The stages and phases of labour
The process of labour is traditionally divided the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages of labour. However, within these stages, there can also be different phases, usually relating to the intensity of the labour. Learning to recognise the various stages and phases of your labour can help you understand the labour process better, and assist you in developing support strategies as the labour progresses.
The stages and phases of labour can be summarised as follows:
Prelabour
Early phase of 1st stage of labour
Active phase of the 1st stage of labour
End of 1st stage or 'transition'
2nd stage, resting phase
2nd stage, active or pushing phase
Crowning, end of 2nd stage
The birth
The 3rd stage of labour
Prelabour
Prelabour is when the woman is starting to feel some physical signs that labour could be starting. This could be one sign, or more likely, a combination of physical signs such as a
show, diarrhoea (or loose bowel motions), nausea, possibly vomiting, backache, period pain, perhaps the waters breaking or some mild to moderate regular or irregular contractions. During this time the cervix softens and ripens, thins out and starts to open slightly (or 'dilate'), up to about 1- 3
Image 3-01 shows the cervix before labour, when it is still long, thick and closed.
Image 3-02 shows the cervix starting to thin and soften before it begins to open in prelabour.