Stages of childbirth

The birth of a child is considered a special and unique experience, as no two births can be matched, and there is no way to predict how the birth process will proceed, except that it is possible to know the stages of the birth process and what you can expect in general, and the birth process is divided into three main stages; The first stage, which extends from the beginning of real labor to the expansion of the entire cervix to 10 cm, then the second stage, which extends from after the expansion of the cervix to 10 cm until the exit of the child, and the third stage is the stage of the placenta exit.

The first stage of childbirth

The first stage of labor is the longest of the three stages, and includes three stages:

Early stage: which starts from the beginning of labor until the cervix expands to 3 cm, the active stage that starts from the time of the uterus’s expansion from 3 cm until it expands to 7 cm, and finally the transitional phase and starts from the time of the cervical expansion to 7 cm until it reaches the full expansion That is, to 10 cm, and it is worth noting that each stage is characterized by different feelings and physical challenges, and here are some details of the three stages, the early stage: This stage extends from approximately 8-12 hours, and contractions continue in it, and the duration of each is between 30-45 seconds, The rest period between consecutive contractions is 5-30 minutes, and it is worth noting that the contractions Or contractions are usually mild and somewhat irregular, but they become stronger and more frequent, and these contractions may be accompanied by pain in the lower back, menstruation contractions, and head water may descend as a result of what is known as amniotic cyst rupture, and it can happen at any time During the first stage of labor, therefore, the pregnant woman is advised during this stage to try to relax, and not to rush to go to the hospital or birth center, drink lots of water, and eat small and small snacks, and she is also advised to occupy herself with something specific such as cleaning the closet, or preparing the bag for delivery, Or prepare lunches for the day Tally.

The active stage: The active stage lasts for 3-5 hours, and contractions occur during this stage every 45-60 seconds with 3-5 minutes of rest between them, as the pregnant woman feels stronger and longer contractions, and here the pregnant woman must go to the hospital or birth center, and it is advised Pregnant at this stage, start with specific breathing techniques, and try some relaxation exercises between contractions. It is also advised to change their position during this time, try to walk, take a warm bath, and also continue to drink a lot of water, and urinate periodically.

Transition stage: This stage lasts from about 30 minutes to approximately two hours, as the cervix expands from 8 to 10 cm, and contractions occur during this stage every 60-90 seconds with a rest of 30 seconds to two minutes between them, and contractions are characterized in this stage as long, And strong, and severe, and can overlap, and this stage is the most difficult but the shortest, and the pregnant woman may suffer from hot flashes, chills, nausea, vomiting, or gases, and the pregnant woman needs at this stage