The Phases of Labour: Beginning, Middle & End

The Phases of Labour: Beginning, Middle & End

By Happy Soul Mama - Emily-Clare Hill

This is where things start to shift. Surges (you might know them as contractions) begin, but their pattern may be irregular—longer, shorter, intense, gentle, and everything in between. Each surge is a wave, and just like ocean tides, they don’t all look or feel the same. They build slowly. They back off. They come again.

You might be chatty, restless, or feel like nesting. Or you might want to retreat and ground yourself. Both are completely normal. Your cervix is beginning to soften, thin, and open. Some bodies do a lot of this work quietly for hours—or even days—before things really gear up. And that’s OK.

You may hear about NICE guidelines (used in the UK) suggesting certain timings—like active labour beginning at 4cm dilation, or pushing lasting no more than an hour or two. These guidelines can be useful in some clinical settings, but they don’t represent the full spectrum of normal. Many labours take longer or shorter—and that’s just physiology doing its thing.

The Middle: Active Labour & Deep Focus

Here, surges tend to become stronger, longer, and closer together. You might not want to talk through them anymore. You may find yourself sinking into a rhythm—rocking, breathing, vocalising, moving intuitively.

This is when the work becomes more intense, and your body is producing incredible levels of oxytocin and endorphins—the love and power hormones. These help your uterus contract, help your cervix open, and help you go deep into that “labour land” place where magic happens.

At some point, there may be a resting phase before pushing. This often gets misunderstood or rushed. But it can be a beautiful pause—your body taking a breath, your baby rotating, descending, preparing. Don’t panic if everything slows down here. It’s not failure. It’s nature’s brilliance.

The End: Pushing & Birthing

Now comes the part everyone talks about—but still, it’s not always how it looks in the movies.

Pushing doesn’t have to be coached or forced. In fact, many birthing people feel a powerful, uncontrollable urge to bear down when it’s time—and this can take minutes or hours. There’s no stopwatch on this. Pushing at your own pace and time is best. Your baby and body are working together. Your pelvis is shifting, opening. Your baby is moving, twisting, navigating through.

This is where patience is everything.

And when it comes to monitoring, yes, it has its place—but only if truly needed. Constant checks or interventions can interrupt the natural flow and stall labour unnecessarily. Your body often knows exactly what to do, and most of the time, it’s best to wait, trust your instincts, and let your baby and body move as one.

So What’s Actually Happening in the Body?

Let’s talk physiology for a moment.

• Oxytocin flows when you feel safe, loved, and undisturbed—this hormone powers your contractions.

• Endorphins build up to help you cope with the intensity—they’re your body’s own pain relief.

• Your cervix softens and dilates.

• Your uterus contracts from the top down, nudging baby lower.

• Your baby rotates, tucks their chin, and moves through the pelvis with your guidance.

• The pelvis widens, sacrum shifts, tailbone moves.

• Eventually, the fetal ejection reflex can take over, and your baby is born.

Birth is physiological. It’s hormonal. It’s primal. It’s sacred.

Final Words

You don’t need a timeline.

You don’t need to “perform.”

You need support, space, warmth, nourishment, and trust.

Labour isn’t linear. It’s not a test. It’s a process that flows and shifts, just like you.

So wherever you are on your journey—whether preparing for your first baby or your fifth—remember: You are enough. Your body knows. Your baby knows.