The dilation chart is a tool that some midwives use to practice measuring the dilation of the cervix with their fingers.
But it is also a visual aid for pregnant women to see how well their body adjusts when giving birth. The North American singer Steffanie Christi’an shared an image of one of them on her Facebook account, where the head of a baby appears through the largest hole, the 10-centimeter hole, the maximum dilation of the cervix. The photo has gone viral because it graphically reflects the extent to which the female uterus dilates to make way for the baby.
“That is why we deserve all things”
The original photo is from SCV Birth Center, a Santa Clarita, California birthing center. It shows the measurement chart, sold online, with wooden circles with increasingly large holes around the perimeter.
Each hole is marked with a number that identifies its diameter in centimeters, a representation of the gradual increase in dilation of a woman’s cervix during labor.
The largest hole, at ten centimeters, is shown with a baby’s head through it. The text that accompanies the photo says “This is what 10 centimeters look like, perfect for that little head.”
Steffanie Christi’an shared the photo with her own bolder caption: “This is what 10cm dilation looks like. That’s why we deserve all things.”
The post has been shared more than 185,000 times and has received hundreds of comments of amazement and recognition for the work of women in giving birth.
Dilation, step by step
It is the first phase of labor and also the longest. The first moment, that of passive dilation, is when the cervix begins to open until it is erased, dilated and softened by three centimeters.
It can last days or weeks without annoying contractions occurring, so the woman does not perceive that it occurs until she is recognized by her gynecologist.
Contractions are common after the 35th week of gestation, but they are not regular. It is only a sign that labor is approaching, worse it is not imminent.
It will be in phase two of labor, when the cervix will go from 3 to 10 centimeters in dilation to open the birth canal and allow the baby to come out.
In this phase, known as active dilation, the contractions are already rhythmic, strong and more followed. But the intensity and rhythm will vary according to the woman, so the duration of the total dilation will also be different.
The pain that accompanies this phase is due to the fact that the efforts of the uterus are very concentrated and when the uterus contracts strongly it tends to expel all the blood that is in its muscle fibers, which are squeezed. The absence of blood causes a lack of oxygen in the muscle and that is what determines the pain.
When the contraction ends, the muscle expands, relaxes and receives the blood supply again, becoming oxygenated again, when the pain ceases momentarily.
It is also at this stage of effacement, when the amniotic sac tends to rupture. It will dilate until it reaches approximately 10 centimeters, which will be when the baby will be able to stick its head out and come out in the next phase, the expulsion.
Photos | iStock and Facebook SVC Birth Center
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