Dilation is a gradual process that, for some can take weeks, even up to a month. Others will dilate and efface overnight. Here's what's going on as you progress through labor and how to visualize the opening of your cervix.
In the first stage of labor, the cervix will dilate to 10 centimeters (cm) in width. Dilation is typically gradual, but the cervix can widen rapidly over 1 or 2 days.
The time between dilating to 1 cm and giving birth varies from woman to woman. One woman may go from having a closed cervix to giving birth in a matter of hours, while another is 1–2 cm dilated for days or weeks. Some women do not experience any dilation until they go into active labor.
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.
The cervix is stiff and closed through most of pregnancy to hold your baby inside your uterus. But during labor, cervical dilation (widening) allows your baby to pass through your birth canal. Cervical ripening often happens on its own, naturally.
Supported squat
Try to achieve a deep squat with your legs in a “V” position. This position can really help to open up your pelvis, move your baby down, which can also help to dilate your cervix.
(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.
It is not uncommon for the cervical ripening to take up to 24-36 hours!! It is also not uncommon to use different techniques to ripen the cervix. You may feel contractions during this process. If the contractions become painful, you will be able to request medication to relieve your discomfort.
Early dilation often feels like menstrual cramps as the cervical changes cause pain and cramping noticed in the lower part of the uterus. It is the same sensation and location as menstrual cramps.
Prodromal labor is a type of false labor contraction. It happens in the third trimester of pregnancy and can feel a lot like real labor. Unlike real labor contractions, prodromal labor contractions never get stronger or closer together and don't lead to cervical dilation or effacement.
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.
As you get closer to your due date, your cervix may start to dilate without you knowing it. Dilation is a gradual process that, for some can take weeks, even up to a month. Others will dilate and efface overnight.
Dilation is checked during a pelvic exam and measured in centimeters (cm), from 0 cm (no dilation) to 10 cm (fully dilated). Typically, if you're 4 cm dilated, you're in the active stage of labor; if you're fully dilated, you're ready to start pushing.
Discharging a brown or pink-tinged mucus is an early sign of cervix dilation. Effacement of the cervix causes small blood vessels to break. This causes the mucus to appear as pink or brown. It's important to seek medical advice about vaginal bleeding.
A condition you're born with.
This is called a congenital condition. Certain uterine conditions might cause an incompetent cervix. Genetic problems affecting a type of protein that makes up your body's connective tissues, called collagen, might cause an incompetent cervix.
You can't feel your cervix thinning, but you might pick up on a few cervical effacement symptoms. When your cervix effaces, you may feel pressure down there, Thiel says. You might also notice an increase in cervical mucus or discharge. “It may feel kind of crampy,” Cackovic says.
At this point, your cervix will be dilated 3 to 10 centimeters. (Dilating one centimeter an hour is textbook, but like in early labor, it's different for everyone.)
In most cases, however, an epidural will not be given until the mother is at least 3-4 centimeters dilated. Once the mother is fully dilated most doctors and hospitals will consider it too late for an epidural to be given.
Many of these symptoms are due to increased levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which boost blood flow throughout your body to support your baby — including to your labia. As a result, your labia and vagina may experience the following changes: Swelling.
Spending most of your time in bed, especially lying on your back, or sitting up at a small angle, interferes with labor progress: Gravity works against you, and the baby might be more likely to settle into a posterior position. Pain might increase, especially back pain.
Sit on a birthing ball
According to Brichter, sitting on an exercise or birthing ball in neutral wide-legged positions prepares the body for labor by increasing blood flow, opening the pelvis, and encouraging cervical dilation.
When we sit on the toilet, we naturally let our pelvic floor relax. When we allow these muscles to soften, all of the hard work our uterus is doing pays off by allowing our cervix to thin, dilate, and get us closer to meeting our baby.