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Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Period
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Labor and Delivery: Your Birthing Options
- When to Call a Doctor
- Early Labor
- Active Labor, First Stage
- Active Labor, Second Stage
- Third Stage, After the Baby is Born
- Post-Term Pregnancy
- After Childbirth
- Postpartum Recovery and Coping
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
The first stage of active
labor starts when the cervix is about
3 cm (1 in.) to
4 cm (2 in.) dilated. This
stage is complete when the cervix is fully
dilated and effaced and the baby is ready to be pushed
out. See a picture of
cervical effacement 
. During the last part of this stage (transition), labor
becomes particularly intense.
Compared with early labor, the contractions during the first stage of active labor are more intense and more frequent (every 2 to 3 minutes) and longer-lasting (50 to 70 seconds). Now is the time to be at or go to the hospital or birthing center. If your amniotic sac hasn't broken before this, it may now.
As your contractions intensify, you may:
- Feel restless or excited.
- Find it difficult to stand.
- Have food and fluid restrictions. Some hospitals allow you to drink clear liquids. Others may only allow you to suck on ice chips or hard candy. Solid food is often restricted, because the stomach digests food more slowly during labor. An empty stomach is also best in the rare event that you may need general anesthesia.
- Want to start using breathing techniques, laboring in water, acupuncture, hypnosis, or other calming measures that you've chosen to manage pain and anxiety.
- Feel the need to shift positions often. This is good for you, because it improves your circulation. You may not know which birthing position is right for you for a while.
- Want pain medicine, such as epidural anesthesia.
- Be given intravenous (IV) fluids.
Pregnancy: Should I have an epidural during childbirth? (For more information about pain medicine options, see the
Labor and Delivery: Your Birthing Options section of this topic.)
Transition phase
The end of the first stage of active labor is called the transition phase. As the baby moves down, your contractions become more intense and longer and come even closer together than before. When you reach transition, your delivery is not far off. During transition, you will be self-absorbed, concentrating on what your body is doing. You may be annoyed or distracted by others' attempts to help you but still feel you need them nearby as a support. You may feel increasingly anxious, nauseated, exhausted, irritable, or frightened.
A mother in first-time labor will take up to 3 hours in transition, and a mother who has vaginally delivered before will usually take no more than an hour. Some women have a very short, if intense, transition phase.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 7, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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