What is the average length of labour

Every labour is unique. How quickly your labour progresses will depend on the baby descending going down through the pelvis and the cervix dilating opening up with strong, regular contractions. Print entire guide. Home Health and wellbeing Children's health, parenting and pregnancy Pregnancy and family planning Antenatal information Birth - frequently asked questions How long does labour last?

Print Birth - frequently asked questions How long does labour last? On average for your first baby, the: first stage of labour can last from 10 to 14 hours second stage of labour can take one to two hours to push your baby out third stage can last five to 45 minutes fourth stage is the first two hours after birth. If you have had a baby before, the: first stage of labour can last from five to eight hours second stage can last from five minutes to an hour.

In this guide: When does labour start? During this time the cervix opens up slowly and painfully to 4cm. From then on the labour is considered "active", which according to the Friedman curve, means the cervix is meant to open up by at least 1cm an hour.

If the cervix doesn't progressively open after any two-hour period, then you have fallen off the Friedman curve and could be given oxytocin, a drug that makes contractions stronger and pushes labour along, or even a caesarean section if there are worries about the wellbeing of mother or baby. What this latest research says is that labour is taking longer than when Friedman drew his curve.

It is not completely clear why, because lots of things are different. Now it takes 6. Almost all women would give birth within Laughon's study compared data from about 40, women from with data from 98, women from These times are very much averages though, your labour could be much shorter or longer depending on different factors. What does each stage of labour mean?

There are three stages to labour and birth. It may surprise you to know that stage two and stage three - when everything happens — are the shortest. Most time is spent during the first stage - preparing for the birth.

The phases of labour are: First stage of labour The first stage of labour begins with early labour, or the latent phase. The second stage of labour The second stage of labour is when your cervix is fully dilated to 10cm, and this is when you push your baby down and out into the world. The third stage of labour The third stage is when you deliver the placenta. You can either have an injection to help it detach from your womb, or wait for it to happen naturally.

What is early labour the latent phase? The latent phase of labour marks the start of the first stage of labour. These are all signs that things are moving along. You may have friends or family members who recall their labours lasting two days or three days. Although this phase is uncomfortable, it's nothing like as intense as active labour and the second stage.

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