Active 1st phase contractions
Emotions in the active 1st phase
The active 1st phase of labour is when the woman's contractions change again, from being in early 1st phase, and moving into what the caregiver would term as 'strong established labour'. Again, the labour 'steps up', with the contractions becoming stronger, and closer together, and possibly lasting longer.
The woman's body is working very hard now to open up the cervix, and the contractions need to be strong and close together to achieve this.
The woman may begin to:
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Wonder how much more intense this labour can get? |
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Think about pain relief options. |
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Need to breathe through, and work with the contractions now. |
Partners and support people may notice:
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The woman's breathing becoming deeper. |
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Her awareness going inward, and |
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Her being no longer able to talk during a contraction. |