The Second Stage of Labor when it prolongs Itself

If you are just having your first baby and you stay in the second stage of the pregnancy for over two or three hours, in the last case if you have been given an epidural, the labor is considered prolonged. If it is your second child or another posterior, the second stage will also be considered prolonged if it is over an hour long or over two hours if you have been given an epidural.

When the second stage is prolonged, it can be due to inadequate contractions or a cephalo pelvic disproportion. Sometimes the baby’s head is in a position that does not allow it to descend. In some occasions it is convenient to use oxitocina, or for the doctor to try to rotate the baby’s head. You can also try to change the position you are in to try to push more efficiently. There are occasions in which forceps do the trick if the head of the baby is already low enough in the birth canal. If all else fails however, the doctor will probably suggest getting a cesarean.