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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

In some circumstances, a doctor may recommend speeding up dilation with medication, procedure, or nipple stimulation. While every pregnancy and delivery is different, most women will agree that by the ...

The cervical os is a narrow opening at each end of the cervix (which connects the vagina with the main body of the uterus via the endocervical canal). The cervix is about an inch long but can vary in ...