The Big Day

The time has finally come! But do you know what to expect over the course of the next few hours? Labor can be broken down into four different stages; early, active, transition, and pushing

Early labor
This part of labor is the longest part. Early labor can last for several hours, during which you need to make sure to keep your wife hydrated, calm, and as comfortable as possible. The best way to tell when your wife enters the early stage of labor, is that her contractions will begin to occur at regular intervals; typically 10 minutes apart.

Active Labor
The second stretch of the labor process, active labor is usually shorter and more intense than early labor. Active labor is the stage in which you will want to head to the hospital or call your midwife/doctor to come to you. This stage can last for a few hours and your wife's contractions will be more intense and last up to a minute or so.

Transition
The transition stage is the wildest part of the labor process yet. The contractions will kick into over-drive lasting between 60 and 90 seconds and only being a few minutes apart. However, this is also the shortest stage lasting anywhere for 15 minutes to an hour. This is the fun sprint for your wife's body to prepare for childbirth.

Pushing
This stage of labor is the most intense yet. Unlike what is seen on T.V., this stage is not a quick one. Pushing can last up to an hour and a half in some cases. During this stage, you have a lot of work to do. You will need to be by your wife's side coaching her. It is very important to make sure that you keep your wife encouraged to keep going. Talk to her, tell her how proud you are and thank her for enduring this pain to bring your child into the world. The only time you should stop giving your wife encouraging words is if she tells you to shut up.