Labor is a wake up call! Your baby is finally soon to be here! You have prepared, checked your lists many times and now you feel like backing out! Don’t worry. Women have delivered baby’s since the beginning of mankind. And today you are ready to accomplish what mother nature has intended for you. You will become a mother! And today we are fortunate to have the best trained health care providers and technology available if needed. You and your partner will be amazed by this miracle of birth!

Signs of False Labor

If you have contractions, time them. Note how often and how long they last and also how strong they are. False labor contractions are usually irregular and weak. If you empty your bladder and walk around, false labor will usually become weaker and more irregular instead of stronger. If you think you may be in labor, call your physician or hospital. If you have labor before 37 weeks, you should call immediately. Also if you have any leaking of the amniotic fluid, vaginal bleeding, constant or severe pain, decrease in the fetal movement, or fever or chills, you should call immediately.

Labor Stages

Labor is divided into 3 stages which include:

Stage One: The first stage of labor is divided into 2 phases:

1. Early (latent) phase - This is the phase when you have effacement or thinning of the cervix and dilation or opening of the cervix to 4 centimeters. This phase may actually start before you feel regular contractions in the last weeks of your pregnancy. This phase may last a few hours or more than a day. The average early labor phase for a women having her 1st baby is 6 to 12 hours. Your contractions may start in your lower back and spread to your lower abdomen. The contractions will usually become stronger if you walk around. Your contractions will gradually become closer together and stronger. Your contractions will usually be 5 to 20 minutes apart and lasting 30 to 45 seconds each. You may see a bloody show or bloody mucus from your vagina. Your membranes may rupture. You may also have cramps, diarrhea, backache, or indigestion.
2. Active phase - This is the phase when you dilate from 4 to 10 centimeters. This phase is usually much shorter lasting 2 to 6 1/2 hours. Contractions will usually be strong and regular every 2 to 4 minutes and lasting 40 to 90 seconds. (Some people divide this phase into another 3rd phase called the transitional phase when you dilate from 7 to 10 centimeters.) You will now be ready for the birth of the baby and begin pushing.

Stage Two: The second stage of labor is the delivery of the baby. You may feel a strong urge to push and rectal pressure. You may have an increase in the bloody show. You may feel stretching, stinging, burning of the vagina and perineum as the baby delivers.

Stage Three: This is the phase when you deliver the placenta. This final stage usually lasts only 5 to 30 minutes. You will probably be more comfortable having milder contractions but you will be busy admiring your little miracle during this stage. Snuggle skin to skin with your baby, soothe baby with gentle talking and begin breastfeeding. You did it!