Labour & Birth

Find out how to get ready for the birth including making a birth plan.

If it's your first pregnancy, you may feel unsure about when you should go into hospital or a midwifery unit. The best thing to do is to call your hospital or unit for advice.

Read about how to tell if you're in labour.

What you'll need for labour and birth. Get a few things ready at least 3 weeks before your due date.

Signs that labour has begun - Know the signs. 

Call your midwife or maternity unit if:

• your waters break
• you have vaginal bleeding
• your baby is moving less than usual
• you're less than 37 weeks pregnant and think you might be in labour

Before inducing labour, you'll be offered a membrane sweep, also known as a cervical sweep, to bring on labour.

An induced labour is one that's started artificially. Sometimes labour can be induced if your baby is overdue or there's any risk to you or your baby's health.

• Latent stage of labour
• Established labour (1st stage of labour)
• 2nd stage of labour
• 3rd stage of labour

Assisted delivery. An assisted birth (also known as an instrumental delivery) is when forceps or a ventouse suction cup are used to help deliver the baby.

An umbilical cord prolapse usually happens during labour but can occur when the waters break before labour starts. Please read the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guidelines on Umbilical cord prolapse in late pregnancy.