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Failure to Progress

This term, failure to progress, is simply that. Dilatation of the cervix and descent of the fetus fail to occur despite efforts to correct it. In the recent past, this diagnosis has taken some criticism due its use (or overuse)…

Protractions and Arrests of Descent

Once the cervix is fully dilated, the baby goes through an elaborate dance, called the “mechanisms of labor”, to negotiate and descend through the mother’s pelvic bones. Usually, this process of descent takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. During this…

Protractions and Arrests of Dilatation

Protractions and arrests of dilatation happen much more commonly with first-time mothers than with experienced mothers. It’s as though the uterus is inexperienced during the first labor. As many as 30% of first-time mothers will have a protraction or arrest…

Prolonged Latent Phase

If you have been contracting regularly for a period of 20 hours (14 hours if you’ve had a baby before) without a measurable change in your cervix, your midwife or doctor may make a diagnosis of “prolonged latent phase”. Under…

Problems involving the Powers

The uterus is essentially a hollow muscle. When this muscle contracts it transmits its force in the direction of the vagina. Thus, anything inside the uterus is pushed down and out. Problems involving this force are some of the most…

Problems involving the Passage

Generally, problems with the passage involve restrictions in the size of the hole through the bony part of the pelvis. Although the muscles and ligaments inside the pelvis may present some obstacle, this “soft tissue” (as opposed to bone) will…

Problems involving the Passenger

Size and position of the baby are the factors involved in problems with the passenger. Simply speaking, the passenger’s size must be somewhat smaller than the hole through the bones of the pelvis (the passage). Nature provides some mechanisms (both…

The Progress of Normal Labor

What is “normal labor”? That’s a tough question. The answer probably lies within the answer to another question, “What is a normal human being?” In an effort to define normal labor, an overly simplistic model has emerged. The model is…

The Course of Labor

Midwives and doctors commonly divide labor into 2 phases, Latent Phase (also known as, early labor) and Active Phase. This is a gross oversimplification of the entire process. This model which largely negates the preparatory process (described above) as a…

The Body Prepares for Labor

Days and weeks before you go into labor, your body is preparing the uterus and cervix for the process. One way to think of this is that the uterus needs to be awakened from its 10-month slumber. It is this…