Childbirth

When you are ready to have your baby, you'll go through labor. Contractions let you know labor is starting. When contractions are five minutes apart, your body is ready to push the baby out. During the first stage of labor, your cervix slowly opens, or dilates, to about 4 inches wide. At the same time, it becomes thinner. This is called effacement. You shouldn't push until your uterus is fully effaced and dilated. When it is, the baby delivery stage starts. Crowning is when your baby's scalp comes into view. Shortly afterward, your baby is born. The placenta that nourished the baby follows.

Breeched Birth: Caesarean Section or Vaginal Delivery?

Breech presentation is common in about 15% of pregnancies at 29 to 32 weeks.

Natural Childbirth

What is a Transverse Baby?

Anal Sphincter Injury During Childbirth

Active management of the third stage of labor

Heel Prick Test / Guthrie Test

Lithotomy Positioning

Evidence for Having a Water Birth

Water Birth Safety

What Happens When your Waters Break?

Assisted Birth: Forceps or Vacuum Delivery

Benefits and Risks of Forceps (Ventouse) Delivery

See more featured articles »

What do Contractions Feel Like?

Signs Labor Has Begun

Complications of the third stage of labor

Making a Birth Plan

How to Relieve Pain During Labor

The External Cephalic Version Process

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Evaluating the effects of dietary trends on reproductive outcomes

Researchers evaluated the effects of dietary trends on reproductive outcomes.

2 Jun 2023

Is having a new child associated with increased antidepressant treatment in men?

Study determines whether recent fatherhood was associated with increased antidepressant treatment.

2 Jun 2023

The first thousand days of development

Study provides a bird's-eye view of the significant moments of the first thousand days of life.

25 May 2023

Abortion bans are driving off doctors and closing clinics, putting basic health care at risk

The rush in conservative states to ban abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade is resulting in a startling consequence that abortion opponents may not have considered: fewer medical services available for all women living in those states.

24 May 2023

People receiving midwifery care during childbirth report positive experiences

People giving birth report more positive experiences when cared for by midwives in both hospitals and in community settings than by physicians, according to a new study published in the journal Reproductive Health.

23 May 2023

Bouncing towards comfort: Birthing and peanut balls proven safe and effective for labor pain relief

Scientists evaluate the safety and efficacy of birthing balls and peanut balls as nonpharmacologic interventions during labor. Findings indicate that birthing balls reduce maternal pain, and peanut balls decrease the duration of the first stage of labor, suggesting their effectiveness and safety as adjuncts to labor management techniques.

18 May 2023

Pregnancy and oral health: Unveiling the risks and awareness for mothers-to-be

Study examines the impact of pregnancy on oral health, including increased risks of gum disease and tooth decay. It also investigates women's self-assessment of oral health, health literacy, and awareness of the oral health-pregnancy connection.

15 May 2023

Does birth setting impact birth outcome?

In the USA, the vast majority of mothers deliver in hospitals, with less than 2% giving birth in birth centers or at home. However, few systematic attempts have been made to understand how the latter trend impacts maternal health. A new research paper published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology uses available data to conclude that hospital births provide better perinatal outcomes in all cases, with increased benefits in high-risk pregnancies.

14 May 2023

COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated childbirth fear among pregnant people

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated fear of childbirth among pregnant people in the U.S., according to a new Dartmouth study.

13 May 2023

Nervous system of people with post-Covid fatigue found to be underactive in three key areas

Experts from Newcastle University found the nervous system of people with post-Covid fatigue was underactive in three key areas. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of long Covid.

11 May 2023

Drive-thru baby showers serve express needs of pregnant veterans in Atlanta

When 28-year-old Navy veteran Carisma Carter pulled her car up to the front of the Atlanta VA Clinic, her seat was pushed far back from the steering wheel to make room for her big belly. Carter was 8 months pregnant.

11 May 2023

Elevated stress during COVID-19 pandemic changes the placenta in pregnant mothers

Elevated maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure, texture and other qualities of the placenta in pregnant mothers – a critical connection between mothers and their unborn babies – according to new research from the Developing Brain Institute at Children's National Hospital.

10 May 2023

New solution could provide a major breakthrough in reducing deaths from postpartum bleeding

A new solution, known as E-MOTIVE, could provide a major breakthrough in reducing deaths from childbirth-related bleeding, according to a landmark study published today by researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Birmingham.

9 May 2023

Many women in New York are waiting longer to have children, new data reveals

A decline in New York's childbirth rate is showing no sign of reversing and many women are waiting longer to have children, according to newly compiled data from the Program in Applied Demographics (PAD) in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.

8 May 2023

New campaign raises awareness among Latina mothers about the importance of blood pressure management

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms The American Heart Association, through the new campaign, "My health is our health"/ "Mi salud es nuestra salud" is raising awareness among Hispanic/ Latina moms, especially during pregnancy, about the importance of managing their blood pressure.

8 May 2023

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnancy induces diverging maternal and infant cord antibody functions

Researchers explored the differences in infant and maternal cord antibody functions between SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination during pregnancy.

4 May 2023

How does air pollution impact perinatal mental health?

Researchers show strong associations between air pollution and poor perinatal mental health.

2 May 2023

An overview of mothers’ lived pregnancy experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers aimed to understand mothers' experiences of pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

24 Apr 2023

Is there a link between psychiatric and reproductive system disorders in women?

Researchers investigate the comorbidity between psychiatric and reproductive system disorders in women. The study found a high rate of reported co-occurrence between psychiatric and reproductive disorders overall, with specific associations between polycystic ovary syndrome and depression/anxiety and chronic pelvic pain and depression/anxiety.

20 Apr 2023

Prenatal depression may be related to postpartum cardiovascular disease diagnosis

Individuals who were diagnosed with depression during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease within two years after giving birth than individuals without depression, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Apr 2023