When is effacement complete

For some, the cervix can begin to soften and thin out days or weeks before delivery. For others, it may not happen until labor begins. Cervical effacement is an exciting sign that your body is preparing for childbirth.

Sometimes effacement can start too early and need to be stopped, or it can be slow to happen and require a little assistance from your healthcare provider or midwife to move things along. Most of the time, effacement happens on its own, when your body and baby are ready. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. The structure and function of the cervix during pregnancy. Translational Research in Anatomy.

Normal cervical effacement in term labor. Am J Perinatol. Association of cervical effacement with the rate of cervical change in labor among nulliparous women. Am I in labor? Updated April 2, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How to tell when labor begins.

Updated May Cleveland Clinic. Updated October 9, Vaginal progesterone vs cervical cerclage for the prevention of preterm birth in women with a sonographic short cervix, previous preterm birth, and singleton gestation: a systematic review and indirect comparison metaanalysis. Induction of labor at 39 weeks. Updated September Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth.

But, in later pregnancies, effacement and dilation usually happen together and more quickly. After having already had a child, your cervix is already less firm and more flexible from the delivery of the first child. In the last week or two before your due date, your doctor may make an educated guess on how close you are to delivering based on your cervix.

However, there's no guarantee. Some women have all the signs and don't deliver for a few more weeks. Others have no signs, then they efface and dilate overnight and give birth the next day.

As noted above, the cervix needs to become fully effaced in order for the baby's head to move through the vaginal canal and be delivered.

You're unlikely to feel your cervix shortening and getting thinner. However, it may be happening if:. At your prenatal visits near the end of your pregnancy, your doctor, nurse, or midwife will examine you to see if your body is beginning to prepare for labor.

Your health care provider will feel your cervix to check for the following signs:. Once you're in labor, the doctors and nurses check your cervix regularly to keep track of how effaced and dilated you are as you get closer to delivering. Technically, you can check your own cervix , but unless you know what you're looking for, you may want to leave this exam to your doctor. However, if you're a doctor or a labor and delivery nurse, you certainly know what you're doing.

And, if you feel comfortable and are used to checking your cervix for fertility reasons , you'll be more likely to recognize changes. But you can try the following:. Effacement is a natural part of the labor and delivery process. It usually begins on its own when your body and your baby are ready for childbirth.

However, if it starts too early in pregnancy or is not starting when a pregnancy is overdue, it can lead to complications. When the cervix is shorter than normal or not strong enough to stay closed during pregnancy, it can begin to efface and open up too early, which could lead to preterm labor or premature birth.

Causes of early effacement include the following:. The doctor can diagnose a short or weak cervix by reviewing your medical and pregnancy history, conducting a physical exam, and doing an ultrasound of the cervix.

When effacement and dilation do not happen on their own, the doctor may need to step in to get things moving along. Understanding effacement is helpful during labor since it makes it easier to follow your progress as you get closer and closer to delivery.

On occasion, effacement can start too early and need to be stopped, or it can be slow to happen and require a little help from the doctor to get going. Most of the time, it happens on its own, when your body and baby are ready.

However it happens, the process of effacement, along with dilation, opens the door to bringing your baby into the world. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Labor and delivery, postpartum care. Products and services. Contractions are stronger.

Your attention is focused inward. You may have a dry mouth, chills and nausea, or feel sweaty. Concentrate on staying relaxed between contractions to conserve your energy. It is important to move and switch positions throughout labor to help your baby descend and get in a good position for delivery. Contractions are intense and close together. You may have hiccups, nausea, vomiting, shaking and pelvic pressure. You may feel like giving up. You may experience a "rest period" before you feel an urge to push.

You might get a surge of energy. Pushing can feel like pressure, stinging, burning or pain. Pushing can take a long or a short time. This depends on the position of your baby, the effects of medicine, and how well you are able to push.

Focus on using your abdominal muscles to push down, out and away. Your health care team will help suggest positions and techniques to aid you in your pushing efforts.