Does your cervix have to be soft and uterus dialated BEFORE labour?

Question

my first was induced... so I have no clue.

The cervix softens and stretchs... the uterus dialates?
The cervix is above the vagina.. shaped like an orange with a hole that stretches in the middle... leading to a dialated uterus????????/?

then why do all these people on here get dialated weeks before??

Answer 1

Just go read this website:

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/177.html

Answer 2

your uterus doesnt actually dialate. its what is holding the baby right now. your cervix dialates, to 10 cm or about 4 inches and softens. thats what allows your uterus (which is a great big muscle among other things to help push the baby out) all of the happens during labour, or in some cases the cervix will partially dialate 2 or 3 cm b4 active labour. the cervix is plugged with a mucus membrane which keeps the ambiotic fluid or your water in when that plug stretches apart your water will usually break, or if you have tough membranes, or need labour sped up your dr or labour nurse will break it for you. its painless

Answer 3

The cervix is the opening to the uterus at the bottom of the uterus, inside of the vagina. The cervix softens and thins out (this is called effacement) and then stretches in the middle (dilation) to open the uterus to allow the baby to come out.

Answer 4

I was induced with my second child at exactly 39 weeks. I was 2 cm dialated and 50% effaced. They started my pitocin drip at 6am. About 10:45 or so I was a 6 then I felt like I had to push. She checked me again @ 10:55 and I was a 10. I pushed about 3 times and she came out at 11:12am. I wish I would have said no to the induction just because my contractions were so intense and they forgot to turn off the drip which hurt like **ll!!! The natal contraction monitor would go off the chart for about 20-30 seconds before coming back down. I don't want to scare ya... Just my experience with pitocin.

Answer 5

Your cervix softens and stretches. It must dilate to 10 cm before labor (pushing) can begin. The uterus will contract (like when you get cramps with your period x 1000) and the contractions help to push the baby out.

Answer 6

Well you can be dialiated without labor starting, just means it is getting close. I know what you mean it is a little confusing. But you can be dialiated for weeks before actual labor, or you could not be dialiated at all and when you dialiate to 1 or 3 if the rest of your body is ready, you could jump right into labor. You never know. As for me with my first I was dialiated to 3 for 3 weeks before labor, and I dialiated from 3 to 10 in less than 10 minutes. Everyone is different. Talk to your obgyn, she should give you lots of info or you can research it on babyzone.com Dont feel bad for not knowing though. Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 7

yepper!!! your cervix softens so it can stretch and eventually allow the baby to pass through!!! the dialtion happens after you uterus is softened and this is like the first part of labor but not a ful active labor unless you are having all the symptoms like contractions ect ect..--im 38 weeks and 3 cm dialted but im not in active labor...if you were in active labor you would be in the hospital because it would be more rapid and you will know the differnce when its near!!! so for short..you can dialate and not be in full blown active labor...your body will sound the alarm and you will feel the difference in most cases!!! take care....

Answer 8

This needs to happen before you can push the baby out, but it can happen over weeks, days, or hours. I was 100% effaced and dialated to 2 for 7 days before I gave birth.

Answer 9

It is a sign that you are getting close to your due date. This can speed up depending on different factors. Talk to your doctor-he or she can give you the best anwser. Or if you don't want to do that, in the phone book are 24 hour nurse hotlines. You call in and they give you medical advice.

Answer 10

dialated to 10 then ready to expel baby