Second stage

The time from full dilation of the cervix to the moment when the baby is outside the mother’s body. Pushing during the second stage can last from a few minutes up to a couple of hours.

Show

A show is when the thick mucus which plugs the narrow channel of the cervix during pregnancy comes away. It is a sign that the body is getting ready for labour.

Spinal

A regional anaesthetic inserted in the lower back which gives complete numbing very quickly. Usually used for a Caesarean section.

Stretch and sweep

A traditional method of trying to nudge the body into labour when overdue. The doctor or midwife does an internal examination and attempts to stretch the cervix and sweep a finger around the membranes. Sometimes this is enough to get labour going if the cervix is ripe.

Syntocinon

A synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin which women produce when in labour. The synthetic version is sometimes given to women in a drip if they are not producing enough naturally to keep labour progressing.