Well this is the business end of your pregnancy where the baby just pops out or at least we wish it did. There are so many varied stories of people’s experiences with labour, from the ‘it popped out in a couple of hours’ type one to the other extreme, ’she was in labour for more than 24 hours’.

At some point you may notice you have lost some blood stained fluid through the vagina and you are having contractions that are not disappearing. The first stage of labour is contractions that gradually increase in intensity and frequency. This stage of labour can take up to twelve hours, especially if it is your first pregnancy.

In hospital, the dilation of your cervix becomes the focus of attention. When it is fully dilated, generally around 10cm then you will be entering the second stage of labour. You will feel the urge to push, push with your contractions. This moves the baby towards the outside world. So I’ve got the baby, what else, what is the third stage of labour? As I said before everyone’s experience of labour varies and this is a very broad overview. There are all sorts of options for pain relief to help make the process easier.

The other way some babies make it into this world is by Caesarean section, generally for medical reasons or if the labour does not progress as expected. Delivery by this method doesn’t affect breast feeding or development of the baby, your recovery would be slightly slower than for a natural birth.

This article is a really brief overview of labour and is not meant to replace qualified medical opinion or advice. From my experiences and memories, particularly of your first pregnancy, it is a time of many questions mixed with some anxiety overlaid with anticipation and excitement.

Summarize from Nicky Foote