The Stages of Labor with a Vaginal Birth
Every pregnant woman will have a different experience when it comes to labor and birth—but almost all will go through a series of stages leading to the final delivery of their newborn. Whether the stages of labor with a vaginal birth happen quickly, or take hours to conclude, they typically go through three distinct phases. The first stage of labor occurs when a woman begins to have contractions which leads to the cervix becoming dilated. Early in this stage, contractions will be mild and then very intense and close together which will ultimately lead to the cervix becoming fully dilated. This leads to the second stage of labor—the “pushing” stage. The third and final stage begins right after the birth of the baby and ends with the separation and subsequent delivery of the placenta.
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