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Cervical dilation: What is it and why should I care?
Most women never think about their cervix, not really. Unless it’s one of those special times when we are due for a pap smear and it’s at the forefront in our mind. We also know in a general sense that our cervix plays a role when it comes to giving birth, but exactly how remains somewhat of a mystery.
Many women take the attitude that they’ll think more about their cervix when they’re planning their labour and actually writing up their birth plan. Until then, that little part of our anatomy can just wait for its turn to shine. But as you’re about to find out, the cervix is far from being an unimportant little portion of muscle somewhere ‘down there’.
next – What is a cervix?
Table of contents
Cervical dilation: What is it and why should I care?
Most women never think about their cervix, not really. Unless it’s one of those special times when we are due for a pap smear and it’s at the forefront in our mind. We also know in a general sense that our cervix plays a role when it comes to giving birth, but exactly how remains somewhat of a mystery.
Many women take the attitude that they’ll think more about their cervix when they’re planning their labour and actually writing up their birth plan. Until then, that little part of our anatomy can just wait for its turn to shine. But as you’re about to find out, the cervix is far from being an unimportant little portion of muscle somewhere ‘down there’.
next – What is a cervix?
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What is a cervix?
The cervix is actually the lowermost part of the uterus. Another name for it is the ‘neck’ of the womb because that’s what it actually looks like.
Interestingly, cervix is the Latin name for neck so it makes also perfect sense to call it that.
next – Where is my cervix and why should I care?
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Where is my cervix and why should I care?
It’s perfectly reasonable not to spend every minute of your waking day wandering around thinking about your cervix. But in a general sense we should all have at least some basic understanding of our reproductive organs and what they do. And if we didn’t all have a cervix then conceiving, having healthy pregnancies and vaginal births would all be impossible.
Your cervix is at the internal end of your vagina. You may be able to feel it if you put your fingers into your vagina. It will feel like the end of your nose. You may have a sense of it too when you’re inserting a tampon as far as it can go and you feel a deep, sharp pelvic pain.
next – What the cervix does
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What the cervix does
next – During labour
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During labour
You’ll hear two words when it comes to describing your cervix during labour: dilatation (or dilation) and effacement. Simply put, dilatation is how wide your cervix will open and effacement means how thin and short your cervix will become.
next – An exercise in cervical mindfulness
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An exercise in cervical mindfulness
There’s no reason why the humble cervix should miss out on a little affirming mindfulness.
Try blowing up a balloon so there’s not much room for any more air. This will give you some idea of how big your uterus will be when you’re nine months pregnant and your labour has started.
All the room in the balloon, including its neck, will be taken up by the air. The rubber itself, especially in the lower portion (your cervix) has become thinner. But as you release the air the tail of the balloon will become longer and the body of the balloon smaller.
This is pretty much what happens during labour and childbirth as the uterus empties and the cervix goes back to (almost) its original shape.
next – Vaginal examinations
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Vaginal examinations
During labour your midwife or doctor will do vaginal examinations (VE). There’s lots of debate about the frequency VEs should be done because they can be uncomfortable and cause maternal distress. They also increase the risk of infection. But VEs do give an accurate idea of how labour is progressing, if the baby is in the head down position and what way the baby is facing.
Your midwife or doctor will:
What they are feeling for:
Cervical dilation is not an exact science. Different midwives and doctors can come up with different findings just because they’re individuals.
next – 10 amazing facts about cervical dilation
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10 amazing facts about cervical dilation
1. Women who’ve had a baby before tend to dilate more quickly than those having their first baby. It’s as if their cervix has a “memory” of what to do.
2. Towards the due date the cervix starts to thin and dilate. It can stay that way for a few weeks even though other labour symptoms haven’t started.
3. A “show” is actually the plug of mucous which has been sitting in the cervix. Some women have a mucousy show at the start of their labour and others don’t.
4. Some women can actually feel their cervix is dilating. They describe this as a distinctive, muscular pain deep in their pelvis.
5. The first five centimetres of dilation can take longer than the last five.
6. Some women progress very rapidly with their cervical dilation and others take longer. None of us can directly control the rate of our cervical dilation. But there are a few things which may help – check here.
7. Some women do their own vaginal examinations during labour. But this is very difficult to do with a large belly.
8. There are a couple of ways to artificially dilate the cervix. One is with prostaglandin gel and the other is with a cervical ripening balloon catheter. Another more natural way is to have sex. Semen contains prostaglandins which can help to start labour.
9. The cervix of women who’ve had a vaginal birth looks different to women who have not. The os, or entrance to the cervix, permanently stays a bit more open because of the stretching.
10. Trying to push during labour before the cervix is fully dilated can cause cervical bruising, swelling and tearing.
If you want more information about your wonderful cervix and what it can do, speak with your maternity care provider.
This article was written for Kidspot by Jane Barry from www.mybabybaby.com.au – child health nurse, midwife and parenting columnist.