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 — and ...

Medically reviewed by Kiarra King, M.D. • Your body gives many signs that labor is near, like increased discharge, pelvic pressure, or loss of the mucus plug. • Labor contractions get stronger, closer ...

You're a first-time expectant mom and you're settling into bed after a long, exhausting day of well, being pregnant, when suddenly, you feel it: that tightening in your lower belly, that upside down ...

Dilation and effacement are your body's way of getting ready for labor – your cervix gradually opens (dilates) and thins out (effaces) to help your baby make that grand entrance. This process can ...