[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.
(Your due date is calculated as 40 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period.) Labor contractions signal the beginning of childbirth. These contractions come at regular intervals, usually move from the back to the lower abdomen, last between 30-70 seconds, and get stronger and closer together over time.