Labor, Birth & Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring

Labor progresses through three stages: the first stage (from onset of true labor to full cervical dilation, itself divided into latent, active, and transition phases), the second stage (full dilation through delivery of the baby), and the third stage (delivery of the placenta) — a fourth stage, the first 1–4 hours after birth, is often added for recovery monitoring, since this is when postpartum hemorrhage risk is highest. True labor is distinguished from false labor (Braxton Hicks) by contractions that increase in frequency, duration, and intensity, don't stop with rest or hydration, and are accompanied by progressive cervical change.