A gush of water, being doubled over in pain, the head of your baby crowning. These are things many women picture when they think of labor. However, for most laboring women, these things take time and ...

Contractions are when the muscles of your uterus tighten and relax to get ready for childbirth. These muscles help push your baby down the birth canal. Once you reach week 37 of your pregnancy, it ...

When your water breaks, it means the amniotic sac has ruptured. This typically signals the beginning of labor, but it may be several hours before you feel a contraction. Usually, when your water ...

Jessica Migala has been a health, fitness, and nutrition writer for almost 15 years. She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Health and Runner's World. Jessica ...

Sometime during your second or third trimester, you might start to feel mild, sporadic contractions, especially when you are tired or dehydrated, or after sex. These normal contractions, called ...

Labor is the process of the fetus moving into position for delivery. It happens when a person experiences contractions 5–10 minutes apart that last for 30–70 seconds. A person getting ready to give ...