3 Stages of Labour
The first stage of labour is called cervical dilation. It is the longest period of labour and it can last any where from
a few hours to a day. During this stage the woman’s cervix will dilate to around 10cm.
The second stage of labour is where the baby begins to be pushed down the birth canal with each contraction. At this stage
the contractions can be very painful and last around sixty seconds with a gap of around 2-3 minutes this part of the labour
usually takes around two hours but times vary. At the end of this stage the baby will be born.
The third stage is the delivery of the placenta which has nourish the baby during pregnancy, many people do things with
the placenta, eat them freeze them and that is up to the individual. It could be said that there is a fourth stage that is
often discounted this is where the mother is checked for tears and repair them, this is where the mother comes to terms with
the new situation the joy of a new life and the relief that it is all over
What to expect
It is difficult to tell you what to expect as all men are different some choose not to be present and wait at a safe distance
as most of their fathers did, others choose to be present but to stay at their partners head and not to look at the emerging
child, others choose to be fully involved and watch and sometimes video the whole birth. If you choose this it can be difficult
to watch a person that you love in so much discomfort and your natural instinct is to try to fix it but there is nothing you
can do other than watch and try to be as reassuring as you can possibly be. In some cases the partner is not allowed to be
present at the birth at all this is rare but is for medical reasons and can't be helped. The decision of what to do is completely
down to personal preference and it is a choice that is best discussed before the event. Whatever level of involvement you
have it is a tense time and highly emotional for all concerned be prepared to feel scared, tearful and then elated when it
is all over, it is an amazing feeling to become a Dad and when all is said and done no matter what you decided the result
will be the same, at the end of it all you will be handed a baby and your world will change for ever.
