1 cm dialated--what does it really mean?

[Bettybella]

Hola everyone--

Just curious to hear from those who've already had babies--how soon after you started to dialate did the blessed infant make his/her appearance in the world?

I'm the big one cm and was told I couldn't go on a 2 1/2 hour drive to Woodstock b/c who knows what could happen? Damn--I was really excited to stomp around in the Beaverkill Stream in my aquasox.

One cm is so miniscule--and the internal exam hurt like hell. I almost threw up. I think my tolerance for pain is one of the world's lowest.

[Karennnnn]

It really means NOTHING.
I'd leave it at that but I'll give you some examples.
I'm from the June boards; one of the girls was walking around 4 cm for a while and even had a bulging bag for at least the last day of her pregnancy, who knows how long it was bulging before she was checked. This was her first baby.
With my first I was 1-2 for at least 4 weeks. My second, 3 cm for about 4 weeks... This time I have no idea but I checked myself a few days ago and feel a bulgy bag about the size of a quarter or more, nothing has happened.
People will regale you with tons of stories about this.
During the last weeks of pregnancy (stretching into more than a month at times) your body is just getting ready. Some of us dilate a little bit and then whammo go into labor, some of us don't do a thing and then all of a sudden are full blown and have their babies in their arms in 10 hours, others sit around like me for weeks on end and then could have a fast or short labor as an end result, whenever the heck that ends up being.
How many weeks are you? Seems like your trip probably isn't a bad idea.
It also may not be a bad idea to refuse internals because after all, what do they really tell ya?
NADA!
Numbers play such a havoc with your head. Even though I know they mean nothing, I would LOVE to know exactly what's going on in there right now. I'm such a statistics person. I love having all of my medical records and comparing my pregnancies and all the numbers they involve. Because of this I've decided it's in my best interests just to not know. It's tough but it's for the best (for me anyway).
Good luck to ya!
Karen

[leosmama20]

It means NOTHING. Absolutely stinkin nada. LOL Dialation and when you go into labor have really very little to do with eachother (so says the woman who was 7 cm and still didn't go into labor). This is why I have refused to be checked this time around.

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

Go to Woodstock already...

I have no idea if I was dilated before or for how long before dd's birth, as I didn't have any internals. It was funny, though, because my coworkers all thought I would go into labor at work and I wouldn't have time to make it home on the subway (I lived in NYC then). With the first that's rather unlikely, lol. They wanted me to book a car service a head of time, get a helicopter airlift, or something. Using a car during the day in NYC doesn't mean one would actually get anywhere faster than the train, so I found that one humorous.

[MilkOnDemand]

Backing up everyone else. 1cm is nothing. I've been 1cm for 2+ weeks, and this is my 3rd baby in 6 years! I walked around at 3 cm for weeks with my last one. Go to Woodstock and have a good time!

[soccerchic21]

I'm sorry I have to be another person to say it probably means nothing. I have known women who were dialated for weeks before anything really happened.

Just curious why did you get an exam?

[veiledexpressions]

I'm going to jump on the nothing bandwagon. I was 3cm with my son for over a week, 4cm with my dd for exactly a week, and I've been 3cm with this one since 32 weeks. The only change I had lately was effacement. I went from 25% effaced to 75% effaced within 24 hours (friday into sat).

Dilation and effacement aren't usually accurate in predicting labor. If I had to put my stock in one, I'd bet more on effacement. It's easier to dilate when your cevix is thinner.

[NordicMamma]

Like the others said, it means diddly squat. I know someone who walked around for almost a month at 3 cms.

This is one of the reasons why they don't even bother doing internal checks in Sweden - it tells you so little.

[JeanetteL]

Another vote for nothing You can be one cm and deliver a half hour later....or be eight cms and have days to go....no rhyme or reason at all!

[leosmama20]

Yes, I think it is good to point out.... while 1 cm or even 6 cms doesn't mean you will go into labor anytime, you COULD also go into labor and not be dialated at all.