Giving Birth

Introduction to the Stages of Labour

Most women want to know long their labour will be. A normal labour can be anywhere from three hours or less to days. The average length of time for a women giving birth for the first time is 10 to 14 hours once contractions are regular.

There are four stages to labour and birth. First stage is labour, second stage is pushing and birth, third is delivery of the placenta and the fourth is the first few hours after birth. The first stage is the longest stage and is focused on opening the cervix to allow your baby to pass during birth. The first stage can last from a few hours to a few days.

Checking the amount of dilation during the 1st stage of labour.

To learn more about the stages of labour, click on the following pages:
1st stage
2nd stage
3rd stage
4th stage