Cervical effacement occurs in pregnant women at the end of her pregnancy, in many cases right at the time of delivery. It occurs mainly at the time of labor and where many mothers-to-be wonder how long it takes for the cervix to efface and why it occurs.
For many women it may be a subject that escapes their understanding, to give meaning to what happens when there is an effacement of the uterus, It may be a mystery that we clarify below. It is nothing more than trying to understand how the cervix begins to take on another appearance and Why does this circumstance occur?
cervical effacement
Before the arrival of childbirth, it is necessary to know how the cervix begins its expansion process. From this moment the cervix shortens and begins to dilate slowly. In many cases, this phase can take hours.
Let's observe step by step how this process works: The neck of the uterus or cervix is located in the lower part of the uterus, which communicates with the part of the vagina. It is cylindrical in shape and is composed of fibromuscular tissue.
Its size reaches between 2,5 cm in diameter and about 3 cm long. At the time of delivery, the neck will progressively shorten until it disappears, it is the way to show that everything is already being prepared for the arrival of the baby. The assessment of this entire process will be meditated by the midwives with an exploration.
Symptoms of cervical effacement
Contractions in the final stretch of pregnancy They can be a synonym that the time of delivery is approaching. Not to be confused with contractions of BraxtonHick. So that there is no confusion, the contractions must coincide with the final stretch and must be regular and prolonged.
can be produced a little bleeding which is usually a small reddish, brown or pinkish spot. If it is also accompanied by a substance similar to mucus, it will be synonymous with an expulsion of the mucous plug and that means that there is an erasure.
When in doubt, it is best see a midwife or gynecologist where through a review and exploration will give a greater accuracy of whether there is a cervical effacement. The cervix shortens as the baby is born and that is what needs to be evaluated.
The specialist can determine if 30% or 50% of the erasure has occurred, being close to delivery. When a 100% erasure It is an indication that delivery is near. It can be calculated that delivery can occur within the next 48 hours, although each woman is different.
Dilation
After the erasure remains the dilation, where the birth canal must widen so that the baby's body can pass and go outside. You will have to reach the 10cm dilation and in theory it dilates between 1 cm and 1,2 cm every hour, although this data will depend on each woman. There are cases in which this process is usually fast and in others it is can get slow coming to take days and not in correlation with the guidelines indicated.
New mothers often have first an erasure and then a dilation. Instead, women who have already been mothers usually have the effacement and dilation simultaneously.
Can effacement be measured at home?
A woman can feel at home if there is an effacement, although you have to have an objective observation so that what is not evident is not interpreted. To do so, follow these steps:
- Wash your hands well before starting the examination.
- Put your index and middle fingers together and insert them into the vagina calmly and slowly.
At this point, try to reach the end of the vaginal canal and observe How thick is the cervix? If it is observed that it is wide and firm, it will not be an indication that an erasure has occurred. If it is noticed that it is soft and thin It will mean that the deletion is starting. It is not a very difficult procedure to understand, but when in doubt it is best to go to a specialist.