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.
Transition phase of labor
The end of active labor is sometimes referred to as the transition to the second stage of labor. It's when the cervix completely dilates to a full 10 centimeters, and is the shortest – but generally considered the hardest – part of labor.
The third stage of labor is the shortest and the easiest. After your baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, there is usually a lull for several minutes. Then your uterus starts contracting again. These contractions are not as strong as pushing contractions.
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.
Prodromal labor consists of contractions that can be fairly regular (between 5-10 minutes apart) and can be painful like active labor contractions, more so than Braxton Hicks contractions. Typically each contraction will last just shy of one minute. These contractions are preparatory.
While the experience is different for everyone, labor can sometimes feel like extremely strong menstrual cramps that get progressively more and more intense as time goes on1.
The latent phase of labor lasts anywhere from five to twenty hours or more and is complete when the cervix is dilated to about 4 centimeters. Cervical dilation is measured by feeling the cervical opening with two fingers. Contractions are mild, and pain is minimal during this phase.
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.
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 ...
Most women will feel increased pressure in their perineum, rectum, and low back at this stage. For many women, the rectal pressure feels the same as having a bowel movement. As the baby's head begins to appear, you may feel a stretching or burning sensation.
One of the main benefits of giving birth without an epidural – or with minimal medications in general – is potentially fewer side effects for both you and your baby.
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.
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).
Painless normal delivery or delivery with labor analgesia (Epidural) is a technique where very specific concentration of drug is used. Although the drug reduces the pain, it maintains the ability to push your baby out through the birth canal.
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.
Common options for coping with pain include massage, water therapy, and breathing exercises. Music and calming smells (aromatherapy) can help relax you. Consider taking short walks and changing positions during labor—moving around can reduce pain.
Complications from epidurals are extremely rare, and pushing with an epidural is generally not a problem because you will still be able to feel pressure (rectal pressure, that is!) despite not feeling any pain or contractions.
You can still feel some pressure of contractions, but you don't have constant pain going through your entire body. Study participants said having an epidural had a positive impact on their birth experience, changing their challenging situations into something manageable and even enjoyable.
(Some OBs will go ahead and break your water at 3 or 4 centimeters.) The reasoning behind this: “Artificial rupture of membranes” (popping a hole in the amniotic sac) will usually jumpstart labor by getting serious contractions underway.
Doctors have to wait until the cervix is at least 4 centimeters dilated before doing an epidural. Otherwise, the epidural will slow the process down too much. However, once the cervix becomes fully dilated it is too late for an epidural to be given.
The average labor lasts 12 to 24 hours for a first birth and is typically shorter (eight to 10 hours) for other births.
Midwives are affected by the setting where they work, and research highlights that an epidural might lead to a focus on medical procedures instead of the normality of labour.
Faster Recovery Time
Women who choose an unmedicated birth may benefit from an easier postpartum recovery. While every labor unfolds uniquely, some women find they feel significantly better after an unmedicated birth compared to a medicated one.
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.