Active labor and transition

This topic covers the active phase of the first stage of labor and transition. The papers include reference entries on normal labor, on the physiology of cervical dilation and pregnancy contractions, and on abnormal and hypotonic labor. A review of the latent phase of labor and a review of labor dystocia in nulliparous women help show where active labor sits within the course of labor.

Pain relief is touched on through a practice bulletin on obstetric analgesia and anesthesia. Beyond that, the set is mostly descriptive: it explains what the cervix and uterus are doing, rather than testing interventions. Questions about how progress should be defined and when labor is judged to be slow are ones the research continues to examine.

Parents often ask what active labor feels like, how contractions change, and what transition means. An educator may want slides that describe the physical changes in plain terms and acknowledge that experiences differ from person to person. The papers below are the ones the Hub tracks on this topic.