Phases of labor: early, active and transition

Your client’s belly becomes hard, then soft again. During a contraction, the muscles of the uterus tighten. Between contractions, they relax.

Those contractions help open the cervix, the opening of the uterus. That opening is called dilation.

You offer comfort, reassurance, and information as labor unfolds. Your support is non-medical. You do not diagnose labor or make the client’s decisions.

Early labor is usually longer and less predictable than active labor. Contractions are usually irregular, about five to twenty minutes apart.

In active labor, contractions come more regularly, often three to five minutes apart, and keep getting stronger. When you join your client is set in your contract.

Transition is the hardest stretch: two to three minutes apart, up to ninety seconds long.

Your client expects their first baby; contractions are five minutes apart, one minute long, for an hour. They’re unsure: what do you suggest?

1. Rest and call back in the morning.
2. Call your obstetric care provider.
3. Wait until contractions are two minutes apart.

Answer: Call your obstetric care provider.. Call the provider when labor may have started or the client is unsure. When to call or go in is planned with their care team, and the client decides.

When it gets hard, offer slow, deep breathing during contractions to help your client relax. Offer reassurance and encouragement.

Next lesson: Stages of labor, plainly