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.

Evidence for Having a Water Birth

Making a Birth Plan

Water Birth Safety

Lithotomy Positioning

Benefits and Risks of Forceps (Ventouse) Delivery

Natural Childbirth

Signs Labor Has Begun

Assisted Birth: Forceps or Vacuum Delivery

What Happens When your Waters Break?

Anal Sphincter Injury During Childbirth

What do Contractions Feel Like?

See more featured articles »

How to Relieve Pain During Labor

Complications of the third stage of labor

The External Cephalic Version Process

What is a Transverse Baby?

Active management of the third stage of labor

Heel Prick Test / Guthrie Test

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Birth-related PTSD may go undiagnosed among thousands of new mothers

Tens of thousands of new mums across Britain may be suffering undiagnosed PTSD following childbirth, according to a University of East Anglia report.

27 Aug 2026

Hospital intervention reduces stillbirths and newborn deaths in Africa

A combination of training, quality improvement and leadership support in hospitals across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to fewer stillbirths and deaths among newborns during the first 24 hours of life.

26 Aug 2026

Psychological factors determine maternal readiness to care for newborns

The first days after childbirth are a time of profound change – not only physically, but emotionally as well. Although the rooming-in model, in which mothers and newborns stay together around the clock, is standard practice in maternity wards, not every woman feels ready to care for her baby independently from the very first hours after delivery.

20 Aug 2026

Health visitor support helps mothers stay smoke-free after childbirth

Women who receive health visitor support alongside smoking relapse prevention advice are more likely to remain smoke-free after childbirth, according to University of East Anglia (UEA) research.

18 Aug 2026

Intravenous iron use among Australian women climbs dramatically over the past decade

The number of Australian women receiving intravenous iron treatments has surged dramatically over the past decade, with new research revealing that one in 20 women of reproductive age received intravenous iron in 2024.

18 Aug 2026

Placental biology breakthrough could make biologic medicines safer during pregnancy

Biologic medicines have transformed the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, migraine, inflammatory disorders and many other diseases.

14 Aug 2026

Study shows how the immune system behaves throughout pregnancy

New research shows how the immune system actually behaves throughout pregnancy – cell by cell. In women with lupus, the immunological differences also persist after birth.

14 Aug 2026

Childhood overweight linked to lower childbirth rates later in reproductive life

Women with childhood overweight or obesity trajectories had lower hazards of childbirth from their mid-20s onward, with the strongest associations emerging after age 30. Childhood BMI trajectories were generally not associated with diagnosed infertility, suggesting that biological infertility alone may not explain the reduced childbirth rates.

11 Aug 2026

Study reveals geographic gaps in breastfeeding initiation across America

A nationwide analysis led by a UC Riverside (Calif.) professor provides one of the clearest pictures yet of where mothers are least likely to begin breastfeeding their babies in the United States and what circumstances associate with lower rates.

20 Jul 2026

Chrononutrition shows promise for postpartum weight management

New research has found that eating habits that align most closely with a woman's existing routine show promise for losing postpartum baby weight, especially for mothers earlier in the postpartum period.

20 Jul 2026

Routine midwife debriefing provides critical mental health support for mothers

A new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that a structured, midwife‑led birth debrief can significantly strengthen women's emotional wellbeing after childbirth and can be built into routine maternity care.

9 Jul 2026

Biohub researchers use artificial intelligence to uncover new psoriasis targets

Biohub researchers performed what they believe is the first genome-wide CRISPR study of primary human adult skin cells, then used an AI model to mine the results for overlooked drug targets for psoriasis.

8 Jul 2026

Could IVF affect heart health after pregnancy?

Women with IVF-conceived pregnancies exhibit higher large artery stiffness, indicating potential cardiovascular risks that warrant further investigation.

7 Jul 2026

Uterine aging may reduce donor egg pregnancy success after 49

A major new study suggests that age-related changes in the uterus may contribute to poorer pregnancy outcomes, with women aged 49 and over experiencing lower live birth rates and higher miscarriage risk despite donor-oocyte treatment.

5 Jul 2026

Biological heart valves support safer pregnancies despite reoperation risks

In severe disease of the aortic valve, choosing a new heart valve is especially difficult for young women who want to become pregnant.

1 Jul 2026

Researchers identify key predictors for mother-infant bonding difficulties

Mother-to-infant bonding difficulties (MIBD) are commonly associated with postnatal depression. MIBD has been linked to developmental delays and child abuse.

30 Jun 2026

Difficult childbirth is not unique to humans, study finds

The tight fit of a baby's head through a mother's birth canal, which causes great difficulty in childbirth, is not unique to humans, as previously understood.

29 Jun 2026

Common drug shows promise in preventing post-surgical liver failure

A multi-center study, co-led by researchers at Mayo Clinic and Michigan State University, found that patients who received tranexamic acid during liver surgery were three times less likely to develop post-hepatectomy liver failure than patients who received a placebo.

25 Jun 2026

Recognizing perinatal heart failure early reduces life-threatening risks

Early detection and timely treatment of heart failure in pregnant or postpartum women are crucial to prevent serious complications, such as irregular heartbeat, stroke and death, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement, "Heart Failure Occurring in the Perinatal Period."

25 Jun 2026

WHO data shows progress and persistent gaps in safe blood supply

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show sustained progress towards safer blood supplies globally but also highlight persistent inequalities in access to safe blood and weaknesses in governance, financing and regulation of blood systems.

12 Jun 2026