My Cervix Is Doing WHAT?!
If you're pregnant, or planning to be, you may have already heard people talk about how "dilated" they were, or how effacement means labor is near. But what do those words actually mean? And what’s your cervix really up to as your body gets ready for birth?
Let’s break it down.
What is the cervix? The cervix is the lower part of your uterus. It connects your uterus to your vagina and stays closed and firm during pregnancy to help keep your baby safe and inside where they need to be. As you get closer to labor, the cervix goes through a few major changes so baby can come out.
Dilation: The Opening Act Dilation is how open the cervix is, measured in centimeters from 0 to 10. Zero means it's completely closed. Ten means it's open enough for baby to pass through. For some people, the cervix starts dilating slowly weeks before labor. For others, it happens all at once during active labor.
It’s not always a straight path either. You might be 3 cm for days. Or go from 4 to 10 in a few hours. Everyone’s body is different.
Effacement: The Thinning Stretch Effacement is how thin and stretchy the cervix becomes. In early pregnancy, it’s thick and firm, kind of like a stack of pancakes. As labor nears, it softens and thins out, measured in percentages. 0% means it’s thick, and 100% means it’s fully thinned (like a sheet of paper!).
Effacement usually happens before or alongside dilation. Think of it like pulling on a turtleneck—you’ve got to stretch it thin before your head (or baby!) can come through.
What Helps These Changes Happen? Several things work together to get your cervix ready:
Contractions help put pressure on the cervix.
Baby’s head pressing down encourages opening and thinning.
Hormones like oxytocin and prostaglandins help soften tissue.
Movement and upright positions use gravity to your advantage.
Feeling safe and supported lets your body relax and do what it needs to do.
What Dilation and Effacement Don’t Tell You A cervical check gives a snapshot in time. It tells you what’s happening right now—but not how fast things will go. You can be 1 cm and go into active labor hours later. Or stay at 4 cm for days.
Numbers are helpful, but they don’t predict the future. They also don’t define how well your body is working. Labor is a process, not a deadline.
The Bottom Line Your cervix is doing big, important work behind the scenes. It might not feel exciting when someone says you’re “only” 2 cm, but progress is progress. And all of it matters.
Your body knows the way. And however your labor unfolds, it deserves respect, support, and informed care every step of the way.
