Are you prepared to give birth? Delivery day, or birth day, is probably the most anticipated day of the entire pregnancy. In all four of my pregnancies, the moment I discovered I was pregnant, I began to look forward to the day I would give birth. Each pregnancy is different, and in the same respect, each birth is different. You can read everything and plan and by the time the day arrives, you may find yourself in a different situation or plan. Three times I planned for a drug-free birth and ended up for one reason or another with needing medications. With this in mind, here is a rough sketch of what happens during labor and delivery.
Labor
Labor is defined as the period of time in which you cervix dilates and effaces (thinning out of the cervix). It is done by the release of the hormone prostaglandin and by uterine contractions. You will notice that the contractions will be more consistent, stronger, and come closer together. A true contraction differs from a Braxton Hicks (the painless “practice” contractions that you’ve probably felt from the second trimester on). True contractions work to open the cervix and to push the baby out. But, like humans, all labors can be different. There are no set rules as to what your body may do. Some women will experience the “text-book” type of labor that slowly progresses over several hours while others may have an extremely fast or a non-productive labor. The fact is you can’t predict what type of labor you may have until you are going through it.
Labor comes in three stages:
1. first stage,
2. second stage and
3. third stage.
First stage consists of early and active labor, when the cervix opens for the exit of the baby.
Second stage is the active labor leading into the transitional stage.
And the third stage is the last stage with the delivery of the baby and the placenta.