-By Bushra Hatahet, UK-Trained Clinical Midwife
“Your baby doesn’t simply slide through the birth canal. As they move through your pelvis they perform a remarkable sequence of movements, each one helping them navigate one of the narrowest passages they will ever travel through. These movements happen naturally, guided by your contractions and your baby’s own instincts.”
With every contraction, your baby moves a little further down.
Progress is rarely dramatic.
Most of the time, your baby advances just a few millimetres before resting until the next contraction.
This is why labour requires patience.
Small movements soon become significant progress.
Between contractions, the head may move back slightly.
This is completely normal.
Don’t think of it as moving backwards.
Instead, imagine taking two steps forward and one small step back.
Overall, you’re still moving closer to your destination.
Many parents are surprised to learn that a newborn baby’s head is not one solid bone.
Instead, it is made up of several separate bones connected by soft tissue called sutures and fontanelles.
These bones can overlap slightly during birth.
This process is called moulding.
Moulding allows the head to adapt to the shape of your pelvis and makes vaginal birth possible.
After birth, your baby’s head may look slightly elongated or cone-shaped.
This is completely normal.
Over the next few days, the bones gradually return to their usual position and your baby’s head takes on a more rounded shape.
Some babies are born with a soft swelling on the top of their head.
This is called caput.
Caput develops because of pressure on the scalp during labour.
It is not a sign that anything is wrong.
The swelling usually settles on its own over the first day or two after birth and does not affect your baby’s brain or development.
Many parents don’t even notice it by the time they leave hospital.
One of the most exciting moments in labour is when your midwife first says,
“I can see some hair.”
At first, your baby’s head may only become visible during a contraction.
As the contraction finishes, the head slips gently back inside.
This is completely normal.
It simply tells us that your baby is getting closer.
Each contraction usually brings the head a little further forward than before.
Eventually, the head no longer slips back.
This is called crowning.
Crowning is when the widest part of your baby’s head remains visible at the entrance to the vagina, even after the contraction has finished.
For many parents, this is the first time they realise just how close they are to meeting their baby.
You may even be offered a mirror if you would like to see your baby’s head.
Some women love this moment.
Others prefer to stay focused on their breathing.
There is no right or wrong choice.
As the widest part of your baby’s head stretches the tissues around the vaginal opening, many women experience an intense burning or stinging sensation.
This is commonly known as “the ring of fire.”
Although the name can sound frightening, it usually lasts for only a short period of time.
In fact, it serves an important purpose.
The burning sensation encourages many women to naturally slow their pushing, allowing the tissues to stretch gradually rather than too quickly.
As your baby’s head begins to crown, your midwife may ask you to stop pushing for a moment or to take short, gentle breaths.
You might hear instructions such as:
“Little pants.”
“Blow the candles out.”
“Small breaths.”
This can feel confusing because only moments earlier you were being encouraged to push.
The reason is simple.
At this stage, your baby no longer needs force.
Instead, they need time.
Allowing the head to emerge slowly gives your perineum time to stretch naturally and may help reduce the chance of significant tearing.
Sometimes your uterus does all the work during these final few moments, and your role is simply to breathe and allow your baby to be born gently.
“When I ask a woman to stop pushing just as she feels she wants to push the hardest, it’s never to make labour more difficult.
It’s because your baby is almost here.
Those few gentle breaths can make a real difference in allowing your tissues to stretch slowly and safely.
Trust your midwife during this stage—we’re protecting both you and your baby.”
If you are looking for calm expertise and genuine continuity of care, let’s talk.
