Cervical dilation

This page is about the widening of the cervix during childbirth. For the surgical method, see dilation and curettageCervical dilation is the dilation (opening) of the cervix during childbirth. In the later stages of pregnancy, the cervix may already have opened up to 1-3 cm (or more in rarer circumstances), but during labor, repeated uterine contractions lead to further widening of the cervix to about 6 centimeters. From that point, pressure from the presenting part (head in vertex births or bottom in breech births), along with uterine contractions, will dilate the cervix to 10 centimeters, which is "complete." Cervical dilation is accompanied by effacement, which is the thinning of the cervix.
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