HealthPartners - Preparing for childbirth

EFFACEMENT After prostaglandins soften your cervix, they prepare your body for birth by thinning it out. This is called effacement . The cervix is normally 1½ to 2 inches long but will become paper-thin as it expands and pulls over your baby’s head.

WHAT YOUR CARE TEAM MAY SAY ABOUT CHANGES TO YOUR CERVIX

0% effaced

50% effaced

100% effaced

WHAT THEY SAY

WHAT IT MEANS

Your cervix is still thick and normal length.

Your cervix is half as thick as normal.

Your cervix has completely thinned out.

DILATION Dilation is when the cervix opens gradually to allow your baby to pass through into the birth canal and be born. At first, your cervix is closed (0 centimeters). When it is completely open, it will measure about 10 centimeters across.

DILATION AND EFFACEMENT

Before labor starts, your cervix is long and thick like the neck of the brown bottle.

During labor, your cervix becomes thinner and opens wider like the gray bottle.

42 Your Guide to Labor and Birth