If you are a first time mom, this phase may last from anywhere around an hour to three hours. If you have delivered a baby vaginally before, this phase may last an hour or less.

When the dilation is complete, the doctor would ask you to start pushing. This is the time when all the breathing practice that you did during the childbirth classes would be put into use. After the long tiring dilation phases, the baby is ready to come out.

The contractions still continue though at a slightly lesser pace. You are asked to push along with the contractions, and you by yourself, have a strong urge to push. This combination of pushing along with the contractions, takes your attention away from the pain of the contractions to some extent.

Since by now you would have been totally worn out by the contractions, you would also get a good feeling that the labor is almost over. It is the last part and the baby and your body would all be helping to make this phase as short as possible.

You should use the pushing and breathing methods that you might have learned during your childbirth classes. These days, the instructors in the classes, and the doctors and nurses in the labor room, prefer to have you push in several increments during each contraction. Pushing too hard, might have consequences similar to pushing through a not fully dilated cervix. Secondly, when you push slow, the vaginal tissues get the time to stretch which can prevent several complications like tearing of the cervix or creating bruises on the baby’s head.

As the baby’s head moves out, the edges of the vagina get a burning sensation which is like a natural procedure to anesthetize the vaginal tissues. The best practice is to let that happen – as it is something natural that is happening for your own good.

Once the head of the baby is little bit out, you would be asked to not push. The contractions are enough to help the baby’s head come out at the pace it should. The doctor might massage the area a bit to prevent tearing of the perineum.

It does not take very long before the head is pushed out completely. As soon as the head is out, the nurses take steps to help the baby breathe by cleaning the baby’s nose and mouth. The contractions keep pushing the baby out and as soon as the shoulders are out, the rest of the body of the baby just slips out.

Congratulations!

Soon you would hear the baby’s cry but do not worry if you do not. If the baby is breathing fine, there is no need for the baby to come out crying. These days, the nurses clean up the throat by putting a tube inside the baby through the mouth or the nose. This takes out any mucus or clog and helps the baby to breathe with no problems.

Well, the baby by now has come out, but would still be connected to you through the umbilical cord which is cut as soon as the baby is out breathing on its own or within a few minutes.

Now is the time to hold your precious little present close to your heart! Most experts believe that the baby if breast fed during the first hour after birth, learns the process of sucking and feeding in a much easy way.