MYTH: Labor should progress at a steady, predictable pace. TRUTH: Labor is not linear. Labor is a complex and dynamic process that does not follow a straightforward path. Instead, it is characterized by a series of phases that can vary significantly in duration and intensity. During labor, it is entirely normal for the experience to speed up or slow down unexpectedly, to pause for a time, or to progress suddenly and rapidly—these fluctuations are part of the natural rhythm of