Labour and how it progresses is unique to every woman and every baby. In fact, it's impossible to know how long or short any person's labour experience will be, or how quickly they will birth their baby. Sometimes, care providers need to make educated guesses on how a labour is progressing, and they will often refer to labour and birth as having three distinct stages. These are known as the first stage, where your cervix is dilating and your baby is working with the contractions to get in a position for birth, the second stage, where your contractions enable your baby to move through the birth canal, and the third stage, which is the birth of your placenta. We've summarised some key points from each stage below, so you can feel more confident as you prepare for labour and birth.

The first stage of labour

You enter the first stage of labour when your cervix begins to prepare for the baby. Your cervix will soften and eventually open up to about 10cm in diameter in preparation for the actual birth.

During the initial parts of this stage you might not feel much at all. Some signs to look out for, however, include:

  • A mucousy, blood-stained discharge from your vagina, called the ‘show’
  • An urge to vomit
  • The onset of lower-back pain
  • A loosening of your bowels
  • A slow release or sudden gush of clear or slightly pink fluid (the breaking of your waters)
  • Period-like pain that comes and goes irregularly.
Once these last pains start to occur regularly, you can time them to measure how long elapses between each contraction. At about 3-5 minutes between each contraction, you might be entering the second stage of labour and may want to make your way to the hospital if you feel it's the right time. If you have opted for a home birth, you might have called the midwife earlier to give them enough time to make their way over. When to call will be something you will have discussed previously.

The second stage of labour

This is it. As you draw closer to childbirth, everything in stage two intensifies.
  • Your contractions will increase in strength and length, with shorter breaks between
  • You might feel nausea, headaches and increased pressure on your bowels
  • You’ll experience a stretching, burning sensation in your vagina
  • And you will feel the urge to push down
Eventually that urge will feel overwhelming. You will be guided by the midwife as you breathe and focus on that pushing sensation, and finally you will feel the baby’s head travelling down the birth canal and into a safe pair of hands.

The third stage of labour

Far less covered than the previous two, the third stage of labour involves birthing your placenta. Usually your contractions will pause or lessen after birthing your baby, and then return more strongly as your oxytocin levels climb in response to skin-to-skin contact with your baby. In hospital settings, you will likely be asked if you want an 'actively managed' third stage, where you're given an injection, typically in your leg, which contains synthetic oxytocin to promote the contractions to allow you to birth your placenta more quickly. Your care providers should give you thorough information on this process during your antenatal care appointments so that you don't need to make decisions on the spot when you've just given birth.

Tips

  • Unless advised otherwise by your doctor, try and stay at home during the first stage of labour as long as possible. Alternatively, call the hospital and speak to a midwife for on the spot advice
  • During the early stages or on the way into hospital, eat some snacks to build up your energy for the hours to come
  • The typical duration of labour for first-time mothers is 8-14 hours, with that time decreasing for second or subsequent pregnancies
  • Try to focus on the positive of the tribulations of labour and give control over to your body: these are all cues that the pain will soon be at an end and your baby will enter the world
*The above should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of trained medical professionals