Skip to main content
Home
  • Donate
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Primary menu

  • Courses & workshops
  • Pregnancy & parent information
    • Pregnancy
    • Labour & birth
    • Baby & toddler
    • Life as a parent
  • Local activities & meet-ups
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Work with us
  • Support us
    • Make a donation
    • Become a member
    • Fundraise for NCT
    • Partner with us
  • About us
    • Our impact
    • Our strategy
    • Our trustees
    • Our leadership team
    • Our course leaders
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Community support programmes
    • Latest news
    • Contact us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Pregnancy & parent information
  3. Labour & birth
  4. What happens in labour & birth

What happens in labour & birth

Whether it’s a vaginal or caesarean birth, here is information about the different stages of birth and possible things that might happen.

What happens in labour & birth articles

  • All
Showing 17 articles
New baby
10 things that happen after your baby's born
ventouse or forceps delivery
Assisted birth: ventouse or forceps delivery
Breech babies
Breech babies: what you need to know
Woman holding baby clothes up to the window
Experiencing stillbirth
Overdue baby: induced labour pros and cons
Induced labour and membrane sweeps: reasons, benefits and drawbacks
pregnant woman talking
Overdue baby – what happens if my baby is late?
Parent recovering in bed after birth with baby
Perineal tears and episiotomy during childbirth
Premature baby
Premature babies: what parents need to know
pregnant woman looking at bump with comforting hand
Preparation for multiple births
baby's blanket
Stillbirth: what it means and what causes it
Parents with new born baby
Vitamin K and newborns: what you need to know
Early labour
What are the first signs of labour?
newborn baby
What happens after your baby is born?
Caesarean birth
What is a caesarean birth?
Woman or birthing parent with baby
What is a vaginal birth?
Second stage of labour
What is the second stage of labour?
Third stage of labour
What is the third stage of labour (birth of the placenta?)

Sign up for our exclusive NCT Pregnancy & Baby Guide

By signing up, you agree to receive our free weekly email update. We may also share occasional updates on our work supporting people as they become parents, including fundraising and campaigns. See our privacy policy for details of how we use your data.

We would like to keep in touch with you about our services, support, events, campaigns, and fundraising. We'll only contact you in the ways you want, and we'll keep your data safe. (See our privacy policy for further details.)

I agree to NCT contacting me in the following ways:

Support line

0300 330 0700

Practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers.

See all costs

Calling us costs the same as any local call, however, if you have free 'inclusive' minutes on a landline or mobile, it will be included in those.

About

  • Trustees
  • Careers

News & views

  • News

Support us

  • Donate
  • Membership
  • Volunteering
  • Partnerships
  • Fundraising

Professionals

  • Breastfeeding Support Services
  • Community Support Services
  • Work with us

Bottom links nct2

  • Safeguarding
  • Media
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Editor login
  • Cookie settings

NCT, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX
Reg Charity No (England and Wales): 801395, (Scotland): SC041592. Reg Company No: 2370573.