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VBAC
Liam Henry: 9/5/09
Emmeline Claire: 5/23/11
Question about baby dropping and dilating
I'm not sure if my theories here are way off, but maybe someone has some insight.
DS was pretty much transverse until 37 weeks, so he ended up never dropping and I did not dilate or efface (I was induced with high BP 3 days after my due date).
I read somewhere that the baby dropping helps the cervix to thin, so I'm thinking if this baby actually goes head down and has time to drop, maybe I'll efface/dilate this time?
Also, I managed to dilate to 9cm before I had a c-section. Will my cervix "remember" and maybe have an easier time next time, even though I never did push a baby out in the end?
Liam Henry: 9/5/09
Emmeline Claire: 5/23/11
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Question about baby dropping and dilating
You mean dilating/effacing before labor? That's not a good indicator of anything. There's really no point in doing an internal before labor because it tells you nothing useful. You were only 40w3d when you were induced, which is a full week earlier than the average FTM gestation. Unfortunately, we'll never know what your body would have done on its own during that week, had your BP not been high. You could have fully dilated and effaced on your own the very next day. Who knows?
Also, second babies often don't drop until just before or during labor. So I wouldn't put a whole lot into hoping for your baby to drop sooner than last time. She might, but it's absolutely normal not to, and obviously most women still dilate and efface with second babies!
With my first, I fully dilated, and my midwife said it should be easier the second time since I'd already done that part before.
From what I recall, if the head is on the cervix it helps to dilate and efface. I don't think it guarantees that it will happen, but it helps. Also what PP said about dropping - generally in second labors it happens much later or IN labor. It didn't happen for me until the doctor broke my water.
As far as dilating goes, with both pregnancies I had a relatively easy time getting halfway there (to 6 in my first labor and to 5 in my second) but I got hung up at that spot for several hours. In my VBAC my doctor broke my water, tried pit (which had to be turned off), and a foley catheter to give me the push and it worked. My CS doctor didn't try anything other than a CS. I am a bit of a believer that your body remembers where it's been, except I don't know how my body would have handled dilating from 6-10 in my first pregnancy but it appears it sort of handled dilating to 5/6 similarly.