What to Expect

Pre-labour

Pre-labour is the period before labour begins when the woman experiences irregular uterine tightenings or contractions which soften and thin the cervix , a process called effacement . These...Read more
Early Labour

In Early Labour the cervix begins to dilate from closed to 4-6 centimetres dilated. The difference between Early Labour and the previous phase of Pre-Labour is that the contraction pattern...Read more
Established Labour

In Established Labour, the cervix opens up from 4-6 centimetres to 7-8 centimetres. Contractions become longer in length (50 seconds +), more intense and closer together. This is caused by...Read more
Transition

This is the phase between Established Labour and the Birth , where the cervix dilates from 7 or 8 centimetres throught to 10 centimetres or full dilatation. Contractions are at their most...Read more
The Birth

Once the woman is known to be 10 centimetres or fully dilated or she has an overwhelming urge to push, the Birth Stage or (Second Stage) has begun. The urge to push is triggered by the baby...Read more
The First Hour

The first hour after the birth is a highly significant time for the new parents and the baby. The woman's body releases lifetime high levels of the hormones involved in mothering, bonding...Read more
Risks of Vaginal Birth

Rates of physiological or 'natural' vaginal birth are very low in Australia (Li et al. 2012). As a result, research which compares caesarean birth with vaginal birth is on the whole...Read more
Am I in labour?

Typically, a woman is given lots of notice that her body is going into labour. This is part of the protective design of the birth process. It means that she will have enough time to prepare...Read more
Breech Birth

Around 3-5% of babies remain in the breech position (bottom down) when they reach 37 weeks. If your baby is breech, there is a 50% likelihood that they will rotate to a head down position...Read more
Benefits of Caesarean Birth

The modern 'bikini line' caesarean section has developed as a relatively safe surgical operation for the mother and baby. It will never be possible to properly compare the safety of...Read more
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