But it could also take a few days, or even weeks. As with 1 cm dilated, being 2 cm dilated doesn't mean that labor is imminent. Some women who are 2 cm dilated may go into labor within hours. Others will remain 2 cm dilated for a few days or weeks until labor progresses. Once your cervix reaches 3 cm dilation, you've probably entered the early stage of labor. During this stage, your cervix gradually dilates to about 6 cm.
This is the longest part of labor and can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, although between 8 to 12 hours is common. Once you reach about 6 cm dilation, you're in the active stage of labor. At this point your contractions become very regular, longer lasting, and more painful. You probably won't know when you're precisely 6 cm dilated. However, as a general rule, you'll want to call your provider and possibly head to the hospital or birth center when you've had regular, painful contractions that each last about 60 seconds and occur every 5 to 7 minutes for at least an hour.
During the active stage of labor, your cervix dilates from around 6 cm to the full 10 cm. The last part of active labor, when the cervix dilates fully from 8 to 10 cm, is called transition. This process takes about 5 to 7 hours if you're a first-time mom, or between 2 and 4 hours if you've had a baby before. The exact duration of this stage is different for everyone. Once your cervix is 10 cm dilated and percent effaced, you're ready to start pushing.
You'll probably feel a strong urge to push at this point. When your cervix is 50 percent effaced, it's about 2 cm long. At this point, it's halfway to becoming short and thin enough to allow your baby to pass through the uterus and into the vagina. Most effacement usually happens during the first stage of labor, when your cervix is dilating to 6 cm. This process can take several hour or days, and will likely be accompanied by early signs of labor such as Braxton Hicks contractions and losing your mucus plug.
When your cervix is 60 percent effaced, it's 60 percent of the way toward becoming short and thin enough to allow your baby to pass through the uterus. Most of the effacement process happens during the early stage of labor when your cervix is dilating to 6 cm, and may take several hours or even days.
A cervix that's 70 percent effaced is 70 percent of the way toward becoming short and thin enough to allow your baby to pass through the uterus. This process typically happens during the early stage of labor when your cervix is dilating to 6 cm, and may take several hours or even days.
Once your cervix reaches 80 percent effacement, it's almost short enough to allow your baby through the uterus, assuming it is accompanied by dilation. You may reach 80 percent effacement or higher during the early stage of labor, or this may happen once you reach active labor.
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Diagnosis Your health care provider will review your medical history and risk factors for preterm labor and evaluate your signs and symptoms. More Information Pelvic exam Ultrasound. More Information Cervical cerclage. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.
Show references Lockwood CJ. Preterm labor: Clinical findings, diagnostic evaluation, and initial treatment. Accessed Oct. Cunningham FG, et al. Preterm birth. In: Williams Obstetrics. McGraw-Hill Education; Frequently asked questions: Labor, delivery, and postpartum care FAQ Preterm premature labor and birth. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Practice Bulletin No. Reaffirmed Dilation alone is not considered a sign of labor. Anyone concerned about early dilation should speak with a doctor. The doctor will assess the extent of dilation and any other signs that labor is imminent. Many women experience contractions throughout a pregnancy. These are common, though they can be concerning if a person is pregnant for the first time. When contractions happen before labor, the medical community calls them Braxton-Hicks contractions.
The key differences between Braxton-Hicks and labor contractions involve their duration, frequency, and associated pain. If contractions seem to occur randomly and they are painless, they are likely Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Contractions that occur close to a due date are usually more frequent, longer-lasting, and painful. The time between contractions is an important indication of labor. When contractions start to occur regularly and cause pain, let a healthcare provider know.
When pregnancy begins, a mucus plug seals the opening of the cervix. This plug will break apart and fall away as dilation progresses.
When the plug falls away, it may look like discharge. The color can range from clear to pink, and the plug may be slightly bloody. When labor is about to start, the membrane surrounding the baby can break and fall away. The water breaking is one of the most commonly recognized signs of labor.
It can result in a sudden gush of liquid, or only a trickle. Some women may not notice because there is so little fluid. The medical community calls this lightening, and it can occur anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks before active labor begins.
Contact the doctor about any signs of labor, such as regular contractions, cramping, or the water breaking. In some cases, your doctor may suggest sewing your cervix shut cervical cerclage to help avoid a premature birth, or even resting with your head below the level of your body to further reduce stress on the cervix.
You may also be put on bed rest , at least temporarily, to avoid having gravity put pressure on your cervix. To try to halt your contractions, your doctor will ask you to rest on your left side this position increases blood flow to the uterus , and if you seem dehydrated, she will give you intravenous fluids. These steps help stop contractions in about 50 percent of women.
If your contractions stop and your cervix doesn't dilate during several hours of observation, you will probably be able to go home.
Your obstetrician may decide that postponing the birth through medication is the appropriate course of action. While there is no established "right" time to start treatment with medication, many doctors recommend beginning once your cervix becomes two to three centimeters dilated.
These drugs don't usually don't postpone labor for long often not more than a couple of days , but sometimes even a short delay can make a lifesaving difference to your baby. For example, your doctor can begin treatment with corticosteroid drugs between 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, which are aimed at preventing or lessening complications in preterm newborns.
Corticosteroids speed maturation of fetal organs, reducing infant deaths by about 30 percent and cutting the incidence of the two most serious complications of preterm birth : respiratory distress syndrome and bleeding in the brain. They are given by injection and are most effective when administered at least 24 hours before delivery. Other medication options include magnesium sulfate which might reduce the risk of cerebral palsy and tocolytics which temporarily slow contractions.
It's important to note, though, that preterm labor medications aren't completely harmless. Putterman says. Your contractions are unlikely to stop on their own if your cervix is dilating. As long as you're between 34 and 37 weeks and the baby already is at least 5 pounds, 8 ounces, the doctor may decide not to delay labor. These babies are very likely to do well even if they're born early.
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