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.
Other hormones begin to soften your cervix. The cervix is the neck of the uterus, which is closed throughout most of pregnancy, holding the baby inside. Much of the work of labor is in opening the cervix to the passage of your baby. However, your cervix may begin to soften, thin, and open even before labor begins. This varies from woman to woman, and from pregnancy to pregnancy.