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, ...

Early in pregnancy, Molly Ercole already had an idea of what she wanted for her childbirth. “I didn’t want to see a different doctor at every appointment,” says Ercole, a non-profit communications ...

There's a big learning curve when it comes to pregnancy. For many expecting parents, just thinking about contractions can be nerve-wracking because they are associated with pain and the start of labor ...