Stage of child birthQ: How do I know my stage of child birth when I am in labor? A: There are three stages of labor. The first stage is when your cervix dilates from 0 to 10 centimetres. This is the longest and hardest stage of labor. The second stage is when you are pushing the baby out. And the third stage is after the baby is born, when you deliver the placenta. Note: The first stage of child birth can really be divided into three more substages, in my opinion. Going from 1 to 3 centimeters is, for many women, (but not me!) relatively pain-free and just feels like bad cramps. From 4 to 8 centimeters is the very difficult part, where you would really need a great support person to help you if you are having a natural childbirth. See my article What would I do without my Doula? for more information on the benefits of continuous labor support. The third substage would be "Transition" (from 8 to 10 cm) - the point where you start to feel that you really can't go on. That is completely normal - everyone feels that. And remind yourself that is a good thing because it means you are almost fully dilated. Wishing you all the best in your labor and childbirth! Suzanne
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