normal labour / stages

Normal labour

Learning objectives:
1- understanding the physiology of parturition and, the factors (maternal and fetal) that leading to it.
2- to be able to diagnose labour
3- understanding the stages of labour
4- to distinguish between normal and abnormal labour
5- to learn the clinical approach and dealing with a woman with labour, from the time of diagnosis to the end of the 3rd stage of labour

Labour: is defined as the onset of a sequence of painful regular uterine contractions that results in progressive effacement and dilatation of the cervix with descent of the presenting part and voluntary bearing-down efforts leading to the expulsion of the products of conception through the vagina.

Stages of labour:
1- First stage: from the time of the beginning of labour until 10 cm cervical dilatation.
2- Second stage: the period between full cervical dilatation (10 cm) and delivery of the infant.
3- third stage: the period between the delivery of the infant and the delivery of the placenta.