quite a lot of discomfort even if their cervix hasn’t really started dilating yet.
At this stage, it is important to let your doctor know what you are experiencing. You would either be advised to wait out the contractions until they get stronger or go to the hospital immediately.
Active labour
For pregnant women like yourself, active labour may be the most trying thing that you have experienced ever. Not only will the contractions be stronger but it would seem to be non-stop. At this point, your cervix would be dilated from 4 centimetres up to 7 centimetres Active labour can last for a few hours up to a day depending on the mother and the condition of the baby. Make sure to keep yourself comfortable by practising different relaxation and breathing methods. If you feel comfortable standing up and pacing instead of just lying on the bed, do it. Have a lot of patience and try not to push.
Transition
When you have dilated from 7 centimetres to 10 centimetres you are now in the transition to the second stage of labour This transition stage is considered as the most painful time of labour and could result in a lot of tears and swearing. During this time contractions would double in frequency and in intensity. At this stage, you might feel really tired, annoyed and really uncomfortable but do not lose hope. Like all trials, this is about to end.
SECOND STAGE
Baby delivery
As soon as your cervix is at 10 centimetres and fully dilated, you are now in the second stage of labour At this point, the baby will slowly make its way to the birth canal due to the contractions. With each strong contraction, you will be asked to push so do it with all your might. The length of this labour stage depends on the size of the baby. Bigger babies often tend longer to deliver.
THIRD STAGE
Placenta delivery
After the baby has been pushed out, it is time for the placenta to be delivered. You may have to wait for about 15 to 30 minutes before the placenta is pushed out of your body. At this point, you’ll still feel mild contractions but nothing you can’t handle. Just focus on hearing the cries of your baby. Your little angel is finally here!
FOURTH STAGE
Recovery
With the baby successfully delivered and the placenta flushed out entirely from your body, you may now begin to relax. If you opted to breastfeed, now is the best time to start. Now only will your child get the best portion of the breast milk but you will also help your body heal much faster.
Read this article for all you need to know about labour!
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