Stages of Labor: What to Expect at the End of Expecting

Stages of labor are distinctive, but fluid sequence of events that take place during labor. It may look good in a medical textbook to talk about clearly defined stages, but in real life, there are no clear boundaries to where one stage begins and the other ends. And because every woman is unique, we go through labor at our own pace, in our own style. Nonetheless, understanding how stages of labor are classified may help you prepare for what you will most likely go through when you give birth. Do keep in mind that these are just guidelines and your experience of them will be unique.

- Early signs of labor may signal that your body is getting ready to go. But they can't tell you exactly when.

- Pre-labor is the work your body does before actually going into labor.

- Early labor is when your contractions are still widely spaced and irregular, and you are still excited and chatty about finally meeting your baby!

- Active labor is when your contractions become stronger and more organized, and you become more focused on getting through them. You will need all the tricks up your sleeve to deal with labor pain.

- Transition is the toughest but shortest part of labor, it's when you feel like quitting! But it means you're almost done!

- Rest and be thankful A period of rest many women experience between full dilation and before the urge to push.

- Pushing takes place once your cervix is completely thinned out and opened, in order to move the baby through the bones of the pelvis and out the birth canal.

- The placenta is pushed out after the baby is born.

Medical textbooks often divide these stages of labor differently. They divide labor into three stages:

- First stage of labor Dilation and effacement. Corresponds to pre-labor, early labor, active labor and transition above.

- Second stage of labor Corresponds to the rest and be thankful and pushing stages above.

- Third stage of labor The expulsion of the placenta.

See a video of a certified professional midwife explain the stages of labor in detail.

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