If your contractions come regularly every 5 to 10 minutes, it's time to call your doctor. Watch for signs like your water breaking or bloody vaginal discharge, which indicate labor might be starting.

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 ...

You may have a lot of questions about how to know you're actually in labor. Here's everything pregnant people need to know. In the movies, pregnant people are often shown looking down (surprised!) to ...

Braxton Hicks contractions happen with all pregnancies to help your body prepare for labor. They might feel like a mild muscle spasm, tightening in your baby bump, or menstrual cramps. Not sure if you ...

11 signs of labor In the final days or weeks before your due date, you may notice one or more signs that labor is near. Not all women experience all of these signs – again, this is very individual – ...

There's a big learning curve when it comes to pregnancy. For many expecting parents, just thinking about contractions can be nerve-wracking because they are associated with pain and the start of labor ...

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed new imaging technology that can produce 3D maps showing the magnitude and distribution of uterine contractions in ...

An irritable uterus, or uterine irritability, produces frequent and sometimes uncomfortable contractions for pregnant individuals. Although people often confuse uterine irritability with “false labor, ...