THE 3 STAGES OF LABOUR

1 PRE-LABOUR Also known as the latent phase, this is when your cervix thins out and begins to dilate (up to around three centimetres). It can last several hours or days and may even stop for a day or more and then restart. 2 ACTIVE LABOUR Also called established labour, contractions become strong and intense as the cervix dilates from around four to seven centimetres. 3 TRANSITION The cervix dilates from around seven to 10 centimetres, considered to be a complete dilation. There is little break between contractions and many women feel like they can’t do it anymore (you can!). This is followed by a strong urge to push.