First stage: from the onset of regular painful contractions associated
with descent of the presenting part and progressive dilatation of the
cervix until the cervix is fully dilated.
the provision of skilled care and avoidance of complications during
the second stage of labor have been relatively neglected. These guidelines
are intended to strengthen policy and frameworks for care provision
to enable providers to attend to women in the second stage of
labor in line with current evidence-based recommendations for practice
to optimize outcomes for mother and baby. The document is
not intended as a formal systematic review of the literature, but
aims to identify important clinical, programmatic, and policy issues
that require attention.
The 3 stages of labor are conventionally defined as: