The stages of labor Baby. Center. What are the stages of labor and birth? The process of labor and birth is divided into three stages: The first stage begins when you start having contractions that cause progressive changes in your cervix and ends when your cervix is fully dilated. This stage is divided into two phases: Early labor: Your cervix gradually effaces (thins out) and dilates (opens). Active labor: Your cervix begins to dilate more rapidly, and contractions are longer, stronger, and closer together.

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People often refer to the last part of active labor as transition. The second stage of labor begins when you're fully dilated and ends with the birth of your baby. This is sometimes referred to as the "pushing" stage. The third stage begins right after the birth of your baby and ends with the delivery of the placenta. Every pregnancy is different, and there's wide variation in the length of labor.

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For first- time moms, labor often takes between ten and 2. For some women, though, it lasts much longer, while for others it's over much sooner. Labor generally progresses more quickly for women who've already given birth vaginally. Timing contractions. Wondering if you're in true labor? Timing your contractions is one way to determine if it's time for the big event. Watch the video to learn how.

See all videos. First stage: Early labor. Once your contractions are coming at relatively regular intervals and your cervix begins to progressively dilate and efface, you're officially in labor. But unless your labor starts suddenly and you go from no contractions to fairly frequent and regular contractions right away, it can be tricky to determine exactly when true labor starts. That's because early labor contractions are sometimes hard to distinguish from the inefficient Braxton Hicks contractions that may come right before, contributing to so- called false labor.(By the way, if you're not yet at 3.

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Call your caregiver immediately so to determine whether you're in preterm labor. If you're at least 3.

Assuming your pregnancy is full- term, though, time will tell: If you're in early labor, your contractions will gradually become longer, stronger, and closer together. Eventually they'll be coming every five minutes and lasting 4. Some women have much more frequent contractions during this phase, but the contractions will still tend to be relatively mild and last no more than a minute. Watch our free childbirth class videos to help you prepare for labor and birth.

Sometimes early labor contractions are quite painful, even though they may be dilating your cervix much more slowly than you'd like. If your labor is typical, however, your early contractions won't require the same attention that later ones will.

You'll probably be able to talk through them and putter around the house. Watch The Lost Coast Vioz. You may even feel like taking a short walk. If you feel like relaxing instead, take a warm bath, watch a video, or doze off between contractions if you can.

You may also notice an increase in mucusy vaginal discharge, which may be tinged with blood – the so- called bloody show. This is perfectly normal, but if you see more than a tinge of blood, be sure to call your caregiver. Also call if your water breaks, even if you're not having contractions yet. Early labor ends when your cervix is about 4 to 6 centimeters dilated and your progress starts to accelerate.

How long early labor lasts. It can be difficult to tell exactly when early labor starts, so it's often not easy to say how long this phase typically lasts – or even, after the fact, how long it lasted for a particular woman. The length of early labor is quite variable and depends in large part on how ripe (dilated and effaced) your cervix is at the beginning of labor and how frequent and strong your contractions are. With a first baby, if your cervix isn't effaced or dilated to begin with, this phase may take six to 1. If your cervix is already very ripe or this isn't your first baby, it's likely to go much more quickly. Watch A Single Shot Full Movie. Coping tips. Don't become a slave to your stopwatch just yet – it's stressful and exhausting to record every contraction over the many long hours of labor, and it isn't necessary.

Instead, you may want to time them periodically to get a sense of what's going on. In most cases, your contractions will let you know in no uncertain terms when it's time to take them more seriously. Meanwhile, it's important to do your best to stay rested, since you may have a long day (or night) ahead of you. If you're tired, try to doze off between contractions. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids so you stay well hydrated.

And don't forget to urinate often, even if you don't feel the urge. Showtime Full The Frame Online Free. A full bladder may make it more difficult for your uterus to contract efficiently, and an empty bladder leaves more room for your baby to descend. If you're feeling anxious, you may want to try some relaxation exercises or do something to distract yourself a bit – like watching a movie or reading a book.