Pushing and Baby’s Birth

Baby position descent and rotation through stages

Baby position descent and rotation through stages

The basic path through the pelvis In a cephalic birth, the presenting part is usually the fetal head, and its shape and flexibility help it negotiate the pelvic inlet and outlet. A key concept is engagement, meaning the widest transverse diameter of the head has entered the pelvic brim. From there, the baby continues to […]

Second stage of labor explained

Second stage of labor explained

What the second stage means The second stage of labor is clinically defined as the interval from complete cervical dilation, usually 10 centimeters, until fetal birth. The first stage of labor is about cervical change; the second stage is about descent, rotation, and birth through the pelvis and vaginal canal. This definition matters because the […]

How second stage begins ends and baby moves through birth canal

How second stage begins ends and baby moves through birth canal

When the second stage officially begins The second stage of labor begins when the cervix has reached full cervical dilation, usually described as 10 centimeters, and ends when the baby is born. By this point, the first stage of labor has completed its central task: the cervix has dilated and effaced enough to no longer […]

Pushing stage and delivery overview

Pushing stage and delivery overview

What the pushing stage means The pushing stage is the second stage of labor. It begins when the cervix has reached full cervical dilation, usually defined as 10 centimeters, and ends when the baby is born. By this point, the cervix has moved from being the main focus of labor to becoming an open passage, […]