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Labour - stage one

Once your contractions have started getting closer together and more intense, this is known as stage one. Stage one lasts from the beginning of labour until your cervix is fully dilated (open to 10cm). This is usually the longest part of the labour process, and can take many hours, particularly if it is your first baby.

Breaking your waters

During labour, the midwife will monitor your baby’s heart using a handheld ultrasound monitor or a stethoscope.

If labour is going too slowly, then they may suggest speeding it up by breaking your waters (if this hasn’t already happened), or by starting an intravenous infusion (a drip) with a hormone to encourage contractions.

Breaking your waters means breaking the amniotic sac that your baby is surrounded by. The amniotic fluid will leak out and may quicken your contractions.

Labour - stage two

This is the part when the baby is born. It starts when your cervix is fully dilated, and you begin to push. This stage can last one to two hours, sometimes longer if have an epidural for pain relief, often shorter if you have had a baby before. Your midwife will tell you what to do.

Complications

In some cases, vaginal births cannot continue as planned due to a complication. This might be because:

• the baby is breech (coming out bottom or feet first)
• the baby’s head is too big and your pelvis is too small to allow it through
• the baby’s head is in an awkward position and unable to pass through the birth canal
• you or the baby is in distress
  

If you are experiencing any of these complications the doctor looking after you may decide the best way for you to give birth is by caesarian section.

What is a caesarian section?

A caesarian section is an operation (lasting about 45 minutes) to remove your baby from your uterus under local anasthaetic (which means you stay awake) or general anasthaetic (which puts you to sleep).

The surgeon makes a small cut in your abdomen and lifts the baby out. If you are awake, you can have someone in the operating theatre with you. You won’t be able to see anything, as a screen will be placed across your abdomen.

On the NHS, a caesarian section is only given when there is a medical reason for it. If you want the choice of giving birth by caesarian section, then you will have to go private.

Labour - stage three

Once your baby has been born, you’ll push out the placenta (afterbirth). The maternity team can help you by giving you an injection to speed things up. If you are healthy and have had a problem-free labour then you may choose to give birth to the placenta naturally without the injection. If your baby starts trying to feed at the breast soon after birth it makes your body release a hormone to speed up the birth of the placenta.

Coping with pain and pain relief during the birth

There are many methods available to you, including:

• breathing, relaxation and massage techniques
• having your labour in water, which is recommended for pain relief (eg bath or birthing pools)
• epidurals - an injection in the base of your spine, making you numb from the waist down
• pethidine - a form of morphine and strong painkiller, pethidine can only be given during stage one of labour (it may also interfere with breastfeeding)
• meptid - similar to pethidine
• entonox (gas and air) - a mild painkiller which you breathe in
• spinals - similar to an epidural, but involves one injection and cannot be ‘topped up’ like an epidural

More useful links

• Discuss the labour process with other parents in the ParentsCentre forum Opens new window