If you're pregnant and your due date is fast approaching, it's important to be able to recognize the signs that you're dilating and in labor. To help you better understand the stages of labor ...

There are 3 stages of labor. Active labor begins at about 5-6 cm of dilation. You need to be 10 cm dilated to deliver vaginally. After the birth, you’ll deliver the placenta. The cervix ...

Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human interest features ranging from health, pets and travel.

Shifting your body or walking can help end the contractions. Real labor, by contrast, usually happens in three stages. It starts with regular contractions. They can come every 5-15 minutes and ...