Dilation/Effacement Question

hoshicat

Okay, so I asked my MIL what the difference between Dilation and Effacement was and she said it was the same thing, that if you are 1 cm, then you're 10%, but I've always seen you ladies saying different and I was hoping you could tell me the difference? I know what it is to be dilated, but what is it to be effaced?

TXTwisterBabe

Dilation refers to how open your cervix is, and effacement refers to how thin it is (rough explanation).  You can be 1cm dilated, but still be 80% effaced.  That just means you're not very dilated, but your cervix is very thin.  The two terms go hand in hand and both must take place before the baby can pass through.

MLMDDL02

I don't think thats right.  At my last appointment I was 3 1/2cm, 90% effaced.  I always thought the effacement part was how thinned out your cervix was. 

wmthorpe0815

when your dilated that is how big the opening is getting. effacement is how thin your cervix is getting. there is a difference. so when your 50% effaced that means your cervix is 50% the way thinnned

Timeg

Dilation and effacement aren't the same. I believe effacement refers to the shortening/thinning out of the cervix...

hoshicat

So simple! Thank you so much ladies!

aegrimm

Dilation is how open your cervix is. It has to get to 10 cm.

Effacement is how thin your cervix is. For example, at one of my earlier u/s they measured my cervix and it was about 4 or 5 cm thick (I think). That has to thin (efface) to paper thin before it's ready to pass a baby through.

You need to be at 10 cm and 100% before baby can be born.

tlmommy2b:)

aegrimm:

Dilation is how open your cervix is. It has to get to 10 cm.

Effacement is how thin your cervix is. For example, at one of my earlier u/s they measured my cervix and it was about 4 or 5 cm thick (I think). That has to thin (efface) to paper thin before it's ready to pass a baby through.

You need to be at 10 cm and 100% before baby can be born.

This! And you can be dilated and not effaced which lengthens labor (as per my childbirth class). So if you are 80% effaced but only 1cm dilated thats not a bad thing.  

TXTwisterBabe

tlmalstrom:

aegrimm:

Dilation is how open your cervix is. It has to get to 10 cm.

Effacement is how thin your cervix is. For example, at one of my earlier u/s they measured my cervix and it was about 4 or 5 cm thick (I think). That has to thin (efface) to paper thin before it's ready to pass a baby through.

You need to be at 10 cm and 100% before baby can be born.

This! And you can be dilated and not effaced which lengthens labor (as per my childbirth class). So if you are 80% effaced but only 1cm dilated thats not a bad thing.  

Unless you never progress...

new_tink_mom

At my birthing class they used a partially blown up balloon to show effacement the neck of the balloon in the beginning was long but as she pushed the air toward the opening the neck became shorter and shorter. That?s effacement.