Understanding Effacement and Dilation During Labor

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During your third trimester, effacement and dilation are two terms you’ll hear fairly often from your health care provider. These are actually two of the earliest signs of labor, so understanding effacement and dilation is important to know just how close labor really is.

Understanding Effacement and Dilation: Effacement Explained
When you aren’t pregnant, your cervix remains thick and long, up to 5″ in length. As labor draws near, the cervix prepares for childbirth by thinning out and shortening. This is referred to as effacement. As your cervix becomes more effaced, it begins to pull up until it blends in with the rest of the uterus. Your doctor may also call this process thinning out or ripening.

Understanding Effacement and Dilation: Dilation Explained
While your cervix is effacing, it will also begin to open and stretch in a process called dilation. This process allows the baby’s body to move from the uterus into the vaginal canal during birth. Dilation is measured in centimeters. It will begin at zero centimeters, which means it’s completely closed. During labor, your doctor will continually measure the dilation with a gloved finger, so it can also be measured in “fingers.” Early labor is 0 to 4 centimeters; 4 to 7 centimeters is active labor; 7 to 10 centimeters occurs during the shift from active labor to delivery. At 10 centimeters, you’re completely dilated and ready for birth.