The first phase of labor is when your cervix expands and fades to prepare for childbirth. It starts when you start to feel regular contractions and ends when you are lying 10 centimeters away. It has three phases: early labour, active work and the transition phase. If your contractions start at night, you can even try to fall asleep again in the morning (easier said than done, we know!). Try to stay hydrated and eat plenty of snacks when you`re hungry. During contractions of prodromal labor, it is important to make sure that you rest. Since it is possible that active work does not occur too late, it is suggested to save your energy for the actual work and delivery. Here are some things you can try to keep your mind away from contractions: You probably know what 10 centimeters enlarged means: It`s time to push! And pushing is exactly what you will do in the second phase of the work. Regular contractions may mean that your uterine muscles are tightening (Braxton Hicks contractions) or that you are in labor. It can be hard to tell the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and real work. If in doubt, call your doctor. At the beginning of labor, contractions may begin slowly, perhaps only one or two per hour.
They gradually become more frequent and stronger at this stage. Your cervix will dilate to about three centimeters. Although this is the shortest phase, the transition phase is the most difficult. The transition usually takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, as your cervix completely expands from 8 cm to 10 cm. Contractions last about 60-90 seconds with only 30 seconds to 2 minutes in between. Due to the length and intensity of contractions, women may experience hot flashes, chills, nausea or vomiting. You may also feel a lot of pressure in your lower back and rectum, but if you feel the need to press, be sure to let your provider know. The birth of your baby takes place here! It can take as little as 15 minutes or as long as two hours. The sliding phase of your labor can be as short as a few minutes or can last several hours, especially for your first birth. The average duration for a first baby and placenta born after active labor is about 12 hours. At the beginning of labor, you will likely experience irregular contractions that are mild enough not to interfere with your normal activities. These early and unpredictable contractions begin the process of opening (dilating) your cervix so that your baby can be born.
Call your doctor if you have had regular contractions for an hour, even after drinking a glass of water and resting. Contractions: During this phase, contractions usually last between 30 and 60 seconds; They usually start 20 minutes apart and move about 5 minutes apart. Watch for contractions that persist even when you move, become stronger, and start in your back and move forward. What some women may not know is that after your baby is born, you still need to give birth to the placenta – the organ that grew in your womb and provided your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord throughout the pregnancy. This is the short period of labor and usually lasts less than 20 minutes for most women. If you have had an episiotomy or a natural tear, it will be repaired during this time. If you have decided to store your umbilical cord blood, this is also the time when your provider collects it. What you may feel: During the second phase of labor, your contractions may move a little further apart, giving you the opportunity to rest between each. The urge to push may seem very similar to the one you need to use as if you had to go #2. (And yes, you could actually go #2 – but don`t worry about it at all. It happens to a lot of people.) Every woman`s work is unique.
The pain depends on many factors, such as the size and position of the baby and the strength of the contractions. Some women take classes to learn breathing and relaxation techniques to cope with pain during childbirth. Others may find it useful to use these techniques with painkillers. The decision to use medical pain relief is entirely up to you and there is no “right” or “wrong” choice. During prenatal visits, talk to your doctor about your labour and delivery options. To clarify your preferences, create a written birth plan, taking into account that labor and delivery are unpredictable, so it is better to be flexible in your decisions. Tips for getting by: Go to the hospital or birth center first if you`re not there yet. You will feel uncomfortable during active labor, so try to change position or breathe deeply during your work. Some women opt for a shower or bath to relieve some of the discomfort. If you want epidural anesthesia, active labor is the phase in which you get it. What you may feel: For many women, labor is like cramps in the lower back or abdomen. They each last about 30 to 45 seconds.
You may not be uncomfortable, but you`ll know it`s early labor because contractions will keep coming (Braxton Hicks doesn`t like contractions that go away). You might also lose your mucus plug and/or the bloody spectacle, which means the cervix changes to prepare for childbirth. Your water could also break. According to the American Pregnancy Association, early labor typically lasts 8 to 12 hours with contractions lasting about 30 to 45 seconds at intervals of 5 to 30 minutes. Contractions usually start slightly and can be irregular, but become stronger and more frequent during this phase. It is also during this phase that your water could break. Early labour is often the longest part of the birth process and sometimes lasts 2-3 days. Uterine contractions: Braxton Hicks contractions can begin as early as the 20th week of pregnancy, but most often they begin between weeks 28 and 30. The work is done in three phases. The first phase goes from the moment you have regular contractions for the first time to when you are ready to give birth to your baby. This is an early or latent phase, when the contractions are mild and the cervix begins to change so that the baby can pass; an active phase when the contractions are strong and most of the labor takes place to prepare your body for childbirth; and a transition period where you feel the need to push. Even after your baby is born, you will continue to experience contractions.
This is how your body delivers the placenta – the tissue that protected and nourished your baby during your pregnancy. About 20 minutes after the baby is born, the placenta breaks off and passes through the birth canal. The contractions move in a wave movement from the top of the uterus down and are different for each woman. Compared to the onset of labor, the contractions that occur as soon as you enter active labor are more intense, more frequent (every two to three minutes), and more durable (50 to 70 seconds each). As your contractions intensify, you can: When you think you`re in real labor, you start timing your contractions. Note the time at which each contraction begins and ends. The time between contractions, called the interval, includes the duration of the contraction and the minutes between contractions. How long it takes: This phase usually only lasts about five to 30 minutes. Contractions may seem different from those in the first phase of labor – they slow down 2 to 5 minutes apart and last about 60 to 90 seconds. You will feel a strong urge to press with your contractions. Try to rest as much as possible between pressure intervals and only press when the health care provider tells you to.
On average, the active labor phase lasts 3-5 hours with contractions of about 45-60 seconds at intervals of about 3-5 minutes. If you haven`t already been to the hospital when your water ruptured in the first phase, this is usually the time to go to the hospital. Prodromal labor consists of contractions that can be quite regular (between 5 and 10 minutes apart) and can be painful like active labor contractions, more than Braxton Hicks contractions. Normally, each contraction lasts just under a minute. These contractions are preparatory. It is suggested that they can help put the baby in a proper birth position, prepare the muscles, ligaments and pelvis for active labor, and that they can help prepare the mother for what is about to come: active labor. In general, contractions can be mild and somewhat irregular, ranging from 5 to 30 minutes apart and lasting 30 to 45 seconds. You may see pink discharge and feel some abdominal discomfort. Water may break at this early stage (rupture of membranes), or it may occur later in the first or second phase, alone or with the help of your doctor. An intravenous (IV) line can be placed into a vein in your arm to provide fluids and medication if needed. Your doctor may prompt you to restrict what you eat and drink right now if they think you may need a caesarean section with general anesthesia.
Unlike painkillers or regional anesthesia, general anesthesia is a drug that makes you lose consciousness. If you have general anesthesia, you are not awake and you do not feel pain. General anesthesia is often used when block regional anesthesia is not possible or is not the best choice for medical or other reasons. .