Birth: Birth – Delivery – Labor
How long the pushing stage lasts

How long the pushing stage lasts

What counts as the pushing stage? The pushing stage is commonly used to describe the active part of the second stage of labor, when the cervix is fully dilated and the birthing person is bearing down with contractions to help the baby move through the birth canal. More precisely, the second stage of labor begins […]

Average pushing time first vs second baby

Average pushing time first vs second baby

What counts as pushing time? Pushing time usually refers to the second stage of labor, from complete cervical dilation, 10 centimeters, to the birth of the baby. Clinically, this stage has two related but distinct components: passive descent and active pushing. Passive descent means the baby moves lower through the pelvis after full dilation, sometimes […]

Signs you are ready to push and what happens

Signs you are ready to push and what happens

What “ready to push” means medically Being ready to push is not defined by intensity alone. In clinical terms, pushing usually begins when the cervix is completely dilated to about 10 cm and fully effaced, meaning it has thinned enough to allow the baby to pass. This point marks the start of the second stage […]

What is the pushing stage and when it begins

What is the pushing stage and when it begins

Defining the pushing stage The pushing stage is the second stage of labor: it begins at full cervical dilation and ends with the birth of the baby. In practical terms, this means the cervix has opened enough for the presenting part, usually the baby’s head, to pass through the cervix and descend through the birth […]