![]() Which is where I think my questions derive from… In which he will be gone a week-2 weeks at a time out of state with work. I’m currently bed rested with our first child being 2 years old and running around full of energy, living in a home with 2 flights of stairs and my husband going back to work Monday. I was sent home from labor and delivery at 4 cm dilated and 40% effaced. I was given medication to stop the birthing process being we were only 32 weeks along. Now, 33 weeks pregnant and this is my second pregnancy. I was admitted into labor and delivery Thursday, September 24th. I’m keeping in mind that any response to the questions would be possibilities and not how it would play out. My comment weigh questions is a long one and something you might not be able to answer or feel comfortable answering from a medical stand point. Join our growing community of parents who birth and parent with confidence! You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just as nature intended.Ĭontinue your childbirth education with me by signing up to my online prenatal classes: Sylvia What happened to my client? After her cervix was effaced 100%, she dilated gradually, reaching 10 cm several hours later and then proceeded to push out her beautiful baby. And trust that once you are effaced, in the majority of cases (barring those rare exceptions) your cervix will fully dilate. They also help your cervix soften and melt away. ![]() Contractions don’t just happen so you dilate. So, what does this all mean for you? It means be patient! Rather than just look at dilation as a means of progression, remember her cool twin sister: effacement. This is why 2nd-time births can go quickly – once you’re in labour, a lot of the work has already taken place! Why should you care about effacement? What I also find interesting, is that first-time moms will efface faster than they dilate, but moms who have birthed before dilate faster than they efface! How cool is that? With my third baby, I was 4 cm dilated for at least three weeks before giving birth. When it does disappear she’ll be at 10 cm and baby will come down further. How many times have I seen a mom at 9.5 cm with just a slight lip of cervix left!? Frustrating, I know, but baby won’t come out until that smallest of rims disappears. No two birthing women are alike.īut both dilation and effacement have to happen before baby will come out. Sometimes, moms will efface and dilate at the same time, sometimes they will begin to efface first and then dilate later. As the baby comes down the birth canal during contractions, the pressure of the baby’s head on the cervix effaces – or thins out – the cervix. The cervix is about 4 cm long and is the opening to the womb, in between the vagina and the uterus. Here, in Quebec, it is quite a common word that we use a lot in French. So what is effacement exactly? Its origin comes from the French word ‘effacer’ which means to erase. Almost everyone knows one thing about dilation: ‘When you dilate to 10 cm, you can push your baby out!’ This is reinforced during the usual prenatal class, which informs parents about the importance of dilation, but omits to tell them that she has a twin sister who is just as important!īecause without a fully effaced cervix, you will not fully dilate. Enough to jump for joy! Unfortunately, it is always overshadowed by dilation. ![]() What I want to share with you is the magic of EFFACEMENT. Now there are few things during that exchange that got me all riled up, but in this blog post, I don’t want to discuss the discouraging tone and language of the caregiver, or even her seemingly lack of knowledge regarding the cervix. Nurse (looking at me as if I had two heads): But she’s still only at 4 cm…. Me: That’s great!! You’re almost fully effaced! Yay! Me (interjecting quickly): Can you please tell us how effaced the cervix is now? Nurse (with a look of pity) : Oh, you’re still at 4. The conversation went something like this: Three hours later, after hours of long and strong contractions, it was time to evaluate her progress (aka examine her). When mom was admitted to the hospital she was 4 cm dilated and 40% effaced. Birth is not just about dilation – don’t forget effacement ![]()
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