The cervix must be 100% effaced and 10 cm dilated before a vaginal delivery.
(Some OBs will go ahead and break your water at 3 or 4 centimeters.) The reasoning behind this: “Artificial rupture of membranes” (popping a hole in the amniotic sac) will usually jumpstart labor by getting serious contractions underway.
Your water can break at any time — before labor begins, after contractions have started or right before delivery. Your healthcare provider may even break your water for you (amniotomy). The amount of water that comes out can look like a bucket of water spilling. Or it can be a slow trickle that goes unnoticed.
But just being dilated doesn't mean labor is definitely around the corner. You could be four centimeters dilated, and stay that way for weeks—or your cervix could be completely closed and you could find yourself in active labor hours later. Again, it's just a measure of progress.
What happens when I'm 3 cm dilated? Once your cervix reaches 3 cm dilation, you've probably entered the early stage of labor. During this stage, your cervix gradually dilates to about 6 cm. This is the longest part of labor and can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, although between 8 to 12 hours is common.
What to Expect When You Arrive. When you arrive, we will evaluate you and your baby to check for labor progression. If you're less than 4 cm dilated: You might be sent home because your labor isn't active enough for hospital admission.
Your cervix needs to open about 10cm for your baby to pass through it. This is what's called being fully dilated. In a 1st pregnancy, the time from the start of established labour to being fully dilated is usually 8 to 18 hours. It's often quicker (around 5 to 12 hours), in a 2nd or 3rd pregnancy.
The cervix generally needs to be dilated to 10 centimeters before it's ready for the baby to pass through. Your cervix can be dilated to a couple of centimeters for a few weeks before delivery. This softening can cause the mucus plug to be dislodged and come out.
That naturally prompts the question, “Can you dilate without losing your mucus plug?” The answer is no. “If the cervix dilates, the plug will always fall out,” Ascher-Walsh says.
If your cervix has opened up to at least 2-3 centimetres dilated and the baby's head is well engaged (low down in your pelvis), your waters will be broken (see below under Artifical Rupture of Membranes). If it is not possible to break your waters a second Propess pessary may be inserted if appropriate.
Some women report a brief moment of increased pressure in their abdomen as one of the signs your water will break soon. Hearing or feeling a quick, painless but distinct pop is another sign of your water breaking. Spontaneous trickle. Other times, your water can break slowly in a trickle of amniotic fluid.
Typically, after your water breaks at term, labor soon follows — if it hasn't already begun. Sometimes, however, labor doesn't start. If you experience prelabor rupture of membranes, your doctor might stimulate uterine contractions before labor begins on its own (labor induction).
The advantages of having your water intentionally broken are: It can speed up or progress your labor by bringing your baby down closer to your cervix and increasing contractions. It can help your healthcare provider monitor your baby more closely for distress.
Physically, the sac provides a cushion between the baby's head and the cervix. If the baby's head is well applied to the cervix, breaking the bag of waters allows the head to apply more direct pressure on the cervix to encourage dilation.
Generally, it can occur naturally just before or during labor, or it can be induced by a doctor. To induce a water breaking, the pregnancy must reach full term, and the mother must be at least 5 cm dilated. Dilation is the process of the cervix opening in preparation for childbirth.
How Do You Feel 24 Hours Before Labor? Some of the most common things women experience when labor is 24 hours away are cramps and contractions. You might feel that your stomach is becoming tight and may experience discomfort in your lower back. Along with that, you might also experience cramps in your pelvic area.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation. This is because the weight of the baby applies pressure to the cervix.
Pelvic pressure is a common sign during the later stages of labor. You may feel pressure in your rectum too. Moreno describes it as a feeling “similar to needing to have a bowel movement.” Get ready, because this means that baby's really on the way!
Losing your mucus plug generally means your cervix has started to dilate, efface or both. It means labor is around the corner, but there is not an exact time for how soon after other labor symptoms will start. In some cases, you may already be in labor when you lose your mucus plug.
Clear and stretchy — This is “fertile” mucous and means you're ovulating. Clear and watery — This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising. Yellow or green — May indicate an infection, especially if it's thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.
If you are less than 4 cm dilated and your labor isn't active enough for hospital admission, you might be sent home. Don't be discouraged. It is very common to mistake the signs of early labor for active labor.
You can walk around for weeks with your cervix at 1 cm, or go from zero to 10 cm over the course of one day. Talk to your practitioner if you have any questions or concerns about this important precursor to your baby's birth.