Consuming too much sodium is serious business because it's a risk factor for high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, can lead to stroke and heart disease. Most U.S. adults consume the equivalent of 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt or 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day.
Before labor, your cervix is firm, kind of like the tip of your nose. Itâs closed and points toward the back of your vaginal wall. As your body prepares for labor, a few things happen: Your cervix will start to move forward until it's tilted toward the front of your vaginal wall.
A thick mucus plug has accumulated at the cervix during pregnancy. When the cervix begins to dilate, the plug is pushed into the vagina. Several days before labor begins or at the onset of labor. As labor begins, the cervix opens (dilates). The uterus, which contains muscle, contracts at regular intervals. When it contracts, the abdomen becomes hard. Between the contractions, the uterus relaxes and becomes soft. Up to the start of labor and during early labor, the baby will continue to move.