I got to talking to my midwife with DS1. She asked about dilation/effacement. I haven't been checked by my midwife in three weeks, though I have checked myself here and there. She asked if I've recently checked myself. I was curious so after getting off the phone I went to check.
It's pretty easy to reach on the toilet with my leg propped on the bathtub ledge. When I checked this last time I did not feel anything protruding or a tube like structure at all. When I felt around the vaginal wall and traced my finger up near the cervical opening there was no cervix. No real thickness to it. I can feel what was the opening of cervix. I recognize the texture of it, but it's more flat. My BOW is bulging and his head is right there. If there's no thickness would that translate to fully effaced or almost fully effaced?
I tried measuring dilation. It was pretty tricky to get my forefinger on the other side since it's shorter and the angle wasn't great. I had to use my middle finger to reach the other side and then place my forefinger where my middle finger stopped. I was able to make a peace sign. I reconstructed the feel of my fingers spread apart and measured. Came out to about 5 cm.
For you ladies that check were you pretty accurate? I've measured all the cms on a piece of paper and measured my fingers to get a feel for the spread of each cm.
It isn't abnormal for me so I wouldn't be surprised if I was 4-5 cm. I was 5 cm for a week with DD1 and was pitocin induced at 6.5 cm because I wasn't contracting. Similar with DD2. AROM at 6 cm to start labor.
Another question, if the cervix is thinned out a lot would there even be a big difference between the internal and external os? I couldn't distinguish a difference. I couldn't feel anything protruding in front of the BOW.
It's pretty easy to reach on the toilet with my leg propped on the bathtub ledge. When I checked this last time I did not feel anything protruding or a tube like structure at all. When I felt around the vaginal wall and traced my finger up near the cervical opening there was no cervix. No real thickness to it. I can feel what was the opening of cervix. I recognize the texture of it, but it's more flat. My BOW is bulging and his head is right there. If there's no thickness would that translate to fully effaced or almost fully effaced?
I tried measuring dilation. It was pretty tricky to get my forefinger on the other side since it's shorter and the angle wasn't great. I had to use my middle finger to reach the other side and then place my forefinger where my middle finger stopped. I was able to make a peace sign. I reconstructed the feel of my fingers spread apart and measured. Came out to about 5 cm.
For you ladies that check were you pretty accurate? I've measured all the cms on a piece of paper and measured my fingers to get a feel for the spread of each cm.
It isn't abnormal for me so I wouldn't be surprised if I was 4-5 cm. I was 5 cm for a week with DD1 and was pitocin induced at 6.5 cm because I wasn't contracting. Similar with DD2. AROM at 6 cm to start labor.
Another question, if the cervix is thinned out a lot would there even be a big difference between the internal and external os? I couldn't distinguish a difference. I couldn't feel anything protruding in front of the BOW.
