Cervical Dilation and Labor

Cervical dilation is one of the major ways healthcare providers assess how a woman’s labor is progressing. In a textbook world, at the beginning of labor a woman starts with a closed cervix (0 cm) and progresses to a fully dilated cervix (10 cm) when delivery is imminent. While many women follow a steady, predictable course of cervical dilation, it isn’t unheard of for a woman to move through certain stages more quickly (or slowly) than others. Some women will remain a few centimeters dilated for weeks before their actual delivery, and others may fly through several levels and then remain “stuck” at a particular dilation for an extended time. Below is a visual guide to help you imagine how dilation progresses: