In medical and obstetrical terminology, labor is defined as the physiological process by which a fetus and placenta are expelled from the mother's uterus through the vagina. It is characterized by rhythmic, involuntary uterine contractions that gradually cause the cervix to efface (thin out) and dilate (open), culminating in the birth of the baby. Labor is clinically divided into distinct stages, beginning with early contractions and cervical dilation, progressing to active pushing and delivery, and finishing with the expulsion of the placenta.
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