• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Pregnancy Logo 2018

Pregnancy Magazine

Pregnancy and infancy news, tips, and reviews

“Great
  • Pregnancy
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • mom

How long until I deliver? What are the three stages of labor?

by Brigham and Women's Hospital 2 Comments

stages of labor

While we wish there was one answer for all, every woman’s labor and delivery experiences are different. But how long is a typical labor?  What are the stages of labor and delivery?

Labor is a series of continuous, progressive contractions of the uterus which help the cervix open (dilate) and to thin (efface). This lets the fetus move through the birth canal. Labor usually starts 2 weeks before or after the estimated date of delivery.

A typical, vaginal delivery is categorized into 3 stages of labor:

First stage

During the first stage, a woman will experience the onset of labor with the start of contractions.  This stage is broken into two phases, the latent and the active phase.

  • A woman is in the latent phase when contractions are anywhere between five to 20 minutes apart. During this phase, she may notice that the contractions begin to become stronger. This is usually the longest and least intense phase of labor. This phase of labor is the most variable in terms of duration. It can even be normal for periods of contractions to come and go for several days or weeks prior to active labor.  Women should call their doctors when there are signs that labor is getting more active, such as when the contractions are five minutes apart, last about a minute, and continues for one to two hours. These contractions should be painful (i.e. it is difficult to talk during them!).
  • The second part of the first stage of labor – the active phase – begins when the contractions become regular, longer, more severe, and more frequent, usually three to four minutes apart. For a first time Mom the active phase usually lasts about five hours and about four hours for women who have given birth before. However, it can still be within normal limits for this phase to last up to around 16 hours.

Second stage

The second stage is often referred to as the “pushing” stage. During this stage, the woman begins to actively push the baby down through the birth canal to the outside world. This stage is typically shorter than the first and may take anywhere between 30 minutes to three hours for a woman’s first pregnancy. During subsequent deliveries, this stage of labor may take less time.

Third stage

After the baby is delivered, the mother enters the third and last of the stages of labor — the delivery of the placenta (the organ that has nourished the baby inside of the uterus). This stage usually lasts anywhere from a few minutes to a half-hour and involves the mother pushing the placenta out of the uterus and through the vagina.

 

More information: https://healthlibrary.brighamandwomens.org/Library/Encyclopedia/85,P01222

Sarah Elizabeth Little, MD, MPH, is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

Filed Under: Labor and Delivery

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy Chong says

    at

    I had three kids and all had different symptoms. I Guess everyone had their own pregnancy story. Thanks for sharing the valuable information.

    Reply
  2. Kateryna John says

    at

    After nine months of changes to a young woman’s body associated with full-term pregnancy the big day arrives—the delivery! Delivery may involve a vaginal delivery or a Cesarean section. So what can you do to tend to your back pain? And what if you have had prior back surgery?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Peaceful Discipline by Sarah Moore

More to See

parent coaching

Parent Coaching: 3 Ways to Create a More Joyful Home

By Sarah Moore

The perfect workout for pregnant women (sponsored)

By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

how to be a good mother

How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect

By Sarah Moore

Aligned Parents webinar

By Paul Banas

Footer

Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group

Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond

Dedicated WordPress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel

WordPress Theme: PregnancyTheme

This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

 

Recent

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Gentle Parenting: 5 Ways to Lead with Love
  • How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect
  • Best Parenting Books: 28 Books That Will Change Your Life for the Better
  • Aligned Parents webinar
  • How to make sure your home is ready for the new addition to your family

Search

© Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT