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Childbirth crowning

What is Crowning during Childbirth?

You may have heard the phrase many times on television or in person, but do you really know what crowning is? In childbirth, crowning is the time when the baby's head has pushed through the cervix and is about to enter the birth canal. During childbirth, crowning is indeed a special moment because it is when the baby's head is visible. This brings the whole pregnancy to fruition and helps the mother get through the last stages of labor. However, there are many stages of childbirth and crowning is but one of them. In general, childbirth is described in three phases.

The first of the three phases is also broken down into several stages. First, the contractions begin and the cervix begins to thin. However, this stage ends when the cervix is dilated to 3-5 inches. Then, the active stage begins and this is when you are having strong and regular contractions. This stage can be short or last up to 6 hours, depending on the mom and the pregnancy. The last phase of stage one is sometimes called the transition period. This is because contractions are very frequent and the cervix dilates fully. Then the second stage begins which is marked by the moment the baby will begin to make its way out of the body. The baby will descend, crown, and be delivered. This stage can last only a few minutes or several hours, all depending on the mother, baby and pregnancy. The final stage is after the baby has been born is delivering the placenta. Generally, this is the easiest and shortest part of childbirth, and since the baby has been delivered it is not focused on much by new moms who are so enchanted with their new babies.

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