Labor & Delivery

Vaginal deliveries typically follow four stages:

• First stage: Early labor, active labor and transition
• Second stage: Pushing and birth
• Third stage: Delivery of the placenta
• Fourth stage: Uterus returns to its original size

Early labor

You start to notice contractions, or tightening sensations in your abdomen. If you are at least 37 weeks, expecting a single baby and have no medical complications, you should continue to stay at home until it is difficult to breathe or talk through contractions.

Call your provider or come to the hospital if:

• You experience vaginal bleeding that’s heavier than spotting
• You notice your baby moving less
• Your contractions are less than five minutes apart for several hours
• Your water breaks

Active labor

Your contractions are longer, more intense and may occur every two to five minutes. For people giving birth for the first time, active labor can last about four to eight hours.

Transition

Your contractions intensify even more and are about two to three minutes apart.

Pushing and birth

Your cervix will be fully dilated to 10 centimeters. You may feel the urge to push. This stage can last up to two hours for people giving birth for the first time.

After delivery

You deliver the placenta and may feel chills or shakiness. After delivering the placenta, your uterus begins returning to its original size. Many people feel light cramping during this stage.

Your baby experiences critical growth and development during your last month of pregnancy. You may be tempted to schedule a cesarean delivery ahead of the full term. But this approach doesn’t always bring benefits to you or your baby.

During your last few weeks of pregnancy, your baby:

• Develops lung, liver, eye and ear function
• Gains necessary weight
• Grows by one‑third

Induced labor vs. natural labor

There are always risks to labor, but those risks increase when inducing labor before 39 weeks. You should wait for full‑term labor, if you can, because:

• A cesarean section is a major surgery, and you’ll need more time to recover.
• Each cesarean increases your risk of complications in future pregnancies.
• Inducing labor might not work, and a failed induction increases your risk of bleeding and infection.

However, there are some cases when it’s medically necessary to go into labor early, such as when you have:

• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• High blood pressure
• Problems with the placenta
• Risk of infection

Although you may plan on a vaginal delivery, there are times when an unscheduled or emergency cesarean delivery (also called a c‑section) is necessary. During a cesarean delivery, your doctor delivers your baby through a surgical incision in your stomach and uterus. Your doctor may require a cesarean delivery if:

• Labor is not progressing
• The umbilical cord is pinched or wrapped
• There is a problem with the placenta
• They detect an irregular heartbeat in your baby
• Your baby is breech (PDF)(Opens in a new tab)
• Your baby is too large for vaginal delivery
• Your contractions are weak

To learn more about the risks and benefits of cesarean delivery, watch our Elective Primary Cesarean video. You may also sign up here for cesarean‑specific childbirth classes, including:

• Cesarean Birth
• The Elective Cesarean Option

Everyone’s needs for pain management during labor are unique. Your goals, pain tolerance, support during labor and history of trauma can all affect your pain management preferences.

Discuss pain management options with your provider before labor and delivery. Pain management techniques and options may include:

• Aromatherapy or visualizations
• Counter‑pressure, massage and other hands-on techniques
• Deep breathing, walking and changing positions
• Pain medication (epidural analgesia), if desired

When it’s time to you have your baby, the last thing you want to do is fill out paperwork. We offer two ways to pre‑register:

Pre‑register online with My CS-Link
If you have a My CS‑Link account, you can complete and submit the pre-admission form in a few simple steps:

1. Sign into My CS‑Link, or set up your account.
2. Click on “Register for My Delivery” under “Find Care."
3. Input your expected due date and select Cedars‑Sinai as the location.
4. Verify that your personal information is correct.
5. Complete the pre‑admissions questionnaire and submit the form.

Pre‑register by mail or fax
If you’d like to complete your pre‑admission form by fax or mail, you may:

1. Download the pre‑admissions form (PDF)(Opens in a new tab)
2. Fax or mail us your completed form along with a copy of a non‑expired, government‑issued photo ID and insurance card to:
   ATTN: Preregistration Department
   8700 Beverly Blvd., South Tower, Suite 1740E
   Los Angeles, CA 90048
   Fax: 323‑866‑7970

If you have questions about the admitting process to Labor & Delivery at Cedars‑Sinai, please call 310‑423‑3601.