Library Articles: Labor

• Childbirth’s last phase: The afterbirth - The placenta, which was so key to your baby's health in utero, is expelled after the birth, signaling the last phase of labor.
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• False labor: How can you tell? - It is often hard to tell the difference between false and true labor. There are clues that can help you determine which it is.
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• If your water breaks you’ll be in labor soon - Generally, rupture of membranes (water breaking) occurs when you go into labor. In reality, few pregnant women experience ruptured membranes in a public place.
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• Induce labor for medical reasons only - Inducing labor should not be done merely for convenience. There are risks involved. There are four ways to induce labor.
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• Labor Stages Two and Three: After a lot of work, prepare for joy - After the active labor of the first stage, you will move into the second stage, pushing baby out, and the third stage, expelling the placenta or the afterbirth.
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• Learning terms of labor can help you cope - Centimeters, pluses, minuses and percentages: That's how a woman's progress in labor is measured. Learning these terms can help you understand and cope with what's happening to you before and during labor.
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• Stage One labor: There’s no telling how long it will last - Early labor is often a time of waiting while your body prepares for the work of active labor, which ends in the urge to push.
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• Stay alert to the symptoms of preterm labor - Any woman can go into labor prematurely, but certain factors make it more likely in some women than in others.
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