Updated April 19, 2025
If you are pregnant or hoping to be in the future, you may have begun thinking about childbirth. You may conjure up images from the movies of a woman’s water breaking (like a gigantic waterfall), the mad dash to the hospital, then her furious torrent of expletives at her partner in between tiring bouts of pushing.
Hollywood drastically misrepresents childbirth, and it does us no favors. While slower and less dramatic, childbirth in the real world is likely the greatest opportunity pregnant people have to showcase their strength, endurance, and mental fortitude.
To help you understand what actually happens during labor and offer you simple and tangible tips to more effectively prepare, we partnered with Birthsmarter Founder and ProNatal Advisory Board member Ashley Brichter, CCCE, CLC.
Read on to Learn:
- What Happens During Labor
- Stages of Labor (and What Occurs During Each)
- Important Preparation Tips
- How to Get Further Details on Stages 1 and 2
What Actually Happens During Labor?
Let us begin with a basic overview of what has to occur to get a baby out of the womb. Babies grow inside a muscular organ called the uterus, as shown in the image below. The bottom of the uterus is the cervix, which needs to open (or dilate) in order for baby to pass through the vaginal canal.
Note the following two things about the image above:
- The cervix is closed here and doesn’t look like it’d be very easy for baby to get out. Therefore, the first part of labor involves the cervix softening and – with the help of uterine contractions – effacing (or thinning) and dilating (or opening) to allow baby to pass through. Under optimal conditions, this occurs physiologically with the release of hormones and the power of uterine contractions.
- The cervical opening (where baby’s head will come through) does not line up with the vaginal opening (where baby must come out of). This means the baby will have to perform a series of movements and rotations to get aligned with the vaginal opening. While this sounds quite complicated, in most cases, babies are actually pre-programmed to do this. Watch this fascinating video on the cardinal movements human babies perform to navigate the complex trip down the birth canal.
So, in short, three things must occur before pushing begins:
- The cervix must soften to allow the baby to pass through.
- The uterus must contract to push the baby downward and also pull the cervix up and out of the way.
- The baby must rotate to get aligned with the vaginal opening.
Now let’s dive into the process of how these actions occur during labor. The medical community often breaks the labor process down into three stages. We’ll briefly provide an overview of those stages below, then dive deeper into the first two stages in the following posts.
Stages of Labor (Overview)
Labor is often broken down into the following three stages:
- Stage 1 (Uterine Contractions and Cervical Dilation): This is the stage when the uterus is contracting, and the cervix is softening to allow baby to pass through. When baby’s head presses against the cervix, the pressure triggers the release of prostaglandins. The release of prostaglandins causes the cervix to thin and signals the body to release oxytocin. Oxytocin serves as the catalyst for uterine contractions, which typically start short and mild, and gradually grow longer and (much) stronger. The whole process of Stage 1 labor takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days – and is often longer for first-time pregnancies.
- Stage 2 (Delivery of the Baby): Stage 2 is the “pushing stage” (the one we know so well from Hollywood). Pushing can occur once the baby is in position and the cervix is fully dilated (open and out of the way). The length of Stage 2 varies widely by individual. Those giving birth for the first time typically – but not always – have longer Stage 2 labors (up to 2 hours). Those who have had prior births often have shorter Stage 2 labors – even as short as a few minutes. The birthing parent’s position, fetal position, strength, stamina, pushing timing and technique all play a role as well.
- Stage 3 (Delivery of the Placenta): Say what? There’s a stage AFTER the baby comes out? Yes, once the baby has been delivered, and everyone in the room is flooded with elation and emotion, there is one last stage of actually “birthing” the placenta. This entirely new organ, grown to nourish the baby, sometimes comes out with very little effort. Other times it may require work to push it out. Sometimes contractions occur, and other times, they do not. Either way, the placenta is often delivered within a half an hour after childbirth.
So there you have it – childbirth in a nutshell. Before we breakdown Stages 1 and 2 in detail, there is one important factor to discuss that impacts every tip we will share throughout the next two posts. Let’s discuss that first.
Specific Labor Preparation Techniques
To learn specific techniques and strategies to help you physically and mentally prepare for labor, see our articles below:
Additional Preparation Resources
One of the very best things you can do to prepare your mind and body for labor is to take a childbirth education class. There are many programs you can choose from — including local ones offered by your hospital or other groups. Of all the programs out there, we love Birthsmarter for their empowering and compassionate approach to all things birth. Their wide variety of classes are taught with a wonderful balance of evidence-based data, history, biology, evolution, common sense, and critical thinking. We also love that they offer in-person, live virtual, and on-demand options.
We also love that Birthsmarter offers a “pay what you can” policy to ensure that childbirth education can be accessible for everyone, but you can also use code PRONATAL10 to get 10% off a virtual class or support group.
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