I am only 33 weeks pregnant with my third child and was curious how soon you dialate?

Question

I went to the hospital yesterday because I was having problems and they said i was one to two centimeters dialated but my cervix was still long, what does this mean for me in terms of how long will it take to progress with a third child especially because my second child is only 10 months old

Answer 1

No one can tell you not even doctors are nurses. A dilation check is really so meaningless. It tells you nothing. Getting an internal exam during your pregnancy really tells you **nothing**. You could be checked and be 5 cm and still not go into labor for weeks or you can be check and found to be totally closed and go into labor in 3 hours.

How soft your cervix is tells you more than how many cm. you are dilated. You said your cervix was still long. It usually means that labor is far off.

A wonderful way to help soften the cervix is to have sex. Make sure that your mate climaxes inside of you. The semen has something in it that will help to soften the cervix. It also helps if you climax as well. Not really to soften your cervix but it helps contract the uterus. If your body and the baby are both ready then it will help you go into labor.
There is also something called "evening primrose oil" that you can buy at any health food store that you can take orally to help your cervix soften. Only take it in the later two weeks of pregnancy (if you are 38 weeks or past)

With my third pregnancy I did not have any internal exams. I refused to have them. I knew they didn't tell me anything and I didn't want to get upset for no reason. I refused them during labor too. It is the same...seeing how far dilated you are in labor tells you nothing in terms as how long you still have to go.

With my 2nd I was in very hard labor for hours but only at a 5. I got really frustrated. But with-in 20 minutes I was holding my baby. There was no reason for that frustration.

Good luck to you. I have three children and it is wonderful! :-)
Don't worry about being dilated. Often women that have had children before remain about one cm. all throughout life not just at the end of pregnancy.

Answer 2

I really would not know maybe you should have asked the doctors at the hospital to tell you what that meant in layman's terms. I know that you have to be dilated and effaced. You are about 8 months that I think that you do not have anything to worry about. At this point you can go into labor at anytime and will be having a full term baby. I think that maybe things are moving a little quicker for you because you got pregnant again so soon. You really didn't give your body a chance to heal from the first or previous pregnancy. But all in all I do not think that you have anything to worry about. Here is a good rule of thumb ask questions whenever you go to the doctor and you are not completely sure of what is going on. No one can give you a more decisive answer than your doctor because he/she is the one with the PHD.

Answer 3

I started dilating at about 34 weeks and had to be induced at 38. I walk around at 4cm dilated and 50% effaced for 4 weeks YUK! Your cervix being strong at 33 weeks is a good thing. You don't want that baby to come out this soon. All it means is you have a few more weeks hopefully. I had a friend that effaced in a 24 hour period. So you really never know. It's all up to the baby. Good Luck!

Answer 4

How soon did you dialate with the other two? You could answer this question better than anyone, since this is your body and it's not your first time. Sometimes it depends on your own history. Think back on the first two.

Answer 5

Any time after 36 weeks is game... Depends from woman to woman. Some dialate quick... some need petocin.

It takes a long time to get to 4 CM... after 4, you're on the road to having your baby. Once your water breaks, THEN it's action time!

Answer 6

You'll probably deliver on time. If they thought that you were too dialated for your stage and had to deliver earlier, they would've told you then.