Cervical Dilation Difficulties During Childbirth: Causes & Solutions

Question
I have three children and with each one my cervix would not dilate completely when having them.  This was very painful and my husband and I are considering having another child and I am scared of the pain.  Is there a name for this condition and is there anything that can be done to help the problem?

Answer
During a vaginal delivery, the baby should not be delivered until your cervix has dilated to 10cm (full dilatation), in order to avoid tears in the cervix. You should not even start pushing until you have reached full dilatation. There are medications that can cause dilatation of the cervix, and if your cervix is not dilated enough to allow passage of the baby out of the uterus, then you should have a cesarean section. However, sometimes, when a patient has had several pregnancies, the cervix is "floppy" and can stretch to allow delivery of the baby. Pain relief can always be obtained with epidural anesthesia or short acting barbiturates.