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 ...

Dilation and effacement are terms that doctors and other birth professionals use to describe the changes in the cervix that are required for vaginal birth. Even if you've heard these terms, you may ...

Cervical dilation means the cervix opens up to allow the baby to move from the uterus into the birth canal. Signs that your cervix is dilating include losing your mucus plug, a bloody show, and ...