Effacement of the cervix is when the cervix gets thinner, which helps the cervix to open. Because we expect the cervix to get thinner, it can be alarming when the cervix stops opening and swells. Swelling with contractions and without progress is a sign that labor progress has stopped or ...
Thestart of labouris identified byregular coordinatedcontractions(feeling oftighteningwithpain), which cause thecervix(neck of the womb) to become shorter (effacement), thendilate(open). There may be a‘show’, when a small amount ofblood stained mucouscomes away from the cervix (though this ma...