Molecular discoveries may help improve treatments for labor and pain. When labor starts, the uterus must produce steady, precisely timed contractions to allow a safe delivery. Hormones such as ...

One of the biggest things a first-time mother may wonder as she approaches her due date is what contractions will feel like during labor. Many women may even wonder if they will be able to recognize ...

When you hear the word contractions, you likely think about the first stages of labor when the uterus tightens and dilates the cervix. But if you’ve been pregnant, you might know that there are many ...

Here's what happens during each stage of labor – from how long each stage lasts to what you might feel. Labor happens in three stages — early labor and dilation, pushing and delivery, and finally, ...

Researchers have developed a new imaging tool, called electromyometrial imaging (EMMI), to create real-time, three-dimensional images and maps of contractions during labor. The non-invasive imaging ...

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 ...

Impaired contraction of the uterus (womb) may play a part in the association of advancing maternal age with increased cesarean rates. Researchers analyzed a large Scottish data base to characterize ...

Pregnancy is filled with weird aches, pains, and twinges, and some are a little scarier than others. Former Bachelorette star Ali Fedotowsky recently had a particularly confusing experience with ...

Each contraction in labour has a purpose: to open your cervix, move your baby lower, and prepare your body for birth. Ideally, these contractions follow a smooth pattern: they rise in intensity, peak, ...

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

Labor contractions are the physical way your uterus tightens to promote delivery of your baby. All body muscles tighten and shorten (contract) when they’re being used. And the uterus is one of the ...