What Are the Stages of Labor? Labor is the body’s natural process of childbirth. It lasts on average 12 to 24 hours for a first birth. Usually, labor is shorter for births after that. Labor happens in ...

In preparation for the birth of your baby, your cervix effaces (thins and stretches) and dilates (opens) so your baby can fit through the birth canal. This cervical ripening can begin days or even ...