[C13 (meaning heap of firewood): perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse hraukr rick 1] ruck (rÊk) n. a wrinkle, crease, or fold. vb (usually foll by up) to become or make wrinkled, creased, or puckered [C18: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse hrukka] ruck (rÊk) n. slang a fight [C20: short for ruckus] ruck (rÊk) n (Military) military slang a rucksack
As your baby's birthday gets close, your cervix begins to dilate, or open up. Dilation is checked during a pelvic exam. It is measured in centimeters, from 0 (no dilation) to 10 (full dilation) Typically, if you're four centimeters dilated, you're in the active stage of labor.
No one can predict with certainty when labor will begin -- the due date your doctor gives you is merely a point of reference. It is normal for labor to start as early as three weeks before that date or as late as two weeks after it. The following are signs that labor is probably not far away: Lightening.