The normal time to give birth is between the 37th and 42nd week. Every birth starts differently. The course of labor depends on many factors. If you are giving birth for the first time, labor is often more difficult and takes a little longer. With all subsequent births, it often proceeds much more smoothly.
When to call
- During contractions
- 1st child (1 hour to 3 minutes)
- 2nd child (a 5 min)
- In case of ruptured membranes
- Clear and engaged (in the morning)
- Green, brown and doubt (immediate)
- Not engaged (lie down, call immediately)
- Extensive blood loss
- Worried/doubt
Emergency number: 010-4559709
Childbirth can be divided into three phases:
Dilation phase:
A normal delivery usually begins with a preliminary phase. During this time, you experience irregular contractions that are not yet very strong. In this phase, your body will prepare for the approaching delivery. During this phase, the cervix will often already become softer and change slightly in shape and position. Strong contractions are needed to advance dilation. These contractions last longer (1-1.5 minutes) than Braxton Hicks contractions and occur regularly, approximately every 3 to 5 minutes. You feel the contractions as a painful cramp shooting through your abdomen, back, and/or legs. The contractions become stronger and more painful as dilation progresses. They are most intense during the final centimeters of dilation (8-10 cm). From that moment on, we ensure continuous supervision by one of us and the maternity nurse. The midwife checks your dilation in centimeters via an internal examination.
Expulsion phase:
When you are ten centimeters dilated, you are sufficiently dilated for your baby to be born. The dilation contractions then transition into pushing contractions. At the peak of the contraction, you feel the urge to push. The expulsion phase lasts an average of 30 to 90 minutes for a first child. With subsequent children, it usually goes much faster, taking 5 to 30 minutes.
The postnatal period:
After the birth of the baby, the placenta follows. Due to contractions of the uterus, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. With a little pushing by the mother, the placenta often comes out within 30 minutes of the baby’s birth. That is a bit of a strange feeling, but it doesn’t really hurt. The uterus contracts and feels like a hard ball below the navel.
