Once your cervix is fully dilated, your baby can now pass through the pelvis, twisting his way out of the birth canal and into the world. This is the second stage of labor, and it often begins with the laboring mama feeling an urge to begin pushing and ends with the birth of the baby.

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When your body is in good condition (low risk and no medication), your body tends to push effectively, causing the baby to rotate, squeezing the baby (which gets rid of fluids), stretching the perineum, and birthing the baby. Generally, the head is down, then to the side, and finally, after the head is born, faces up (looking at mommy). The third stage is the process of expelling the placenta by contractions of the uterus.