The 2nd stage of Labour

 

	The First Stage
	The Second Stage
	The Third Stage
	Caring for yourself after the Birth

This is the period from full dilation of the cervix until you baby has fully emerged from the birth canal.
As you move into second stage your contractions may be further apart than at the end of the first stage; instead of them resulting to a peak of intensity, they may be constant, feeling the same throughout.
Second stage can last anything from less than half an hour to two hours depending on whether this is a first delivery, which usually takes longer as the pelvic floor muscles have never been stretched to such lengths before.


Once your cervix is fully dilated, you will be instructed to push when you feel the urge, which will move the baby down the birth canal, from the cervix to the opening of the vagina. Though the distance is only about 10 cm., it may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to push your baby that far. At this point your doctor may perform an episiotomy to enlarge the vaginal opening, therefore easing the delivery of your baby's head.

The last contraction before the delivery of the baby's head may cause an unpleasant burning sensation, but this won't be felt if you have had a local anaesthetic.
With the onset of the next few contractions the baby's head will be visible, and as it crowns the doctor or midwife will gently guide it out. The head will spontaneously turn to the left or right to line up with the baby's shoulders, which are still in the birth canal.
The doctor will then locate the umbilical cord, slipping it over the head if it is around the baby's neck, or clamping it in two places and cutting it, if it happens to be wrapped around more than once.

With the next contraction, the upper shoulder will be delivered, and once it emerges, the rest of the baby will slide out. If the umbilical cord has not yet been cut the doctor will wait awhile for it to stop pulsating, and then clamp and cut. This officially marks the end of stage two labour, and it is at this moment that your baby becomes a totally separate human being.