Labor & Delivery

What to Expect During Labor and Delivery

Planning for Delivery

• Choose a support person: This person should be available during your labor and be aware of your choices for labor and delivery.
• Pre-register at your birthing center
• Plan for transportation: Including a trial drive, ensuring you have enough gas, and practicing using your baby’s car seat.
• Arrange for childcare: You may need to have one plan for daytime hours and one for the night. If children need to remain with you during your hospital stay a designated adult is required to supervise them. This should be a different person than your support person.

What to Bring to the Hospital

• Toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, comb, and brush
• Robe, nightgown, slippers
• Nursing or support bra
• Clothes for you and your baby to wear home
• Book or magazine
• Items you use for relaxation
• Phone and charger
• Blanket to take baby home
• Pillows (keep in a bright colored pillowcase)
• Snacks for your support person

Who Is Part of the Hospital Care Team?

During labor and delivery, our care team will help you through the process. Our diverse care team includes nurses, physicians, midwives, and many other individuals. At some facilities, there are physicians in training, who are medical doctors who have completed medical school and are undergoing specialized training in a particular field of medicine. They work under the supervision of the attending physician.

Signs of Labor

It may be hard to tell if you are in labor. During the last months of pregnancy, your uterus will contract (tighten) as it prepares for labor. These are called Braxton-Hicks contractions and are not usually painful.

True active labor contractions are usually painful, and you may be unable to talk or move during them. Time how far apart contractions are (from the start of one contraction to the start of the next one). Also, time how long each contraction lasts. If you think your water has broken, note the time when the fluid began leaking, the color of the fluid, and the amount.

Pinkish spotting (bloody show) may be normal after 37 weeks, particularly after you have had a vaginal exam, have had sex, or are in early labor. Your baby should continue to move regularly. As the baby gets bigger, movement may change to more kicking and less whole-body movement.

Call your provider if:

• You’re having contractions every five minutes
• You think your water has broken
• You experience bright red bleeding
• You don’t feel regular movement

What Does Labor Feel Like? 

During labor, your uterus (which is made up of muscles) will tighten and relax. This causes your cervix to open. Once the cervix is fully open (dilated), you will start to push the baby down through the birth canal.

Every labor is different, but labor usually starts out slowly, with cramps. The cramps become stronger and closer together. Your amniotic sac (bag of water) may break on its own before or during labor. Sometimes, your provider will break your water if it has not broken on its own. This is not any more uncomfortable than a vaginal exam. The amniotic fluid may feel warm as it leaks out. The fluid will continue to leak during labor. Your contractions may or may not feel stronger to you after your water has broken. You may need to wear a sanitary pad if you are out of bed or walking. 

Pain Management

Relaxation and breathing techniques can help throughout your labor. If possible, you should attend childbirth classes to learn these important coping strategies.

Every labor is an individual experience. Some individuals manage labor pain by taking warm showers or baths, having a support person massage them, listening to soothing music, and thinking about images of the baby being born. Many people choose some form of medication to ease the pain of labor, including intravenous (medication injected in your vein), intramuscular (a shot), inhaled (laughing gas), or epidural pain relief.

An anesthesiologist who is experienced in providing obstetric pain relief is available to answer any questions you may have about epidural pain relief. All medications have risks and benefits. For more information about pain relief measures, talk with your provider.