It's anyone's guess when your baby will decide to make his appearance — will he be sociably early, fashionably late, or right on time? — but that doesn't stop your practitioner from guessing when labor will begin.
Just what is your doctor looking for? First, for dilation, or how far your cervix has opened. Specifically, your cervix needs to open to 10 centimeters for the baby to pass through into the birth canal.
Your health care provider is also looking cervical ripeness — aka the consistency of the cervix. It starts out being firm like the tip of your nose, then softens to the same texture as the inside of your cheek before labor.
Next, your practitioner will check for effacement, or how thin your cervix is; it'll be 100% effaced before you push your baby out.
The position of your cervix, which moves from the back to the front as labor approaches, will also be assessed. And last but not least, your doctor or midwife will measure the position of the baby in relation to your pelvis. The lower down your baby is, the closer you are to delivery.
Although it all sounds very scientific, it's actually not. These processes can occur gradually, over a period of weeks or even a month or more in some women — or overnight.
So while all these signs are clues that you're indeed progressing, they're far from sure bets when it comes to pinpointing the actual start of labor. You can be very dilated and not have your baby for weeks. Or your cervix can be high and closed during an exam one morning, only to be open and ready for business — and labor — by noon.
The Mutlu Anne app is with you every step of the way on your pregnancy journey.
Thanks for reading.
