In fact, 3/4 of the sodium in our diets comes from processed foods, says Columbia University researcher Wahida Karmally, DrPH, RD. And the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 85 out of 102 meals at popular restaurant chains contained more than a full day's worth of sodium.
Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner. Dilatation means that the cervix opens. As labor nears, the cervix may begin to thin or stretch (efface) and open (dilate) to prepare for the passage of the baby through the birth canal (vagina).How fast the cervix thins and opens varies from woman to woman. In some women, the cervix may start to efface and dilate slowly over a period of weeks.A first-time mother often will not dilate until active labor begins. Late in your pregnancy, your health professional may manually check (wearing sterile gloves) how much your cervix has effaced and dilated.During labor, contractions in your uterus open (dilate) your cervix and help move the baby into position to be born.ate in your pregnancy, your health professional may manually check (wearing sterile gloves) how much your cervix has effaced and dilated. During labor, contractions in your uterus open (dilate) your cervix and help move the baby into position to be born.
The process of labor and birth is divided into three stages: The first stage begins when you start having contractions that cause progressive changes in your cervix and ends when your cervix is fully dilated.This stage is divided into two phases:1  Early labor: Your cervix gradually effaces (thins out) and dilates (opens).his is sometimes referred to as the pushing stage. The third stage begins right after the birth of your baby and ends with the delivery of the placenta. Every pregnancy is different, and there's wide variation in the length of labor. For first-time moms, labor often takes between ten and 20 hours.