childbirth

Childbirth, also known as labour or delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more fetuses exits the internal environment of the mother vaginally or via caesarean section and becomes a newborn. In 2023, there were about 132 million human births globally. In developed countries, most births occur in hospitals, while in developing countries most are home births.

Vaginal birth is the most common mode of birth worldwide. It involves three stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix during the first stage, descent and birth of the baby during the second, and the birth of the placenta during the third. During the first stage, contractions gradually become stronger and closer together. The postpartum period is the time of recovery for the mother and infant, in which both newborn and mother are monitored. All major health organisations advise that immediately after giving birth, regardless of the mode of birth, that the infant be placed on the mother's chest (termed skin-to-skin contact), and to delay any other routine procedures for at least one to two hours or until the baby has had its first breastfeeding.