| Before giving birth to a child, a woman must | | | | minutes and might last about 30 seconds. |
| go through different stages during labor and | | | | Sometimes these early labor contractions are |
| childbirth. These stages are three and | | | | quite painful. |
| consist of: the first stage begins with the | | | | |
| onset of the contraction and gradual | | | | During this phase women can experience |
| effacement and dilatation of the cervix. | | | | increasing mucousy vaginal discharge which |
| While the cervix dilates the contractions are | | | | may be tinged with blood. This is a normal |
| longer and stronger. The last part of active | | | | thing but if more than a tinge of blood is |
| labor which is the end of the first stage the | | | | seen, a doctor should be called. |
| cervix dilates to 10 centimeters. This last | | | | |
| part is called transition. | | | | Active labor is the second phase in the first |
| | | | stage. In this phase contractions become |
| Afterwards the second stage of labor begins | | | | frequent and the cervix begins to dilate |
| after the full dilatation and ends after the | | | | faster going from 3-4 centimeters to 10. |
| birth of the baby. This stage is also known | | | | Toward the end of the active labor the baby |
| as the pushing stage. | | | | might deign to descend. |
| | | | |
| The final stage begins after the birth of the | | | | This phase lasts different from woman to |
| baby and involves the separation and the | | | | woman. For a woman that has his first baby |
| delivery of the placenta. | | | | this phase might last about six hours until |
| | | | she will get to full dilation. |
| For women that are facing the first birth | | | | |
| labor and delivery lasts about 15 hours. | | | | The last part of the active phase is |
| There are many cases of women that give birth | | | | transition. This period marks the transition |
| in more than 20 hours. Few of them are lucky | | | | to the second stage of labor. This phase is |
| and deliver more quickly. For women who gave | | | | the most intense part of the labor because |
| birth before the average period for a | | | | the contractions begin to be stronger, coming |
| delivery is around 8 hours. | | | | about every two or three minutes. This phase |
| | | | might last from a few minutes to a few hours. |
| The premier phase in the first stage is | | | | |
| called early labor. This phase consists of | | | | Pushing, the second stage comes, after the |
| regular contraction and progressively cervix | | | | transition. |
| dilatation. This stage occurs at 37 weeks | | | | |
| after the conception. If the contractions | | | | In a few minutes after giving birth the |
| occur before this time the future mothers | | | | uterus begins to contract. The first |
| should ask a specialist that can determine if | | | | contraction separates the placenta from the |
| it is preterm labor. As we said before the | | | | uterine wall. This phase usually lasts a few |
| contractions begin to be longer and stronger. | | | | minutes. |
| The contractions might come from ten to ten | | | | |