This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Expecting Better" by Emily Oster. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
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We all know that women go into labor to deliver children. But what does it actually feel like, and what happens?
Here, author Emily Oster explains what it’s like to go into labor.
What’s Labor Like?
Here’s a timeline of labor:
First Stage: Dilation (few hours to a few days)
- Early Labor: 1-3 cm (least pain)
- Mild and infrequent contractions
- Sometimes not even noticeable over weeks(!)
- Active Labor: 3-7 cm (more intense)
- Transition: 7-10 cm (horrible, but quicker)
- Contractions can come every 2 minutes and last 90 seconds
Second Stage: Pushing (few minutes to a few hours)
Third Stage: Placenta (short)
Generally, labor progresses at an average of 1 cm of dilation per hour, but this rate can be slower in early labor (2 hours without any change in dilation) and speeds up near the end (going from 7 to 10 cm in < 90 minutes).
If the cervix doesn’t open quickly enough, you can be given Pitocin to induce contractions or a C-section if the baby’s heart rate is dropping.
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Here's what you'll find in our full Expecting Better summary :
- Why much parenting advice you hear is confusing or nonsense
- The most reliable way to conceive successfully
- How much alcohol research shows you can drink safely while pregnant (it's more than zero)
- The best foods to eat, and what foods you really should avoid
