Introduction

In the previous study sessions of this Module, you were introduced to the role of the health extension worker in the promotion of institution delivery, character and stages of labour and the use of the partograph. You also learned about the care of the woman during labour.

In this session, you will learn the signs of the second stage of labour, the required materials for the management of the second stage of labour and how you should apply infection prevention practices.

The second stage of labour is regarded as the peak of the birth by the delivering woman, her partner, and the care provider. International health policy and programming have placed emphasis on the first stage of labour, including appropriate use of the partogram and identification of hypertension and also focused on the third stage of labour with active management (AMTSL).

More recently, a concerted effort to reduce perinatal losses has been made through the dissemination of skills in neonatal resuscitation. However, the provision of skilled care and avoidance of complications during the second stage of labour have been relatively neglected. Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health (SMNH) Committee intended to strengthen the previous policy and frameworks by emphasising on the management of the second stage of labour because recent evidence shows that providing due attention for the second stage of labour result in optimised outcomes for mother and baby.

At the time of second stage, the mother and her family require patience, courage and confidence from the birth attendant. A healthy outcome for the mother and her baby depends on your competence to provide good quality of care