You know what to expect from pregnancy after nine months, but what about during labour and delivery? Although vaginal birth is special, here’s what to expect in the hours leading up to, during, and after childbirth.

The location and station of the foetal head are determined by a vaginal examination; the head is typically the presenting part. When the cervix is completely dilated and the effacement is complete, the woman is advised to bear down and struggle with each contraction to shift the head through the pelvis and eventually dilate the vaginal introitus so that more and more of the head is noticeable. When 3 to 4 cm of the head is visible during a contraction in nulliparas (a little less in multiparas), certain manoeuvres will help with delivery and minimise the risk of perineal laceration.