Understanding The Secrets To Normal Labor & Natural Birth

So very often when talking with a first-time mum-to-be about Childbirth, their focus is all about the Birth, being somewhat still unaware of the enormity that before a birth, is the labor. That is why, as midwives, we refer to the event as Labor & Birth. (Labor is the cervix dilatating stage, and Birth is the pushing stage – and of course there is also a third stage, the AfterBirth being the Placenta).

Labor is called Labor, because it is laborious. And for a new mum, reflecting retrospectively after the birth, there is nearly always a blown-away awesome respect of just what LABOR entailed … a “I had no idea” reaction. And for most first-timers, Labor takes about three nights: Two overnights of Latent Labor, then the third night establishing into Active Labor. Sometimes quicker. Sometimes longer.

Bearing in mind advice from your midwife/obstetrician, Labor is about trusting your Body (and doing so can oftentimes be a real ‘first’ in a woman’s life, after years of trying to control her body). But your body has the collective history of millions of years evolving and knows how to do the primary life function of childbirth. So trust Mother Nature’s process – she has billions of women going before you.

Love & Light,

Kathy

Understanding The Secrets To Normal Labor & Natural Birth

So very often when talking with a first-time mum-to-be about Childbirth, their focus is all about the Birth, being somewhat still unaware of the enormity that before a birth, is the labor. That is why, as midwives, we refer to the event as Labor & Birth. (Labor is the cervix dilatating stage, and Birth is the pushing stage – and of course there is also a third stage, the AfterBirth being the Placenta).

Labor is called Labor, because it is laborious. And for a new mum, reflecting retrospectively after the birth, there is nearly always a blown-away awesome respect of just what LABOR entailed … a “I had no idea” reaction. And for most first-timers, Labor takes about three nights: Two overnights of Latent Labor, then the third night establishing into Active Labor. Sometimes quicker. Sometimes longer.

Bearing in mind advice from your midwife/obstetrician, Labor is about trusting your Body (and doing so can oftentimes be a real ‘first’ in a woman’s life, after years of trying to control her body). But your body has the collective history of millions of years evolving and knows how to do the primary life function of childbirth. So trust Mother Nature’s process – she has billions of women going before you.

Love & Light,

Kathy