Where There Is No Doctor 2011 259
THE STAGES OF LABOR
Labor has 3 parts or stages:
• The first stage lasts from the beginning of the strong contractions until the
womb opens and the baby starts to move through the birth canal.
• The second stage lasts from when the baby enters the birth canal until it is born.
• The third stage lasts from the birth of the baby until the placenta (afterbirth)
comes out.
THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR usually lasts 10 to 20 hours or more when it is the
mother’s first birth, and from 7 to 10 hours in later births. This varies a lot.
During the first stage of labor, the mother should not try to hurry the birth. It is
natural for this stage to go slowly. The mother may not feel the progress and begin to
worry. Try to reassure her. Tell her that most women have the same concern.
The mother should not try to push or bear down until the child is beginning to
move down into the birth canal, and she feels she has to push.
The mother should keep her bowels and bladder empty.
If the bladder and the
bowels are full, they get in
the way when the baby is
being born.
Bladder full
of urine
Feces
(stools)
During labor, the mother should urinate often. If she has not moved her bowels
in several hours, an enema may make labor easier. During labor the mother should
drink water or other liquids often. Too little liquid in the body can slow down or stop
labor. If labor is long, she should eat lightly, as well. If she is vomiting, she should
sip a little Rehydration Drink, herbal tea, or fruit juices between each contraction.
During labor the mother should change positions often or get up and walk
about from time to time. She should not lie flat on her back for a long time.