Between contractions, the uterus relaxes and the abdomen becomes soft. The way a contraction feels is different for each woman, and may feel different from one pregnancy to the next. But labor contractions usually cause discomfort or a dull ache in your back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis.
Definitions for stepping stone. stepping stone(noun) a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing. stepping stone(noun) any means of advancement. the job was just a stepping stone on his way to fame and riches. stepping stone(Noun)
Touchstone (metaphor) As a metaphor, a touchstone refers to any physical or intellectual measure by which the validity or merit of a concept can be tested. It is similar in use to an acid test, litmus test in politics, or, from a negative perspective, a shibboleth where the criterion is considered by some to be out-of-date. The word was introduced into literary criticism by Matthew Arnold in the Study of Poetry to denote short but distinctive passages, selected from the writings of the greatest poets, which he used