| It is prudent to take a moment to time the contraction and note the length of contraction. Primigravidas may give birth when the contractions are three to five minutes apart, lasting 40 to 90 seconds, if they have been increasing in strength and frequency over at least an hour. If the uterine contractions are less than two minutes apart, prepare to deliver the baby. The mother, if she is a multigravida, can tell you how quickly her previous deliveries occurred. If the mother feels pressure similar to a bowel movement, the baby is moving through the birth canal and there is pressure on the rectum. | | | | |