Cool visual from @labor.nurse.mama

Cool visual from @labor.nurse.mama

⁣ 🙃 During labor, the cervix opens to make room for the baby’s head to descend into the vagina from the uterus. ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 👉🏼The cervix is the bottom part of the uterus (refer back to my balloon illustration post!) ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 👉🏼Cervical dilation is the concrete proof that you are in fact, in labor. ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 👉🏼Cervical dilation happens at a pretty predictable pace MOST OF THE TIME! ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 👩🏻‍⚕️In early labor, the cervix is essentially warming up for the big game. It's softening and shortening and getting ready to open. ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 👶🏼The process of softening and shortening takes much longer if it's your first baby. For those of us who have already had a baby, it can happen very fast and all at once. ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ 🙏🏻Typically once you get to 5cm, you will most often dilate at least a cm an hour. ⠀⁣ ⠀⁣ What's your experience with dilation in labor? ⠀⁣ .⠀⁣ .⠀⁣ .⠀⁣ .⠀⁣ #childbirthpreparation #childbirthwithoutfear #choicesinchildbirth #childbirtheducationclass #childbirthprep #childbirtheducationmatters #birth #homebirth #naturalbirth #vaginalbirth #vaginalbirthrecovery #labor #imdilated #cervicaldilation #labornursemama #38weeks #40weekspregnant #inlabor