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Second Stage of Labor: Pushing Your Baby Out
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of midwifery and women's health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1542-2011
pISSN - 1526-9523
DOI - 10.1111/j.1542-2011.2011.00145.x
Subject(s) - stage (stratigraphy) , labour economics , economics , geology , paleontology
Th e second stage of labor starts aft er your cervix has dilated (opened) to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches), and it continues until your baby fi nishes moving through your vagina and is born. During this time, you will push or bear down (like you do when you have a bowel movement) to help your baby come out. Th e second stage of labor can last from a few minutes to a few hours. It may last longer if this is your fi rst baby and/or if you have an epidural.