Childbirth Class - Stages of Labor
Learning more about identifying signs and coping with labor.
Find out more about the possible and definite signs of labor, what to do when your water breaks and how your partner can help you in the first stage of labor.
Class Two
Are you wondering how you will know when to go to the hospital in labor? Perhaps you are fearful of waiting too long or even getting there way too soon. By the time you complete Class Two in our online series of Childbirth Classes, you will know all about labor and what to do in the first stage of labor.
Step One: Knowing the Signs of Labor
Possible Signs of Labor
Believe it or not, many women have trouble reading the signs of labor and may mistake one of the early signs of labor as a definite sign. Some of the possible signs of labor include frequent or intermittent back pain, loose, frequent bowel movements, restless feeling, passing a pinkish-reddish mucous discharge (called the mucous plug) as well as frequent Braxton-Hick contractions. For more information about possible signs of labor, see this article.
Definite Signs of Labor
You may be in labor if your contractions progress over time by getting longer, stronger and closer together. Also, if your water breaks, either with a trickle or gush, your labor has officially started. For more information about either of these signs of labor, see the article on this topic.
How to Time Contractions
If you are the labor partner, your job will be to record the laboring mother's contractions every once in awhile. Once she recognizes that the contractions are coming in a pattern, you should begin to time contractions starting with when the contraction starts. Continue to time across the peak and then stop at the end of the contraction. That measurement will give you the duration of each contraction. Then you will need to time the interval of the contractions by recording the start of the first contraction to the start of the next contraction. If your provider asks you "how far apart the mother's contractions are", the interval is the measurement you need to provide.
When to go to your Place of Birth
When you leave for the hospital or birth center will depend on many factors - how many previous vaginal births you have had, how fast those labors were, how far from your place of birth you live and your medical history.
Some providers recommend the 4-1-1 rule which is to come to the hospital or birth center when your contractions are 4 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for at least 1 hour. See related information on the article about when to go to the hospital.
Step Two: Knowing the Stages of Labor
Here is a brief run down of the three stages of labor to familiarize yourself with how labor typically progresses.
First Stage of Labor
- Early Labor - 0-3 cm dilation, milder contractions; mother generally coping well in between contractions
- Active Labor - 4-7 cm dilation, stronger contractions; mother needs to use coping tools and has more difficulty focusing on labor
- Transition - 8-10cm, very intense contractions that are very close together; mothers will often have a great deal of difficulty coping with contractions.
Second Stage of Labor
- Resting phase - Little or no contraction activity, no urge to bear down
- Descent phase - contractions are accompanied by an urge to push; mother may need to change positions frequently
- Crowning phase - Stretching and burning as the baby's head crowns; very intense sensations and more difficulty coping at this phase
- For more information on Pushing Techniques, be sure to check out this article.
Third Stage of Labor
- Placenta detaches and is expelled.
Step Three: Comfort Measures/Pain Relief Techniques for Labor
As you progress through labor, you will be interested in finding ways to relieve your discomfort. Some of the best ways to reduce labor pain include position changes, heat or cold packs, massage and hydrotherapy. For more information on the comfort measures for labor, be sure to read the following articles:
Can I eat during labor?
Experts now recommend that eating light foods and clear liquids can not only give mothers a greater amount of energy during labor, but it may in fact help alleviate some of the fatigue and other discomforts associated with low blood sugar.
A great place to start is our article on Eating During Labor. In it you will find a list of foods that are great for laboring mothers as well as reasons that eating can be helpful throughout labor.
In Class three, we will explore more about the medical interventions used during labor. Stay posted in the next few weeks as the entire 6 class series will be arriving just in time for your baby!
