Contractions and dilation (opening) of the cervix before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered preterm, or premature, labor. A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks after the first day of the last ...

There's one final stage of labor left now. You'll deliver an organ called the placenta, which nourished your little one with oxygen and nutrients in the womb. You'll have more contractions as you ...

could release hormones that trigger labor. After using the breast pump for about a half-hour, the doula suggested rubbing jasmine oil and coconut oil on her belly to keep the contractions consistent.

Van der Windt questioned the advisability of inhibiting contractions in the setting of preterm labor since most women affected go into preterm labor for reasons such as infection or placental ...