Second stage of labour

Second stage of labour
As you enter the second stage of labour, you will feel the need to push with each contraction.

Second stage of labour

What happens
Once the cervix has dilated to 10cm, the second stage begins, when you push your baby down the vagina (sometimes called the birth canal).

Second stage of labour

This is the stage of labour when you push your baby down your vagina (the birth canal) and, at long last, you meet him or her for the first time.

The second stage of labour - the birth of your baby
The second stage of labour starts when your cervix is fully dilated and you will usually soon have a strong urge to push because of the pressure your baby is placing on your pelvic area.

Second stage of labour The time from full dilation of the cervix…
Glossary of pregnancy terms: F
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Second stage of labour information sources
Normal birth in Australia

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The second stage of labour is the pushing the stage. During this stage your cervix is fully dilated and your body will begin to push your baby out through the birth canal.

The second stage of labour starts when your cervix is fully dilated. A strong urge to push may be overwhelming - this is because of the pressure that your baby's head is placing on your pelvic area.

In the second stage of labour, the baby is expelled from the womb through the birth canal by both the uterine contractions and by powerful abdominal contractions ("bearing down"). The baby is most commonly born head-first.

Short vs long second stage of labour: is there a difference in terms of postpartum anal incontinence?
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 152(2): 168-71. [Abstract] [Full-text] ...

Oxytocin infusion during second stage of labour in primiparous women using epidural analgesia: a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. BMJ 1989;299: 1423-1426. (0.375%) ...

It may slow your labour down, especially the second stage of labour when you have to start pushing, because it can be very difficult to know if you're pushing correctly ...

The second stage of labour is also called the stage of expulsion. The third stage lasts from birth of the foetus through expulsion or extraction of the placenta and membranes (afterbirth). The third stage of labour is also called the placental stage.

See also: Pregnancy, Contraction, Contractions, Delivery, Midwife