Stages of labor: dilation

Birth is a process that each woman lives differently. What is common to all births that occur naturally are the different stages of labor: dilation, expulsion and delivery. Knowing the stages of childbirth will help you to live it more calmly and with less anxiety. The labor begins with the phase of the dilation, in her the neck of the uterus will be erased and dilated of 0 to 10 centimetersto allow the exit of the baby.

Phase of erasure and dilation in childbirth

The period in which the woman is dilating is divided into two phases: erasure of the cervix and dilation.

The erasure: is the shortening of the cervix completely to allow the delivery of the baby. Throughout pregnancy, the cervix has lengthened to measure about three centimeters. In this phase the cervix begins to shorten completely until measuring less than half a centimeter so that the baby can leave. It begins to occur between 48 and 72 hours before delivery.

Dilation: When the cervix has already been erased, there is only one hole that needs to be widened so that the baby can be born. Dilation is a progressive process that has a different duration in each woman. New moms take longer to dilate than women who have had more children.

New moms take about 1 centimeter per hour to expand and 1.2 centimeter multiparous women. It is the longest stage of labor and has in turn 2 phases: passive dilation and active dilation.

Phases of labor dilation

Passive dilation: at this stage of labor, the cervix dilates from 0 to 3 centimeters. The contractions can last between 30 and 60 seconds and there may be between them 5 to 20 minutes. This phase is the longest of the dilation, it can even last for days, especially in women who are going to give birth to their first child. If you have not yet expelled the mucous plug, a viscous brown substance that seals the entrance of the uterus, this could be the moment.

In this first stage of dilation, the best thing you can do is get distracted: read a book, watch a movie, take a shower, talk on the phone with friends or take a walk. It is still early to go to the hospital. Until the contractions occur every 5 minutes and for a period of one hour it is convenient that you are at home since you will be more comfortable.

Active dilation: at this stage of labor, the cervix will expand from 3 to 10 centimeters. The contractions will become more intense, longer and will occur more frequently. They can last about a minute and occur every 2 or 4 minutes. You will have little time to rest between contraction and contraction. If you want to get epidural anesthesia, it's time to order it.

The best thing you can do in this phase of dilation is to put into practice the breathing techniques you learned during the preparation of the birth. Your partner can help you by giving you a massage in the kidneys or giving you encouragement and lots of pampering. You will not be able to drink water during this process but the father can pass a cotton soaked in water through your lips. The last 3 centimeters in the dilation are the most intense, it is called the transition stage.

There is almost no time to rest between contractions. You will feel strong pressure on the lower back and rectum. You may feel like pushing, but you should not do it until the midwife or gynecologist tells you to. Once the dilation has occurred, the next stage of labor arrives: the expulsion.