QuestionI was just curious a couple of things, I have been dilated to 3cm and 70% effaced for about 3-4 weeks now with no subsequent changes, however my question is, Is it common for a women to experience cervical dilation only to find out later her cervix has contracted...ie, I know I could progress to 4cm and up, but is there any likelihood that I would go from 3cm to 2 or 1 cm? Also relating to fitness, is there any truth in that walking or running will help the cervix to dilate or labor to start? And do you always feel dilation? or does it happen without much notice? Thank you for your time, and I truly look forward to hearing from you soon.
AnswerIt is very unlikely that your cervix would regress in dilation, i.e., going from 3cm to 2 or 1. If this appears to have happened, what is more likely the case is that two different people are measuring you and coming up with something different. Like so many other things in pregnancy, dilation is actually subjective, based on your provider's best guess. It's not like they stick a ruler up there to check it out! So one person might feel you and say, hmm, that's a 3, but another person might check you just a minute later and say, hmmm, that's a 2.
Walking or running may or may not help you dilate. What they will do is help keep you in shape, so that you can better tolerate labor, and they will help your body produce endorphins, making you more relaxed and less stressed. Stress can prevent labor. Just like a cat needs a safe haven to give birth, like a closet or a drawer, so does a human woman. If you are stressed at all, your body will react by trying to keep the baby inside until it is "safe" for the baby to be born. So getting enough exercise to relax and feel good emotionally can be enough sometimes to tell your body, "Now is good!"
You may not notice much with early dilation, but by the time you get to 5cm most women are having very noticeable contractions that are difficult to talk through. 5cm is considered the dividing line between early and active labor. While some women have "precipitous" births, where they don't seem to notice anything until the baby is actually crowning, this is very, very rare. Most women will have at least 4-6 hours of active labor before the second stage of pushing even begins.
