Hello future mothers and mothers in @SteemKids&Parents Community, most pregnant women think that when labor pains begin, they will just give birth immediately; they will want to push out the baby by force due to pains or will disturb their caregiver to commence the delivery immediately, so I'm here today to correct that belief and mindset because by doing that, you are putting yourself in danger and more complications because in delivering a baby, there are signs that must be observed by the healthcare worker before the commencement of delivery. And these signs are called CERVICAL DILATION signs or stages.

Cervical dilation refers to the opening of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus (the structure that houses the baby), during labor or medical examination. It's measured in centimeters (cm), indicating how open the cervix is. This means the wider the cervix, the greater the chances of delivery.

The image shown above is a blackboard that shows the diagrammatic representation of cervical dilation, and above and below the text are circular holes labeled 1 cm to 9 cm, demonstrating different sizes of cervical opening in the woman's body. The holes visually represent the progressive dilation of the cervical os (opening).

Cervical dilation is a key process in childbirth, indicating labor progress. It’s assessed by healthcare providers during vaginal exams. During this examination the healthcare provider will insert two of his/her fingers into the cervix through the vagina to inspect the progress of the labor. If the two fingers can enter perfectly into the cervix, this means that the cervix is 1-2 cm; this signifies early dilation, and it also means that labor has begun and contractions may be mild. After some minutes, the healthcare provider will try to insert three fingers to see if it will widen more, and if it does, that means the labor has progressed to 3–4 cm, where active labor often begins and contractions become stronger and regular. The cervix opens enough for the baby to move down.

Then he/she inserts four fingers, and if they can enter the cervix, this means the cervix is up to 5–6 cm, which indicates mid-labor dilation acceleration, and women may experience intense contractions (urge to push) and discomfort. The healthcare provider tries again to put in all five fingers, and if they enter the cervix, this means it has expanded from 7 to 8 cm. This indicates advanced dilation; labor will progress quickly, and the cervix is nearly fully open. And if the examiner is able to put his/her whole hands into the cervix, this means the cervix is fully dilated from 9 to 10 cm; this simply means the cervix is completely open, allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal. Pushing usually begins in this stage, and the baby is delivered with the placenta.

And if none of these signs occur or the stages are not progressing, it may be a sign of complications such as the baby's head being too big to pass through the cervix (4 kg and above) or the pelvis not being recommended for delivery through the vagina (android pelvis), etc. And if complications arise, the woman will not be able to give birth through the vagina and will be advised to go for a cesarean section (CS) to avoid more complications like rupturing of the uterus or vaginal prolapse. I believe my beautiful mothers have gotten awareness about labor today.

Thank you.