Transition to the second stage of labor This can be the toughest and most painful part of labor. It can last 15 minutes to an hour. During the transition: Contractions come closer together and can last 60 to 90 seconds.
Stage 2 of labour: Transition
For many women, this is the toughest part of childbirth. Contractions are one on top of the other as your cervix dilates to 10 centimetres. You may feel you can no longer cope, or even start vomiting or trembling (especially in your legs).
Most women find the most painful part of labor and delivery to be the contractions, while some others may feel pushing or post-delivery is most painful. Pain during labor and delivery may also be caused by pressure on the bladder and bowels by the baby's head and the stretching of the birth canal and vagina.
What is the second stage of labor? The first stage of labor ends and the second stage begins when your cervix is 10 centimeters dilated. This is usually the most difficult stage of labor because you start trying to push your baby out. It can last anywhere from half an hour to several hours.
Pushing can be one of the most intense and exhausting parts of the labor and delivery process—and it can take anywhere from several minutes, up to a few hours to push your baby out.
With no epidural or narcotics on board, most birthing parents rate active-phase labor a 10 on the pain scale of 1 to 10. With pain management techniques taught in childbirth education, however, laboring parents can greatly reduce the intensity of the pain they experience.
Some people describe the feeling as being like intense period cramps, others say it feels like a tightening or pounding feeling in your uterus or across your belly, others describe the feeling as being like very intense muscle cramps, while still other people describe contractions as being like the sort of wrenching ...
And almost every pain you can imagine is compared to the pain of childbirth. However, there are some things that women who have experienced both say hurt more than giving birth. Everyone experiences pain differently, so what might be more painful for one person may not be for another.
For first-time mothers the average length of pushing is one-to-two hours. In some instances, pushing can last longer than two hours if mother and baby are tolerating it. Normally, the baby is born with his face looking toward mother's back (referred to as an anterior position).
Your cervix needs to open about 10cm for your baby to pass through it. This is what's called being fully dilated. In a 1st pregnancy, the time from the start of established labour to being fully dilated is usually 8 to 18 hours.
Epidural anaesthesia. Epidural injections are the most effective pain relief available. They are used for vaginal births and also for caesarean sections, because they allow the mother to stay awake and alert during the baby's birth.
Methods to ease labor
Standing up and moving helps the baby's head to press on the cervix, increasing dilation. Plus, moving around, whether kneeling, squatting or standing, helps to widen the pelvis for when baby's head is ready to pass through.
first stage of labour can last from 10 to 14 hours. second stage of labour can take one to two hours to push your baby out. third stage can last five to 45 minutes. fourth stage is the first two hours after birth.
But if you're close to 10 centimeters dilated the research suggests it's not an issue. Evidence suggests it's more of a theoretical fear that just adds additional stress and in some cases results in an epidural (or a higher dose of epidural) to mask that urge.
For first-time moms, it can last from 12 to 19 hours. It may be shorter (about 14 hours) for moms who've already had children. It's when contractions become strong and regular enough to cause your cervix to dilate (open) and thin out (efface).
Discourage more than three to four pushing efforts with each contraction and more than 6 to 8 seconds of each pushing effort (avoid counting to 10 with each pushing effort). Take steps to maintain a reassuring fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern while pushing.
Lochia is the vaginal discharge you have after giving birth. It contains a mix of blood, mucus and uterine tissue. It has a stale, musty odor like menstrual period discharge and can last several weeks.
Period pains are worse than labour.
More accurately, period pains are worse than the pain of surges (that's contractions, if you're new round here).
Even though labor and vaginal birth can be hard work, they are generally easier on a woman's body than a cesarean. Recovery after vaginal birth is usually shorter and less painful than after a C-section, and allows the woman to spend more time with her baby.
Pounding. Some women described labor as more of a pounding or punching feeling. "Having contractions felt like being hit with something really hard." "Each contraction felt like getting punched in the stomach – the type of punch that knocks all the air out of you."
When you're in true labor, your contractions last about 30 to 70 seconds and come about 5 to 10 minutes apart. They're so strong that you can't walk or talk during them. They get stronger and closer together over time. You feel pain in your belly and lower back.
Benefits of laboring in water
A positive birth experience: Women who have labored or given birth in water say they had less pain and a greater sense of control. Less pain medication: Some studies show that women who labor in water need less pain medication and may have a shorter first stage of labor.
Are contractions painful? Although they're usually painful, between each contraction you may not feel much pain at all. They may remind you of period pains or feel much more painful. Every woman's experience is different, as the intensity can vary a lot.
In the very early stages of labour, your cervix softens and becomes quite thin. This can go on for hours; days even. During this early stage you may feel nothing at all for some time. Eventually, you might feel some pain and discomfort but there is no pattern and the contractions are irregular.
Many women have low pain threshold and are unable to bear such pain. For them, painless delivery may be a need. In this procedure, once the active labor begins, an injection of epidural is given. Epidural makes the delivery almost painless.