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 ...

Here's what happens during each stage of labor – from how long each stage lasts to what you might feel. Labor happens in three stages — early labor and dilation, pushing and delivery, and finally, ...

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If you're pregnant and your due date is fast approaching, it's important to be able to recognize the signs that you're dilating and in labor. To help you better understand the stages of labor, the ...

Here’s a play by play of what happens when. What happens: During this stage, your cervix dilates. Early on, contractions may be mild, but become more intense and closer together during active labor.

The early stages of labor can be filled with a range of emotions for expecting mothers including pain and uncertainty. Preparing yourself for the unexpected — to the best of your ability — ...

Three women spoke to ABC News about their labor experience. Quayla Harris knew exactly how she wanted the delivery of her third child to go: a natural birth in the hospital with her husband by her ...