At the end of the 40 weeks of pregnancy, during the last period of the three trimesters, the future mothers enter the labor period. Labor is divided into three stages which are the dilation of the cervix, the delivery of the baby and the delivery of the placenta. In women that are giving birth for the first time labor takes around 12 to 24 hours. This period is shorter for women that had already delivered once. In their case labor takes about six to seven hours.

Contractions are the first symptoms of the labor. Sometimes Braxton-Hicks contractions are confused with labor. The difference between them is that the false contractions which are the Braxton-Hicks contraction usually start halfway through the pregnancy and continue until delivery. Labor is believed to be the cause of a hormone called oxytocin which is responsible for uterine contractions. Labor involves different symptoms that cause discomfort to the pregnant women. Among these symptoms we mention periodic cramps, backache, contractions, a small bloodstained discharge as their cervix thins and the mucus plug drop out.

As we said before labor includes three stages. The first stage is resumed at the dilation of cervix up to 10 centimeters. This first stage also includes different phases. The longest and the least painful phase of the labor is the latent phase. The cervix can thin out and mild contractions can occur. After this latent phase it is to follow an active phase. This phase involves strong and painful contractions that occur from about four to four minutes and last almost a minute. During this phase the cervix dilates around 7 centimeters. The final phase of the first stage is called the transition phase. The contractions occur more and more often and become more intense. Their frequency increases and the cervix get to the 10 centimeters size.

The second stage of the labor consists of the pushing of the baby. When the cervix gets dilated enough this stage may begin. The contractions are regular so the woman can relax between them. This stage lasts around 15 minutes to an hour, depending on each women and the number of deliveries.

The third and last stage of the labor is the delivery of the placenta. This stage does not last more than 30 minutes. For some women this stage could last only 5 minutes. The uterus contracts and pushes the placenta out.

Some advises for women that approach labor are to relax as much as possible at home and only when the contractions get regular and painful to go to a hospital, if they start bleeding from the vagina or their water breaks to go to the hospital. In hospital it is recommended to resist any urge to push before a complete dilation.

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