Question about effacement

[birthjunkie27]

I have a friend who is 36 weeks 5 days pregnant with baby #2. Yesterday she was found to be 3 cm dilated and 100% effaced and baby's head was "right there" (doc didn't tell her exactly what station the baby was at). I know that women can walk around being dilated for weeks, even months, but what about being fully effaced? Is this in indication that labor is imminent, or is full effacement still not a reliable indicator?

[kerikadi]

IF this was her first baby it would mean something but it really doesn't with subsequent pregnancies. I walked around 100% and 5cm for 3 weeks with #2.

Keri

[JanetF]

And why would a woman at that gestation being having VEs anyway??? I recently heard of a woman about those stats being induced because of how her surgeon perceived them and she's got a scar on her belly now. Leave the yoni alone, people, what did she ever do to you?

[birthjunkie27]

Janet, while appreciate your reply, I didn't come looking for a lecture.

ETA- I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I realize and agree that there is no reason for a 36 week mama to be having a VE, but the fact of the matter is that she did, and my question was regarding the effacement and NOT about whether or not women should be having VEs done.

[Vespertina]

Hmm, I went into PTL with my first at 35 weeks. I was 3 cm and 80% effaced. It stopped on its own, but I still managed to dilate to 5.5 cm, though effacement stayed the same until I was induced.

I hung out at 6 cm and 70% effaced with my second before being induced. From what I've read, in first time moms effacement is more important than dilation. A thinned out cervix will dilate easier. Dilation tends to occur before effacement with multips.

[Mama Poot]

I was 2cm, 70% effaced for two weeks before ds1's birth. With ds2 I had no idea because my CNM/OB office doesn't do routine exams.

[AbbieB]

With baby #1 I was 100% effaced for 3 weeks. (Husband checked )

[Full Heart]

I only effaced once before labor. That was with my 2nd. At 36 weeks I was 4 cm and 100%. I went into labor on my own at 42 weeks. All the others I didn't efface till labor, even my first.

[doctorjen]

It would be unusual to be fully effaced for a long time prior to labor, but not impossible.
I had one mama who was 3 cms and 100% effaced at 36 weeks (she had an exam because she had pre-existing hypertension with super-imposed pre-eclampsia and we were considering an early induciton) I had not done an exam before and was surprised she was so favorable at that point. In the end, we were able to avoid an early induction and she made it to 39 weeks before her pre-eclampsia became severe enough to need to get the baby delivered. She was induced still at 3 cms, 100% effaced at 39 weeks, and had a less than 2 hour labor (that's less than 2 hours from AROM to baby, with no other induction methods needed) for a first baby!
Interestingly, in her next pregnancy, during a routine ultrasound at 21 weeks, the ultrasound tech noticed that her cervix was very thin. A speculum exam showed that she was about 2 cms dilated with membranes bulging through the cervix. I sent her to a perinatologist who admitted her to the hospital for preterm labor. He and I talked about whether this could just be how her cervix is, and we wondered. But, this time, her water broke at 28 weeks and she delivered very quickly thereafter.
Still not sure what to make of all that - but that's the only 100% effaced fora while mama that I know about. However, I don't usually do exams at 36 weeks, so maybe I've had more of them and don't know it!