Print entire guide. Home Health and wellbeing Children's health, parenting and pregnancy Pregnancy and family planning Antenatal information Birth - frequently asked questions How long does labour last? Print Birth - frequently asked questions How long does labour last? On average for your first baby, the: first stage of labour can last from 10 to 14 hours second stage of labour can take one to two hours to push your baby out third stage can last five to 45 minutes fourth stage is the first two hours after birth.
If you have had a baby before, the: first stage of labour can last from five to eight hours second stage can last from five minutes to an hour. In this guide: When does labour start? When will my waters break? How long does labour last? When your contractions start coming every five minutes and last at least 60 seconds, give your midwife a call NHS Choices, Having a supportive birth partner can give you a sense of control, comfort and competence and make complications less likely Hodnett et al, So no pressure , choose carefully….
A lot of women find this the hardest, most painful part of giving birth and you might feel like you are out of control.
If you want to give birth without pain relief, this might also be the part when you find it the trickiest to stick to your plan. NICE, Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth and life with a new baby.
You will also find useful information on NHS Choices in a guide to labour. More information on stages of labour can be found in NICE guidelines. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. NHS Choices. Cochrance Database Syst Rev. Not only does your partner need to feel undisturbed, warm and safe during established labour, the same as any other labouring mammal, she will also become sensitive to any kind of sensory distraction, including light, the use language and sometimes even touch.
Her body achieves this by releasing powerful neuro-chemicals into her brain, these chemicals or hormones take her into 'the zone'. You can read more about this here.
You are going to see her behave in ways you have never seen her behave before. She will withdraw into herself, closing her eyes and becoming non-verbal. She might sway rhythmically and moan. If you start to see these behaviours, this is a very good sign that she is adapting well to the demands of the labour.
Your partner is becoming intensely instinctive, it can actually look very sensual. You might find it exciting or you might become nervous and feel out of your depth. Try to trust it and allow her to remain in 'the zone' as undisturbed as she needs to be. Resist talking to her if you can.
Continue to time the contractions. When contractions have been 60 seconds long for at least 2 hours OR are lasting for 60 seconds and coming every 3 minutes, call your midwife, doctor or hospital and tell them that labour is established and either you are coming in hospital and Birth Centre or you need them to come to you planned home birth.
If you are planning to have your baby in hospital, your partner will find the car journey challenging because her body will release adrenaline which will bring her out of 'the zone'. Until you can create that undisturbed, safe, warm space again, she is going to need distraction techniques.
Once you are in hospital and Birth Centre there will be new people to meet and co-ordinate with.
0コメント