Cervix Dilation?

Question

I went to L&D last night for strong contractions and the urge to push. They checked my cervix and said I was fully open on the outside, but closed on the inside. I was sent home so I'm guessing I wasn't having any progress. What does that mean...open on the outside of the cervix but closed on the inside?

Answer 1

Think of your cervix like a bottle neck. The top of the bottle neck where you screw on the cap is small, then it gradually opens wider and wider until it is the width of the bottle - like a funnel turned upside down. This is what your cervix would look like if the outside was open and the inside closed. A cervix is thick, not thin like a piece of paper. So when they reach inside of you to do an internal exam, they must have first felt a completely dilated cervix, but as they moved up, it bottle-necked to being closed up closer to the baby. Kind of confusing to write instead of draw!