What occurs during the second stage of labor?

The second stage of labor is characterized by the active process of delivering the baby. This stage begins when the cervix is fully dilated at 10 centimeters and ends with the birth of the infant. During this time, the mother experiences intense contractions that help push the baby down the birth canal. The focus is on the mother working to push the baby out, and this is the phase where the baby is actually expelled from the uterus.

Options involving the delivery of the placenta, the recovery period for the mother, or monitoring fetal heart rate occur at different stages of labor. The delivery of the placenta takes place in the third stage, while the mother's recovery is more closely associated with the postpartum period. Monitoring fetal heart rate is essential throughout labor but is not specific to the second stage. Therefore, the delivery of the baby is the event that defines the second stage of labor.