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 ...

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 ...

As your due date approaches, you may be wondering how dilated your cervix is and if you are making progress toward delivery. While only your doctor can confirm cervical dilation, you can do a ...

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, ...

Induction of labor is a routinely applied obstetric intervention designed to stimulate uterine contractions when delaying delivery poses a risk to maternal or neonatal health. A range of cervical ...

Near the end of pregnancy, the cervix softens to help prepare for labor. If your cervix isn't softening naturally, there are safe ways to encourage it at home. Always consult with your healthcare ...

Introduction: Laboring women are often admitted to labor units under criteria that are commonly associated with the onset of active-phase labor (i.e., cervical dilatation of 3–5 cm in the presence of ...

Elective induction of labor in first-time mothers with an unfavorable cervix increased the rate of cesarean deliveries compared with women who received expectant management in a randomized clinical ...

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 to deliver your baby? The cervix is a magical ...

Pregnancy labor can be very painful and terrible. If you are pregnant, knowing a few things can make labor easy and go through a delivery with much ease. It will, of course, be helpful when you are ...