The 12 or so hours of labor may be a breeze or hit you like a hurricane, be a joyful event or make you downright miserable. The term labor is precise and indicates hard work. Here's what you can expect. During the last weeks of pregnancy, new changes will signal the approaching birth. Much of early labor is spent thinning out the cervix.
Active labor is consistent, persistent and intense.
At around about 40 weeks into your pregnancy, the time to give birth to your child will finally arrive. You will have a number of options available to you when deciding how you would like to deliver your baby - dependent on any complications at the time of birth. Before considering artificial induction, women may choose to investigate natural, non-invasive methods of encouraging labor when 40 to 43 weeks pregnant. Since this is such a common experience it could be seen as comforting, a bond among women, a fundamental truth that confirms our special biological role and affirms the importance of our contribution to society. More often, however, it is seen as a blight, an unnecessary imposition, an affliction we must bear as the price for bearing children.