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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Your cervix is a vital organ that helps your baby pass through the birth canal during labour. However, at times, it can pause functioning midway. This is known as the arrest of dilation. It’s ...

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 ...

IT’S common knowledge that in order for a woman to start pushing during childbirth, her cervix needs to dilate to ten centimetres wide – but it’s hard to visualise just how big that is. But an image ...

At 9 centimetres, the cervix is almost, but not fully, open. The small remaining edge, called the cervical rim, can slow progress even as contractions intensify. This fleeting stage challenges both ...

We all know that childbirth is… tough. But it’s easy to forget just how intense an experience popping out a human really is. When you see baby pictures on Instagram, what you’re not seeing is the pain ...