Normal Delivery :
Normal delivery or normal labor if it is spontaneous in onset and at term (ie,. after 37 weeks of pregnancy), with vertex presentation, without any undue prolongation, natural termination (expulsion of the baby) with minimal aids and without having any complications affecting the health of the mother and /or the baby. It begins with onset of labour which is marked by rhythmic contractions of the uterus that helps to dilate and efface the cervix. The intensity and frequency of contractions increase with time and the duration between each contraction decreases. In case of a primi gravida (first time pregnancy) the duration of labor may take between 12-15 hours and much less in a multiparous woman (woman who had a child before).
There are four stages of labor that includes, 1st stage which starts from onset of true labor pain till full dilatation of cervix (lasts from 6-12hours), 2nd stage which starts from full dilatation of cervix to expulsion of the baby (lasts between 2hrs -30 minutes), 3rd stage which begins with expulsion of fetus and ends in expulsion of the placenta (weighs about 500gms, attached to the fetus through umblical cord), 4th stage is stage of observation for 1 hour of mother and the baby.