During birth, the baby travels out of the uterus through the cervix and into the vagina. The vagina stretches as the baby moves out of the body. The uterus is a muscle, it contracts and relaxes (having contractions) during labour to push the baby out.
Labour and birth usually hurts. Labour pain is caused by the uterus contracting, the opening of the cervix and stretching of the vagina. As labour progresses, the contractions become stronger, longer and closer together. This allows a baby to be born. If there are problems during the birth, like the baby having a hard time getting out, a doctor can do a surgery called a C-section (caesarean) and take the baby out the mother’s abdomen. There are many options for pain relief during labour.