In preparation for the birth of your baby, your cervix effaces (thins and stretches) and dilates (opens) so your baby can fit through the birth canal. This cervical ripening can begin days or even ...

There are 3 stages of labor. Active labor begins at about 5-6 cm of dilation. You need to be 10 cm dilated to deliver vaginally. After the birth, you’ll deliver the placenta. The cervix, which is the ...

That said, unless things are cut short by a C-section, all women go through three precise stages of labor and childbirth: labor itself (which includes early labor, active labor and transitional labor) ...

Tricia Brockway, a labor and delivery nurse whose mission is to empower women through information, recently drummed up a dilation chart that's easy to understand. In an enlightening Instagram post, ...

Some people claim that certain exercises, stretches, relaxation techniques, and laughing may help a pregnant person dilate faster. However, there is typically only anecdotal support for these ...

Show more patience in the delivery room: That's the prescription being given to the nation's obstetricians. "Labor takes a little longer than we may have thought," said Dr. Aaron Caughey, obstetrics ...