Pregnancy > Labor & Delivery

Pregnancy Labor and Delivery

From the best ways to manage labor pain to the phases of labor and the labor procedures you'll undergo, learn as much as you can now about what to expect when you deliver the child you're so eager to hold in your arms.
In This Section

Preparing for Labor

preparing for childbirth
12 Ways You Can Prepare for Labor
pregnant woman taking a childbirth education class
Your Guide to Birthing Classes
making a birth plan
How to Create a Birth Plan
pregnant tour
Taking a Hospital (or Birthing Center) Tour During Pregnancy
pack for hospital pregnancy
Hospital Bag Checklist
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Signs of Labor

labor signs
Signs of Labor
contractions labor
Labor Contractions: What Do Contractions Feel Like?
preterm labor
Signs of Preterm Labor
contractions braxton hicks
Braxton Hicks Contractions and False Labor

Pain Management Options

labor pain relief options
Your Labor Pain Management Options
epidural
Epidural for Labor Pain
planned natural birth
'Natural' Birth Without Pain Medication
woman in bed giving birth
How Hypnobirthing Can Help You Get the Birth You Want
woman in labor holding nitrous oxide mask during labor
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) for Pain Relief During Labor
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Delivery Options

delivering at a birth center
Delivering at a Birth Center
home birth
What to Know Before Having a Planned Home Birth
water birth
Is a Water Birth Right for You?
birth at hospital
Delivering in a Hospital: What All Moms Need to Know
mom and dad in delivery room
Who Should Be in the Delivery Room When You're Giving Birth?
doula hire
What Is a Doula and Should You Hire One for Your Baby's Birth?
what is a midwife, doctor or midwife examining newborn baby
What Is a Midwife and Should You Hire One for Your Pregnancy and Baby's Birth?
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What Happens During Labor

labor positions
Labor and Birthing Positions
pregnant woman giving birth, pregnant woman having a baby, pregnant woman in the delivery room, vaginal birth
Giving Birth by Vaginal Delivery
baby is delivered as mom pushes baby out
How to Push During Labor
phases of labor birth
What Are the Stages of Labor and How Long Does Labor Last?
placenta delivery
Delivering the Placenta
emergency labor
How to Deliver a Baby in an Emergency
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All About Cesarean Sections

delivering c section
Having a C-Section (Cesarean Section)
vaginal birth after c section
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
woman having a C-section
8 Things You May Not Know About Having a C-Section
woman caring for her C-section scar
C-Section Scars: Care Basics During and After Healing
woman breastfeeding baby after a C-section
Breastfeeding After a C-Section
seeding c-section babies
Can Vaginal Seeding Benefit Babies After a C-Section?
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Procedures and Interventions

woman in labor in pain, labor and delivery augmentation and procedures
Labor Augmentation
electronic fetal monitoring
Electronic Fetal Monitoring
woman in labor, artificial rupturing of membranes, labor and delivery interventions and procedures
Amniotomy (Artificial Rupture of Membranes) During Labor
labor induction
Inducing Labor: What Happens When You're Induced?
iv during labor
Routine IV During Labor
episiotomy
Episiotomy During Labor and Delivery
pitocin induction, pregnant woman in hospital
What Is Pitocin Induction?
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Real Moms' Stories

I found out halfway through labor that I couldn't get an epidural
How I Found Out Halfway Through Labor I Couldn't Get an Epidural
Anxiety about giving birth
I Was Terrified of Giving Birth — Until I Actually Went Into Labor
What it's like when your best friend delivers your baby
What Happens When Your Best Friend Delivers Your Baby
My birth story: a surprise baby and a planned C-section
A Whirlwind Romance, Surprise Baby and a Planned C-Section
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Latest

contractions labor
What Do Labor Contractions Feel Like?
epidural shortage
Epidural Shortages in Canada 'Unlikely' to Impact U.S. Births, Experts Say
labor positions
The Best Labor and Birthing Positions for a Comfortable Delivery
woman in labor back
What Is Back Labor?
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What Parents Are Saying...
What Parents Are Saying...
More than 4,000 people are talking about birthing options in our community groups.
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