The 4th stage of labour is known as the 1st hour following the full expulsion of the placenta, after your baby is born. It is the time that the woman's body stabilises and the baby fully adjusts to life outside the womb. It is a time to rest, eat and drink for the mother, for the baby to be fed, checked, weighed and measured, to take photos, freshen up, ring friends and relatives and perhaps have some form of celebration.
The 4th stage after the birth can be an intense period with the labour or events leading up to the birth of your child still hanging in the air. Emotions of delight, joy and love can intermingle with relief as you see, hold and smell your new baby.
You will spend the 4th stage of labour in the place where you gave birth, either in the delivery suite, birth centre or at home. If you gave birth by Caesarean then the 4th stage of labour will take place partly in the operating theatre as the incision is being repaired (taking about 30 minutes), and partly in the recovery ward.
For the caregiver, the 4th stage is a time to frequently check the woman's physical wellbeing, her blood loss, feel if the uterus is contracted, take her blood pressure and pulse if they are concerned as well as check the woman's genitals for any tears or grazes and put in stitches if necessary.
This class will deal mainly with the 4th stage of labour for the mother. Information about your baby in the first hours after the birth will be looked at in more detail in
Class 10.