Dilation ? For 2nd Time Mommies

wifeofaussie · June 2010

Had my 2nd internal today and I'm only 1cm dilated...which I guess is progress since last week the baby had dropped and I wasn't dilated at all.

I was just wondering how much this mattered with your first baby? I realize I am just now full term so I still have a way to go but is dilation at your checkups always a reliable indicator of impending labor? Or did you just go into labor anyway?

Mrs.Tabigail · June 2010

I was dilated to 2cm for almost a month. I was induced at 9 days overdue and was still 2cm. For me it wasn't an indicator of anything.

tiggergirl0325 · June 2010

I was dilated 1cm for two or three weeks with each of mine. The effacement is what really matters with your first. The dilation won't really start rolling until you start effacing. Once I was more than 50-60% effaced, I started dilating a lot more.

Wendy525 · June 2010

I'm not dialated yet, as of last week. I have an appt this Friday though so that might have changed. With DD, I was dialated 1 cm for two weeks before I was induced on my due date.

EMWindy · June 2010

With DD1, I was 4cm and 80% effaced at 37 weeks, and had to be induced 1.5 weeks later (high bp).

My friend (due around the same time) was 1cm and 50% at 37 weeks, and went into labor 2 days later.

IMO, 'progress' is not a reliable indicator. Progress can make you a more favorable candidate for induction, though (if it eventually comes to that)

KellyD01 · June 2010

My water broke on it's own at 36w6d and when I got to the hospital later that day I had made it to a 3 and wasn't at all before my water broke.

BridetobeEm · June 2010

I was 2cm dilated for about 3-4 weeks and ended up having an induction a week past my due date.

lily225 · June 2010

It really does mean nothing. The only thing you should feel excited about if you dilate early is that it's that much less to go once you're in labor. And even then, some people dilate really quickly so even that doesn't matter.

With my first I was 1cm starting at 35wxd and was 3cm by 37w. I then sat at 3cm for the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy when I went into labor on my edd. I had a hard time not getting annoyed that I was that far along and not in labor. But it happens all the time.

MelH926 · June 2010

I was 1 cm for several weeks before my due date. 4 days later when I went into labor, I was STILL only 1 cm after having contractions for 6 hours. They wanted to send me home but I refused, so the nurse suggested I walk around the unit for a little while. 20 minutes later I was 3cm - and DD was born about 9 hours after that.

kaiteedidit · June 2010

With DD, I was dilated 1cm for 3 weeks before I went into labor the day before my due date.

This time I have been dilated 4cm, 100% effaced since I was 32 weeks and I'm still here.

Dilation is really no indicator of when your going to go into labor.

jse6 · June 2010

I have heard that it really does not mean anything. With DD, I was not at all dilated at my 39.5 week appointment on a Tuesday afternoon and I was in active labor on that Thursday morning (was at 10 cm about 5 hours after I felt my very first contraction).

NSL · June 2010

I went from 1 cm dilated to baby (without induction) in only 24 hours with my first. It really doesn't mean anything.

happy-honey · June 2010

Sorry it doesn't indicate much.

bmx4 · June 2010

I was about a "fingertip" dilated at 38 weeks. I had my 39 week Dr appt and he said there was no progress/nothing going on and that I'd see him at 40 weeks. The morning after the 39 week Dr appt, I woke up and my water broke. So I agree with others that dilation doesn't mean much as an indicator.

wpendleton · June 2010

I started dilating around 38wks and was up to 5cm the week of my due date, ended up going into labor 2 days overdue. I don't think I realized that you normally start labor at 1cm for a reason...my labor escalated pretty quickly so it was very over-whelming, I couldn't get in front of the pain to work thru it/control it on my own - it made the car ride and the arrival at the hospital a bit more nightmarish than I expected - the only good news was they could give me my epi immediately since I as about 6 or so when I got there.

momofolivia · June 2010

i went steadily over the last two weeks from 1cm to 3cm the morning I was induced at 41.5 weeks.

So no, it was not an indicator of anything.

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