Question re: Dilation

sarah.townsend · January 2012

I went for my 39 week appointment and had an internal exam. She said that from the opening I am 4 cm dilated but on the inside I am more like 1-2 cm. What does that mean? Anyone else told something similar?

I had a membrane sweep done and she said that she didn't think it would be too long before the baby arrives. My first daughter was born 4 days after her due date so fingers crossed this baby is the same if not quicker!

SqueezeTheClay · January 2012

I'm just going to speculate, because I never had it happen, but did she say how effaced you were? If your cervix is still thick, could it be opening in more of a cone shape than just a circle? I have seen other women reference the different dilations at the same time, not sure which board, but it might not be too uncommon.

Mrs.MillerJune2008 · January 2012

It's the difference between the bottom of your cervix (closest to the outside) and the top (closest to baby). The whole cervix doesn't dilate at the same rate.

December192009 · January 2012

Is it bad that I'm a woman, but I still googled a diagram of the cervix so I could see what pp-er meant? lol oh and this is baby #3 - Learned my new thing for the day!

PhysChic7685 · January 2012

I'd never heard of a difference between this (my second) either. My doc explained that it's the upper (smaller) measurement that matters.

atksjk2010 · November 2013

I'm 36 weeks today and was in the hospital last night for contractions and I have the same thing. The front is dilated to a 3 and the back (by baby's head) is still a 1 and 50% effaced. Dr says it doesn't mean anything until the back gives way.