Cervical dilation means the cervix opens up to allow the baby to move from the uterus into the birth canal. Signs that your cervix is dilating include losing your mucus plug, a bloody show, and ...

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 ...

Near the end of the third trimester, the cervix will soften in order to begin the process of effacing (thinning and stretching) and dilating (opening up) in preparation for your baby's birth. An open ...

Near the end of the third trimester, a woman's cervix will soften in order to begin the process of effacing (thinning and stretching) and dilating (opening up). An open cervix allows the baby to pass ...

Only then can you bring your baby into the world. Cervical dilation sounds pretty intense, but if you are in labor, it's going to happen. The question is, how do you know if you're dilated and ready ...

Labor is the process by which the baby and placenta leave the uterus, or womb. This process normally begins on its own around the 40th week of pregnancy. In some cases, however, medical intervention ...

If you're a first-time mother and you opt for epidural anesthesia during labor, your doctor may suggest you wait about an hour after your cervix is completely dilated before you start trying to push ...

Dr. Carolyn Spiro-Levitt was 20 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix. Like most women, the 31-year-old clinical psychologist in New York City, had never heard the term ...