LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Childbirth
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Childbirth (... called [L]abour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the delivery of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus. The process of human childbirth is categorized in 3 stages of labour. The first stage accomplishes the shortening and then the dilation of the cervix. It is deemed to have started when the cervix is 3 cm dilated, and ends with full dilation. Contractions begin in the first stage of labor although they may be irregular and sporadic at first. The second stage, often called the pushing stage, starts when the cervix is fully dilated and ends with the expulsion of the fetus.
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Childbirth can be a stressful event. As with any stressful event, strong emotions can be brought to the surface. Medicating the mother against her labor pain is a widespread practice in hospitals. Intravenously-administered drugs — although not, as discussed above, epidurals — may reach the infant's bloodstream through the umbilical cord, with uncertain effects.
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Childbirth usually begins spontaneously, following about 280 days after conception, but it may be started by artificial means if the pregnancy continues past 42 weeks gestation. The average length of labor is about 14 hours for a first pregnancy and about eight hours in subsequent pregnancies. However, many women experience a much longer or shorter labor.
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Save Time • Save Money • Stay at Home - Complete Preparation for Childbirth Class as taught in hospitals by Lamaze Educator. Learn everything you need to know about labor and delivery.
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Childbirth usually begins spontaneously, but it may be started by artificial means if the pregnancy continues past 41 weeks gestation. There are three signs that labor may be starting: rhythmical contractions of the uterus; leaking of the bag of waters (amniotic sac); and bloody show. The importance of the sign of contractions is in the rhythm and not the contractions. True labor contractions may start once every ten or 15 minutes or even at longer intervals, but gradually the interval decreases until they come every three to four minutes. The most important thing a woman can do at this phase is to remain relaxed. The bag of waters may leak slowly or may suddenly burst, and there is a gush of fluid.
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Childbirth is divided into three stages. The first stage is labor which lasts until the cervix is completely dilated. The second stage is delivery of the baby, which begins with pushing and ends with the birth of your baby. The third stage is afterbirth or the delivery of the placenta
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