Both dilation and effacement, which refers to the thinning of the cervix, take place to provide an opening from your uterus to the birth canal so that your baby can be delivered. For a vaginal delivery, the cervix needs to be 10 centimeters cm dilated and percent effaced. In some cases, women will dilate a few centimeters weeks before their due date.
Others will dilate much faster, in just a few hours, and transition quickly between the stages of labor. During early labor, the cervix dilates to 3 cm. Active labor occurs between 3 and 7 cm dilated. The transition phase is between 7 cm and full dilation at 10 cm. During your month 9 of pregnancy, your doctor will begin looking for signs that your body is preparing for labor.
These prenatal visits may include internal exams to check your cervix. Your doctor will confirm whether your cervix has dilated and effaced. Other things happen during the dilation and effacement process.
You may notice this in your underpants or the toilet. You could lose the mucus plug anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks before labor begins. You may also notice bloody show, a term that refers to rupturing capillaries in your cervix. This can streak vaginal mucus pink or red. If your due date is still a couple of weeks away, the best thing you can do is wait for nature to take its course: Let your cervix prepare in the most efficient and comfortable way possible for you and your baby.
But there may be medical reasons to speed up the process of dilation and kick-start labor. Medical intervention may be a good idea if:. If any of these scenarios apply to you and your cervix has yet to begin dilating and effacing, your doctor has a few options:.
Sitting on the ball and rocking back and forth or moving in circles can help keep the muscles in the pelvis loose and relaxed for delivery. It is easy to become tense during the last stages of pregnancy, but learning to relax can have a range of benefits. Stress and muscle tension and can delay labor by making it harder for the cervix to dilate. These issues can also keep the baby from descending. Many women benefit from practicing breathing exercises or meditation before and during labor.
Even dimming the lights can help. Laughing can keep stress and fear at bay. Even momentary relief can relax the body and aid dilation. Joking around, or watching funny movies or stand-up comedy may help to keep spirits up before and during labor. A doctor may apply a medication that contains prostaglandin to soften the cervix and promote dilation. A process called membrane stripping may help.
It involves a doctor or midwife rubbing their fingers against the membranes of the amniotic sac to release prostaglandin into the uterus and help the cervix dilate. In the first phase, the cervix dilates to 3 cm. The baby drops lower into the pelvis, and this increases the levels of prostaglandin in the body, which stimulates dilation.
Capillaries in the cervix can rupture during this stage and cause bloody discharge known as the bloody show. This is normal. The next phase is active labor, when the cervix will dilate further. Some doctors mark the end of this phase when the width of the cervix reaches 7 cm. Others use contractions as a guideline.
The final step in this stage, called the transition phase, lasts until the cervix dilates to 10 cm. Have Sex: The idea is that semen contains prostaglandins, which promotes a soft cervix, and having an orgasm can spur uterine contractions. Research results are mixed about whether sex actually helps induce labor , but if you have a low-risk pregnancy, it might not hurt to test the theory.
Talk to your doctor first. Here are some common methods:. By Nicole Harris July 29, Save Pin FB More. Medication with prostaglandins either oral or vaginal to encourage cervical softening and dilation. A mechanical cervical ripening, in which a balloon-like device gradually pushes the cervix open. This is meant to release cervix-softening prostaglandins and start contractions.
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