How dilated/effaced are you?

[Auraji]

Im "38w1d" and Im 1cm dilated and 50% effaced.

How about you?

[Misbehavedmeg]

I have no idea. I will probably find out next week at my appt.

[SunCB]

36 wks 1 day last wk on Monday was 1 and soft

[j_p_i]

No clue. I don't think they do checks at my mw practice. I've tried to do a self check, all I know from that is that my cervix feels REALLY soft and squishy and weird. And it's lower than it was before.

I don't really know what that means though!

[Auraji]

I just found out today, it's the first time they've checked.


I think I just want to stress about it and that's why I asked

[ScootchsMom]

Originally Posted by j_p_i

No clue. I don't think they do checks at my mw practice. I've tried to do a self check, all I know from that is that my cervix feels REALLY soft and squishy and weird. And it's lower than it was before.

I don't really know what that means though!

I'm 37 weeks, 2 days and just got checked by the midwife because I asked after all the contractions I had this week. I'm soft, a stretchy fingertip dilated, but not really thinned at all. Baby is at a -2 still. Means nothing of course, lol, but its nice to know something is going on since I was tightly closed 2 weeks ago and not soft at all.

[Sadie Lake]

I think I'm about the same as you Auraji. My m/w doesn't do internals (unless I really wanted her to) but its lower and not "open" per se, but the two sides are about the width of my finger apart and its super soft and shorter (by about half) than it is usually, so I think that means 50% effaced.

I keep checking, hoping for some changes, but not much yet.

Sadie

[Auraji]

Originally Posted by Sadie Lake

I think I'm about the same as you Auraji. My m/w doesn't do internals (unless I really wanted her to) but its lower and not "open" per se, but the two sides are about the width of my finger apart and its super soft and shorter (by about half) than it is usually, so I think that means 50% effaced.

I keep checking, hoping for some changes, but not much yet.

Sadie

Im happy they checked because I would feel very clueless checking for myself

I had some contractions over the weekend, so I was glad to see they did a little something, specially since it was the first time I actually thought I was having them and they werent bad at all.

Im just getting desperate, I dont mind being pregnant. I've been feeling great, but I want her noooooooow!!!

[Mama Rana]

My MW asked if I wanted to be checked on Monday, and since she was in there already for my STD swab [didn't get done in the first trimester, and is apparently MD law ], I told her sure.

I was 1cm, but high and hard. I swear she said something about effacement, but I can't remember exactly what. I almost want to say 100%, but THAT doesn't make sense, does it? So who knows. I'll ask this Monday for them to look back and tell me what she said. I don't plan to have her check again. I'd just as soon not worry about it, yk? Esp. with the pressure I'm getting to get "on the schedule" [for a RCS] just in case I go too far past my due date.

[mynameisMom]

Is there a trick to self-checking? Just use clean hands?

[EmmaJane]

At 36w6d, I was 1 cm dilated, 30% effaced, and -1 station ("that's low for a posterior baby!")

Probably the only internal I'll get until labor-- my midwife was doing the GBS swab, and I was just curious -- not much serious cramping, but I'm carrying SO much lower than last time, and it feels like my pelvis is configured differently each morning when I wake up.

She also warned me that if any of the positioning/"spinning babies" stuff I'm supposedly trying to convince the baby to turn works, that she'll move down more and I'll be even less comfortable... aaiiiieee. (But DD1 was posterior until just before I pushed, and that was no fun at all...)

[the_lissa]

No idea. Cervical checks aren't offered until labour.

[cmoma]

At my 36 w appt (a week and a half ago) I was almost 2cm and starting to thin. Baby was at -3 station. At that point cervix was quite high and I could just barely reach it myself. Today when I checked I was able to reach it and feel that I was dilated. I think I'm still around a 2 not sure about effacement though.

I was glad there was progress though.

[major_mama11]

Last week (39 wks), I asked her to check me, and regretted it immediately. I was 2 cm, but only 25% effaced and -2 station.

This week (40 wks), she checked again at my request (I swore I wouldn't get obsessive about my cervix this pregnancy, but here I go again). Today I was 50% effaced, 2.5-3 cm, and "lower station than last wk". So today I was actually glad I asked her to check, since it reassured me that the contractions I've been having are doing something, even if I feel like I'm going to be pg forever.

[lightheartedmom]

My MW's don't check. I'm 39w5days and very curious. But I can't for my life figure out how ya'll are doing self-checks! What's the trick? I can't reach that far!! And do you use gloves?

[catters]

I won't find out about dilation/effacement until next week (whereas they'll do a membrane sweep if I"m dilated at all (I'll be 39wks 1day). But she DID say that the baby had "dropped". So yay?

[lightheartedmom]

I just tried to check. I don't believe I even have a cervix. ;-)
(seriously, I've felt it before, when I wasn't pregnant...I think it's disappeared WAY up inside there somewhere)
Squatting, sitting on the toilet w/ one leg up, I simply cannot reach it. So...I guess that means maybe labor isn't that close after all...

[Overthemoon]

30% effaced, 1.5 cm dilated, cervix very ripe and soft, I'm 38 weeks, measuring 39 weeks. I'll be 39 weeks on sunday.
I have asked for internals the last two checks with my MW. This past week I asked for her to be a bit more rough to see if we could get things going. I had a bit of cramping and some mucus dislodge but that's it.
Bring on the labor!

[SunCB]

I posted in the I'm Preggo forum about how to check yourself and putting EPO in so I am hoping to get some answers. I tried checking now w/a glove on and it felt so weird probably bc I checked while temping before preggo (felt it like twice right before I got preggo with just clean hands and short nails) so it was a bit harder to feel around this time.

I cannot imagine my OB has longer fingers than I do since I am so much bigger than he is (he is at least a good 6" shorter than I am if not more since I am 6').

[Shonahsmom]

I won't get checked until probably well in to labor. I find it really useless. You can walk around 3 cm dialated for weeks and you can go from 0 to 10 in 8 hours like I did with my first labor. It really doesn't provide any useful information at this point.