Final answer:
The five Ps influencing labor and birth are Passenger, Passageway, Powers, Pressure, and Psychologic response. These factors interact during the three stages of labor involving cervical dilation, the baby's expulsion, and placental delivery. The process is hormonally regulated and can be medically assisted with Pitocin if necessary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The five factors that affect the process of labor and birth, often referred to as the five Ps, include: Passenger (the baby and its position within the uterus), Passageway (the birth canal), Powers (the contractions of the uterus), Pressure (the force applied by the contracting uterus on the baby as well as the mother's pushing efforts), and Psychologic response (the mother's emotional state and response to labor and delivery).
The physiology of labor involves several hormonal changes that trigger three stages of labor: cervical dilation, expulsion of the newborn, and delivery of the afterbirth (placenta). If labor stalls, synthetic oxytocin, known as Pitocin, may be used to restart it. The overall birthing process, from a fetal perspective, is a dramatic transition from the womb to the outside world.