Dilation and effacement are terms that doctors and other birth professionals use to describe the changes in the cervix that are required for vaginal birth. Even if you've heard these terms, you may ...

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 ...

The cervix dilates (opens) during the first stage of labor to prepare for the baby's birth. Cervical dilation is measured from 1 to 10 centimeters. You are ready to push and deliver when the cervix ...

As you near your due date, you might be wondering about your labor and when will it start. The common things that most of us ...

If you’re pregnant, you may think your body will begin the labor process on its own. But sometimes that's not possible and medical professionals need to help start it through labor induction. This ...

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, ...

If your cervix begins to efface or dilate significantly as you get close to labor, you may pass your mucus plug, a small amount of thickened mucus that has collected within your cervical canal during ...

Women carrying twins are at higher risk for premature birth and miscarriage - those whose cervix dilates before 24 weeks are at highest risk - and yet one common treatment is not recommended for this ...

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 ...