Under what circumstances will the cervix open?

The cervix will open around nine months of pregnancy because it opens to prepare for the birth of the baby. When labor is approaching, the cervix will open wider, so that the baby can be born more smoothly. If there is a problem with the tension of the cervix, the baby can usually be delivered by caesarean section.

1. When does the cervix open?

The process of cervical dilation is relatively slow. Usually, the cervix gradually flattens in the second week after the 9th month of pregnancy, which is also the process of cervical formation. Your cervix will dilate to 10 centimeters when your baby is born. It will be slow at first, and it takes an average of 8 hours from labor to 3 centimeters of dilation, and an average of 4 hours from 3 centimeters of dilation to 10 centimeters.

Generally speaking, medication for pain will not be used until the cervix is ​​dilated to 3 cm. This indicates that the mother has entered the active phase of labor. The cervix has dilated to 3 cm, the cervix has become soft, thin, and elastic, and the interval between each contraction is 2-3 cm. After delivery, the cervix will gradually dilate with regular uterine contractions.

The degree of cervical dilation divides the first stage of labor into two phases: the latent phase and the active phase. The latent phase is from regular uterine contractions to 3 cm cervical dilation, and the active phase refers to the period from 3-10 cm cervical dilation. It should be noted here that the speed at which the cervix dilates is different between primiparas and multiparas. For primiparas, the cervix shortens and flattens first, and then the cervix dilates; while for multiparas, the cervix shortens, flattens, and dilates at the same time. Therefore, the progress of multiparas is obviously faster than that of primiparas, which is also the main reason why the first stage of labor progresses differently between primiparas and multiparas. During the latent period, the cervix dilates more slowly.

The active period is significantly accelerated. The incubation period for primiparas is about 8 hours, and that for multiparas is faster than that for primiparas, but there are large differences between individuals, and the length of the incubation period varies from person to person, ranging from tens of minutes to several hours. The active period of a primipara lasts about 4 hours. After a multipara enters the active period, she should prepare for delivery, because the cervix of a multipara will usually fully dilate soon after entering the active period.

2. How to check cervical dilatation

1. After the fetus enters the pelvis, the birth canal is prepared and the mother's vagina will naturally relax and open.

2. The doctor can observe the degree of dilation of the cervix.