Before the big day arrives you must have the knowledge of how it works. Although you experience contraction many times during the last month but you’re not any closer to delivery until they come after every five minutes. Most women labour for hours or even a couple days but hospitals won’t take you in unless you feel those contractions regularly. It’s the most obvious sign of labouring otherwise no one could perfectly predict the right time of it. Another sign is discharge of fluid from your vagina. It indicates that the amniotic sac has ruptured. Most people call it “water breaking”. The baby is supposed to be coming any moment once your water breaks. Labour is basically divided into three stages. Stage one is further divided into three phases namely latent, active and transition. During latent contractions become frequent to help the cervix to dilate so baby could pass through the birth canal. Your cervix would dilate about 3-4 centimetres in the first phase. The second phase helps dilating it around 4-7 centimetres. You’re in the active phase if you feel severe pain and pressure on back and abdomen. However, it’s not the right time to push yet. It’s in final transition phase when your cervix fully dilates to 10 centimetres.
You’re in the second stage when doctor asks you to start pushing the baby out. It’s head start appearing as you push. Once the head comes out doctor cleans its mouth and nose to let it breath. As the upper and lower shoulders come out you’d need a final push to deliver the whole body. At this stage doctor cuts its umbilical cord and clips it. The third and final stage is delivering the placenta. It’s usually done after about fifteen minutes after birth.
A normal delivery is when your cervix dilates to 10 centimetres. In other cases, you’d have to undergo a caesarean birth or as per your doctor’s recommendation. Childbirth is different for each woman according to their physical conditions or health.
