Fill in the blank using suitable words based on the listening!

What are the stages of labor and (1)……..?

• Every woman's labor is (2)………, even from one pregnancy to the

next. In some cases, labor is over in a (3)……….of hours. In other cases,
labor tests a mother's physical and (4)……….stamina.

• We won't know how your labor will unfold until it(5)……….. We can
prepare, however, by understanding the typical (6)…………of events.
• The process of labor and birth is divided into three(7)………..:

• The first stage begins when you (8)…………having contractions that cause progressive (9)
…………in your cervix and ends when your cervix is fully dilated. This stage is divided (10)
………..two phases:

• Early labor: Your cervix (11)……….effaces (thins out) and dilates (opens).

• (12)…………..labor: Your cervix begins to dilate more rapidly, and contractions are longer,
(13)…………., and closer together. People often refer to the last part of active labor as
transition.
• The second stage of labor begins when you're fully dilated and ends
with the birth of your baby. This is sometimes referred to as the (14)
…………stage.

• The third stage begins right after the birth of your baby and ends with
the (15)………..of the placenta.