Understanding the Pregnancy Labor Stages

Once you are reaching the stage of delivery time, there are many emotional and physical changes that you have to cope with and therefore it is very important that you understand the pregnancy labor stages so that you are prepared to see the difference and how to cope with it. Not every single delivery is the same. And it is also impossible to predict as to how long it is going to take you to delivery your baby. However, if you are a person that has already experienced this process, it will definitely be easier for you to cope with the process.

The labor is basically divided into four stages. There are times when you are experiencing contractions which are called Braxton Hicks, and which are not really the true labor contractions. And it is quite amazing to note that even women who are delivering for the first time are able to make the difference between these and the real thing.

However, once the real contractions start, then this is the time when the cervix will expand in size to allow your baby to pass through. This stage is the most time taking one and one that happens naturally and you need to have a lot of patience and peace of mind to be able to cope with this stage. The total time for this stage to pass varies from woman to woman, however, the time lapse can be between 8 to 14 hours and some women can even go on until 20 hours before this process is fully completed.

The second stage is the most painful one as the baby needs to pass through and be delivered. This can either take 10 minutes of even four hours, and all mothers to be pray that it takes the minimum time as this can be a very consuming experience. First time mothers may have more trouble and it may take longer to deliver.

The third stage of the pregnancy labor and delivery is the delivery of the placenta. This is also something that may take just a few minutes of a few hours; however, as this is something that needs to happen naturally, mothers are encouraged to bind with their babies and to nurse them, thus inducing a relaxed and content state which will help with the delivery of the placenta.

The fourth stage of labor is the involution of the returning of the cervix to the non pregnant stage. This is something that takes a few weeks and during this time the mother will experience bleeding and contraction pains because the cervix is going back and the uterus is also shrinking to its normal size. Breastfeeding is something that is being considered to be very good to help you at this stage, and also a lot of rest and relaxation, although taking care of a new born baby is definitely not an easy task at all.

Once you have understood the process, it becomes easier for you to face the moments as they come.