Stages of Labor and Delivery By: Grace Goodhart and Josh Quinn

Stage 1: Early Labor Cervix begins to dilate Mild contractions (30 to 90 seconds) Time is unpredictable Average time is 6 to 12 hours For comfort you should: Take a shower Listen to relaxing music Change positions Slow, deep breathing Have a gentle massage

Cervical Effacement and Dilation

Stage 1: Active Labor Cervix is dilated to 10 cm Contractions become longer, stronger, and closer together Nauseous feeling Water will break if it hasn’t already Increasing back pressure GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THE BABY IS COMING!! It’s ok to ask for pain medication Often lasts 8 hours Look for encouragement

Stage 2: The Birth IT’S TIME!!! Lasts a few minutes or a few hours Push! Don’t hold any tension Experiment with different positions Stay Motivated! After head is delivered, his/her airway will be cleared The rest of the body will follow

Presentation Delivery presentation describes the way the baby is positioned to come down the birth canal for delivery. Cephalic (head-first) presentation is considered normal and occurs in about 97% of deliveries. Breech presentation is considered abnormal and occurs about 3% of the time. A complete breech presentation occurs when the buttocks present first, and both the hips and knees are flexed The shoulder, arm, or trunk may present first if the fetus is in a transverse lie. This type of presentation occurs less than 1% of the time. Transverse lie is more common with premature delivery or multiple pregnancies.

Stage 3: Delivery of Placenta After the birth, you should feel relieved Usually the baby is in your arms but there is still a lot going on Placenta is still to be delivered Typically takes about 5 minutes May take 30 minutes