If you’re like me, you are determined to avoid any possible interventions during your pregnancy. This means waiting until baby is ready to come out on his or her own. Of course, that isn’t always possible but there are many times where we tend to intervene ahead of when baby is ready due to lack of knowledge about how cervical dilation works.
Your cervix is the organ responsible for dilating from 0 to 10cm to make room for baby to exit the uterus. During the final weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will likely recommend checking your cervix to understand how dilated it is in preparation for labor and delivery. Here’s the thing: You can decline cervical dilation checks. And, in most cases, you should. Why? Because cervical dilation is not linear.
It’s completely possible that your cervix is dilated to 3cm one day and back down to 1cm the next. Linear progression is not guaranteed nor should it be expected. The best time to get your cervix checked is when baby is past his or her due date and you are preparing to make a possible intervention decision. This may include non-medical induction methods such as a membrane sweep or a medical induction such as using Pitocin. It will be important for both you and your doctor to know how favorable your cervix is to make the best possible decision for you and your baby.
Did you already know about cervical dilation being nonlinear?