Narrator: In the weeks before birth, your body slows down production of the hormone progesterone while increasing production of other hormones – including prostaglandins, which soften the cervix, and oxytocin, which triggers the uterine muscles to contract. True labor contractions are rhythmic and painful, and grow consistently stronger. As the long vertical muscle bands of the uterus tighten, they pull the cervix open. The strong muscles at the top of the uterus push down and release, guiding your baby toward the cervix. The mucus plug, a collection of thickened cervical mucus that's sealed your cervix shut for nine months, may be expelled days before or in the midst of labor. When the amniotic sac ruptures, your water has broken. It can feel like a trickle or a gush of fluid. Your cervix will begin opening and thinning, known as dilation and effacement. Once you reach about 4 centimeters, your body will move into active labor. In active labor, contractions become stronger and...
Sleep Problem During Pregnancy Some of the symptoms of pregnancy caused by hormonal changes and other factors can lead to some sleep disturbance or reduction in quality of sleep. However, despite the fact that some of the causes of sleep disturbance during pregnancy is beyond your control, there are certain sleeping tips that you should apply to sleep better during pregnancy. Below are some of the pregnancy sound sleeping tips that you should apply. Supporting your back and tummy with an extra pillow You can enhance the quality of your sleep by putting a pillow between your legs. This will not only make sleeping by the side easier, it will also provide support to the lower back. If you are suffering from indigestion also known as acid reflux, you should try to raise your torso with a wedge pillow. By sleeping with a wedge pillow, which raises your torso up, you, will bring the gravitational force against the movement of the stomach acid up to the esophagus. Going on the r...