The Three Stages of Labor

Labor is separated into three stages, and when put together these stages make up and completes the delivery and the passage of the placenta. In this article I will explain the three steps of labor to you in detail.

The first stage of labor is the process in which the full cervical dilatation is reached . This stage begins with the onset of uterine labor contractions, and this stage is the longest phase of labor. The first stage is divided into three separate phases: latent, active, and deceleration.

During the latent phase of labor contractions become more frequent, strong, and gain regularity, and most of the change of the cervix involves thinning, or effacement. The latent phase is the most inconsistent from woman to woman, and from labor to labor. This phase may take a few days, or it may be as short as a few hours. The typical expectation for the latent phase can be anywhere from 10 to 12 hours for a woman who has had previous children. For first pregnancies on the other hand this phase may last closer to 20 hours. Membranes may spontaneously rupture in the early- to mid-portion of the first stage of labor. If they do happen to rupture, the labor process usually speeds up.

The next portion of the first stage of labor is the active phase , in this phase the most rapid cervical dilatation happens. For most women this is anywhere from 3 to 4 centimeters of dilatation until 8 to 9 centimeters of dilatation. The active phase is the most predictable phase of labor and lasts on average about five hours in first-time mothers and two hours in mothers who have birthed a child before. Last but not least, there is the deceleration phase and during this phase the cervical dilation continues at a slower pace, until full dilation is reached. In some women the deceleration phase is not really noticeable, blending into the active phase. This is also a phase of more rapid descent, when the baby is passing lower into the pelvis and deeper into the birth canal. The deceleration phase is also called transition, and, in mothers with no anesthesia, it’s often punctuated by vomiting and uncontrollable shaking. These symptoms can be somewhat frightening to watch, but they are a normal part of birth, and they are a sign that the first state is almost complete.

The second stage of labor is the delivery of the baby . During the second stage, the soon to be new mommy is actively pushing out the baby. For first time mothers, this can take anywhere from two to three hours, so it is very important that you save your energy and pace yourself. For second babies and beyond, thesecond stage often lasts less than an hour, and sometimes this only a few minutes.

The third and final stage of labor is the passage of the placenta , which can happen instantly, or take up to thirty minutes depending on the individual. This process can also be sped up naturally by breastfeeding or medically by administering a drug to the new mother called pitocin.