Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or Caesarean section. The most common childbirth method is vaginal delivery. It involves four stages of labour : the shortening and opening of the cervix during the first stage, descent and birth of the baby during the second, the delivery of the placenta during the third, and the recovery of the mother and infant during the fourth stage, which is referred to as the postpartum. In many cases and with increasing frequency, childbirth is achieved through labour induction or caesarean section.