normal labour definition?

Labor and delivery: Management of the normal first stage

INTRODUCTION
Labor is defined as regular and painful uterine contractions that cause progressive dilation and effacement of the cervix. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined normal birth as "spontaneous in onset, low-risk at the start of labor and remaining so throughout labor and delivery. The infant is born spontaneously in the vertex position between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy. After birth, mother and infant are in good condition" [1].

This topic will present a paradigm for intrapartum management of the first stage of labor (ie, onset to full cervical dilation) in pregnant people who are expected to have a normal singleton vaginal cephalic birth. Many of the options for caring for these patients have not been studied in high-quality clinical trials and the available data are insufficient for making strong recommendations for a specific approach. Therefore, much of our approach is based upon our clinical experience, data from observational studies, and expert opinion.

Intrapartum care of these patients in the second and third stages of labor is discussed separately:

●(See "Labor and delivery: Management of the normal second stage".)

●(See "Labor and delivery: Management of the normal third stage after vaginal birth".)
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