Authors
What is labour and birth?
Labour and birth are key stages of your pregnancy journey, and having the right support in place can help you feel prepared and in control. At Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care, we provide consultant-led maternity care to support you and your baby before, during and after labour.
Every birth is unique, so we offer personalised care tailored to your needs. From helping you create a birth plan to guiding you through your options, including vaginal birth and caesarean section, our experienced multidisciplinary team ensures you feel informed and supported throughout.
Our private maternity service combines expert obstetric care with access to antenatal support and education, helping you prepare for labour and early parenthood with confidence. You’ll be cared for by dedicated consultants and midwives in a safe, supportive hospital environment at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
Experts in labour and birth
Our maternity team provides specialist care to support you through every stage of labour and delivery, offering:
- short-notice appointments with experienced obstetricians
- personalised birth plans tailored to you and your baby
- multidisciplinary support before, during and after birth
Signs of labour
Many different signs will indicate that you’re going into labour. It’s important to be able to recognise them so you can get to the hospital quickly.
Some of the common signs that labour might be starting are:
- contractions (tightening felt in your lower stomach and back)
- a ‘show’ (the mucus plug sealing your cervix comes away and can look pink, red or brown)
- an urge like needing the toilet as your baby’s head presses on your bowel
- your waters breaking (amniotic fluid drains from your vagina as the amniotic sac in which your baby is growing breaks)
Your waters might not always break unaided. If this happens, the midwife will break them when you’re in the hospital. If your waters break but you don’t go into labour within 24 hours, we will most likely induce (medically start) your labour, as there is a small increased risk of infection for your baby.
Labour can last hours or sometimes days; we may advise you to stay at home until your labour progresses.
What are the different stages of labour?
Once labour begins, you’ll probably feel some discomfort and pain that increases as it progresses.
Labour includes 3 stages:
- latent/established labour (first stage)
- the birth of your baby (second stage)
- delivering the placenta (third stage)
The latent stage is the very beginning of the first stage of labour. This is when you first experience signs of labour, such as irregular contractions that may be uncomfortable but not always painful.
You may have experienced Braxton Hicks contractions during your pregnancy, especially in your third trimester. These are also known as ‘practice contractions’ and are typically uncomfortable but not painful. Braxton Hicks contractions don’t get worse or last that long, and they usually don’t happen regularly.
If your contractions come at regular intervals, feel more painful, and increase in intensity over time, this is established labour.
When you’re in the early stages of labour, get as much rest as you can and eat and drink something nutritious to maximise your energy and strength for the following stages of labour.
Established labour
Established labour is the first stage of labour. Your cervix will be dilated to around 4 cm, and your contractions will be more pronounced and regular. At this point you will need to go to the hospital.
You should call your midwife if you experience the following:
- contractions happening more regularly than every 5 minutes
- your waters breaking
- your contractions are strong and you want pain relief
Once at the hospital, your midwife will check in on you and your baby regularly to see how your labour progresses. They’ll perform vaginal examinations to see how far your cervix has dilated. It needs to dilate to 10cm for your baby to pass through the birth canal.
Established labour can last between 8 and 18 hours, but may be faster if you’re in your second or third pregnancy.
Giving birth (second stage of labour)
Once you’re fully dilated, you can start delivering your baby.
Your midwife will help you find a comfortable position and guide you through pushing out your baby. This stage of labour is hard work but your midwife and birthing partner (if you wish to have one) will support you throughout.
If you’re having an elective (planned) C-section, then you do not need to be in established labour, as you’ll have a specific date to attend the hospital and deliver your baby.
Delivering the placenta (third stage of labour)
The final stage of labour occurs after your baby is born. Your womb will contract and the placenta (a temporary organ that provides oxygen and nutrients to your baby during pregnancy) will pass through your vagina.
This stage of labour can happen naturally, or it can be medically induced to speed it up. When creating your birth plan you can let your midwife know which you would prefer. Sometimes, you cannot deliver your placenta naturally and it must be induced. When your placenta has not been delivered naturally, it puts you at increased risk of heavy bleeding (haemorrhaging).
After you give birth
After you give birth, your consultant or the midwife will quickly assess your baby before handing them over to you. Your baby’s wellbeing is our priority; we can care for their health from before birth, during birth and beyond.
We offer our Well Baby Clinic to all parents with questions or concerns about their newborn. The clinic is there to provide expert guidance and care during your newborn’s early life milestones. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates seamlessly to provide a holistic approach to children’s care.
At Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care, we provide a complete range of general children’s services to support your baby as they grow.
Why choose Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care for your labour and birth?
At Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care, our renowned Westminster Maternity Suite has a reputation for excellence and a team of highly experienced experts. We also have competitive maternity packages that we can personalise to your needs.
You can add other services, such as our celebratory afternoon tea and baby hearing checks, after you have given birth.
Learn more about our maternity prices and packages.
Book an appointment with Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care can help you create a birth plan that meets your needs if you’re pregnant and want to prepare for your labour and birth. Our personalised packages provide everything from antenatal classes to postnatal support.
Contact our team by completing our online enquiry form, and we’ll be happy to begin your labour and birthing journey with us.
Locations
Our private maternity service is available at the following locations:
Discover our labour and birth specialists
Receive dedicated, consultant-led care designed to keep you informed, supported and confident throughout your birth journey.