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Getting Pregnant
Do's and Dont's of Pregnancy
Birth Defects
Three Trimesters
Birthing Options
Labor
Home
Getting Pregnant
Do's and Dont's of Pregnancy
Birth Defects
Three Trimesters
Birthing Options
Labor
Labor
Signs of Labor
Lightening(Change in Position)
Contractions
Water Breaks
1st Stage
Contractions begin and are usually spaced from 10 to 20 minutes apart.
Initially the contractions are gentle, but they tend to become more powerful and sometimes uncomfortable.
Cervix dilates with each contraction and the baby’s head rotates to fit through the mother’s pelvis.
Second Stage
Usually lasts about 90 minutes.
During this stage, the cervix opens sufficiently and the baby begins to move down the birth canal.
The mother pushes, or bears down, in response to pressure against her pelvic muscles.
The crown of the baby’s head becomes visible in the widened birth canal.
Birth
As the head emerges entirely the practitioner turns the baby’s shoulders which emerge one at a time with the next contractions.
The rest of the body then slides out relatively easily, and the umbilical cord is sealed and cut.
Third Stage
Following the birth of the newborn, the third stage of labor occurs.
The uterus continues to contract, expelling the severed umbilical cord and placenta, called the afterbirth.
The third stage occurs within ten minutes of the baby’s birth.