Crowning and Baby’s Birth

Descent and rotation during second stage

Descent and rotation during second stage

What happens in the second stage The second stage extends from complete cervical dilation, usually 10 cm, until delivery of the baby. It is often described as the pushing stage, but this description can be too narrow. Some people experience a period after full dilation in which the fetus continues to descend and rotate before […]

How baby moves during pushing

How baby moves during pushing

The second stage: more than pushing downward The second stage of labor begins when the cervix is fully dilated and ends with birth. This is the phase many people call the pushing stage, but the baby’s movement is more complex than a straight-line passage. The fetal head must fit through a curved, muscular, bony canal […]

What is crowning and burning sensation explained

What is crowning and burning sensation explained

What crowning means in labor Crowning is the point in birth when the widest part of the baby’s head remains visible at the vaginal opening between contractions. It is a clear sign that delivery is close and that the body is in the final stretch of the pushing stage of labor. For many people, this […]

Controlled pushing and slowing at crowning

Controlled pushing and slowing at crowning

What controlled pushing at crowning means Controlled pushing at crowning refers to deliberately reducing the strength or duration of pushing once the fetal head is distending the perineum and visible at the vaginal opening. In practice, this may mean taking shorter pushes, exhaling instead of bearing down hard, or pausing briefly when the clinician asks […]

How to avoid tearing while pushing

How to avoid tearing while pushing

Understand what tearing is and why it happens Perineal tears occur when the tissue between the vaginal opening and anus, and sometimes the vaginal wall or nearby structures, stretch beyond their capacity during birth. Clinicians usually classify tears by depth. First-degree tears involve skin or superficial tissue. Second-degree tears extend into perineal muscles. Third- and […]