Can i dilate without contractions

1 Centimeter Dilated: When Will Labor Start?

Medically reviewed by Kimberly Dishman, MSN, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB — By Ashley Marcin on April 6, 2016

Overview

As you near your due date, you might be wondering when labor will start. The textbook series of events usually involves:

your cervix getting softer, thinner, and opening
contractions starting and growing stronger and closer together
your water breaking

Your doctor may start checking how you’re progressing at each prenatal checkup during your last trimester. When might you go into labor if your doctor tells you you’re already 1 centimeter dilated? Here’s what to expect.

What does dilation mean?

Your cervix is the passageway from the uterus to the vagina. During pregnancy, hormones in your body cause many changes.

One change is that the mucus gets thicker in the opening of the cervix, causing a plug. This prevents bacteria and other pathogens from reaching the developing baby.

Your cervix typically remains long and closed (around 3 to 4 centimeters in length) until you get closer to delivery day.

During the first stage of labor, your cervix will start to open (dilate) and thin out (efface) to allow your baby to move through your birth canal.

Dilation starts at 1 centimeter (less than 1/2 inch) and goes all the way to 10 centimeters before there’s enough space to push your baby into the world.

Dilation and labor

You may have no signs or symptoms that your cervix has started to dilate or efface. Sometimes, the only way you’ll know is if your doctor examines your cervix at a routine appointment late in your pregnancy, or if you have an ultrasound.

The cervix of first-time moms may remain long and closed until delivery day. Moms who’ve had a baby before may be dilated for weeks leading up to their delivery day.

Contractions help the cervix dilate and efface from the beginning stages to the full 10 centimeters. Still, you may be dilated slightly without noticeable contractions.

Other signs of labor

Being 1 centimeter dilated doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll go into labor today, tomorrow, or even a week from now — even if you’re close to your due date. Fortunately, there are other signs you can look out for that might indicate your baby is on their way into the world.

Lightening

You may have heard that your baby will drop close to your due date. This process is called lightening. It describes when your baby starts to settle lower in your pelvis to prepare for delivery. Lightening may happen in the weeks, days, or hours before you go into labor.

Mucous plug

Your cervix protects your baby during pregnancy, and this includes your mucous plug. As your cervix begins to dilate, bits and pieces of the plug may start to fall out. You may notice mucus on your underwear when you use the restroom. The color can range from clear, to pink, to blood-tinged. Labor may happen the day you see your mucous plug, or several days later.

Contractions

If you feel your belly tighten and release, you may be experiencing practice contractions (Braxton-Hicks), or the real deal. The key is to time whatever tightening you’re feeling. Time if they’re coming randomly, or in regular intervals (every 5, 10, or 12 minutes, for example). Usually, if these contractions are infrequent and painless, they’re practice contractions.

Read more about Braxton-Hicks vs. real contractions.

If they grow stronger, longer, and closer together and are accompanied by cramping, it’s a good idea to let your doctor know what’s going on.

You may also feel contractions start in your back and wrap around your abdomen.

Rupture of membranes

One of the more classic labor signs is your water breaking. If this happens, you may experience a large gush, or a trickle of fluid. The liquid is typically clear and odorless.

It’s important to call your doctor if you suspect your waters have broken. Take note of how much fluid you experienced and any secondary symptoms (contractions, pain, bleeding) you have.

When to call your doctor

Preterm labor (before 37 weeks)

If you’re experiencing bleeding or leaking of fluid at any point in your pregnancy, call your doctor or midwife right away.

Also call your doctor if you’re having frequent contractions, pelvic pressure, or other signs of labor weeks (or months) ahead of your due date.

Term labor (37 weeks or more)

Let your doctor know about any symptoms of labor you’re experiencing. Contact your doctor if you think you may have dilated early (for example, if you lose your mucous plug or have bloody discharge).

Call your doctor right away if you experience contractions that are closer than three to four minutes apart, lasting 45 to 60 seconds each.

The takeaway

Being 1 centimeter dilated means that your body may be on its way to preparing for your little one’s arrival. Unfortunately, it’s not a reliable indicator of when the whole process will truly kick into high gear.

Try to remain patient, keep in close contact with your doctor, and monitor yourself for any other labor symptoms. Call your doctor if you notice changes they haven’t discussed with you before.

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Last medically reviewed on April 6, 2016

Parenthood
Pregnancy
3rd Trimester

Medically reviewed by Kimberly Dishman, MSN, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB — By Ashley Marcin on April 6, 2016

How Far Can You Dilate Without Going Into Labor? Experts Explain

Pregnancy

PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images

But how far, exactly?

by Kelly Mullen-McWilliams

Updated: July 5, 2022

Originally Published: Aug. 30, 2017

At some point in the third trimester, Braxton-Hicks gives way to the real deal — contractions, of course. Mine came in the middle of the night, super-villain style. When I told my OB-GYN, she checked me out and announced that I was three centimeters dilated. Surely I'd go into labor any day now, right? If you're feeling the midnight pains, or if your doctor's given you a report like mine, you might wonder, how dilated can you be without being in labor?

Can you dilate without getting contractions?

You can both dilate without contractions and you can have contractions without dilation. “The definition of labor is ‘contractions that lead to cervical dilation,’” board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Barbara McLaren, M.D., tells Romper. “You must have both contractions and dilation together for it to be considered labor.” She notes that usually dilation sans “appreciable contractions” occurs in people who have given birth before. “In general,” she adds, “I would not be concerned if the cervix was mildly dilated, meaning anything less than four centimeters, unless there are also regular, painful contractions happening as well.”

How dilated can you be without being in labor?

"We consider advanced dilation to be about four to five centimeters," says Megan Schmitt, M. D., a Park Nicollet OB-GYN who delivers at Methodist Hospital Family Birth Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. "So there are some women, who are typically moms who have had babies before, that are not in labor and walking around with a cervix of four to five centimeters. But typically after that range, labor starts."

Considering you've got 10 centimeters to dilate before you have your baby, four or five means you've come a long way, baby. It also means that you can be shopping at Safeway with a super open cervix.

What causes advanced dilation before labor?

People who dilate most before labor begins tend to be multiparous: doctor-speak for people with multiple kids. The body doesn't forget a thing like childbirth, and the cervix loses some of its rigidity after you give birth once. According to McLaren, second-time pregnant parents often feel their babies kick sooner, sport their bumps a month earlier, dilate more quickly, and experience shorter second labors. (They've earned it.) “It's often the case that the more you do it, the better at it your body becomes,” McLaren tells Romper. “It's muscle memory in a way. Your body just gets smarter at it because it's done it before.”

"We consider fully dilated to be eight to 10 centimeters, and at that range I’ve never seen a woman that does not also have contractions," says Schmitt. "But if a mom is four to five centimeters, and is also having contractions, we will keep her in the hospital and can augment labor to get her to six to seven centimeters. Once a mom is six to 10 centimeters, she is technically in labor."

As a first-time mom, my three centimeters didn't mean a whole lot, and those super-villainous contractions? They were just the trailer. The movie itself didn't start for two more weeks, and it was way more intense than advertised.

SrdjanPav/E+/Getty Images

How to get labor going when you're 4 cm dilated

McLaren’s biggest suggestion to get things going is staying active — be it walking or having sex to induce labor (though not everyone will feel up for this). “Walking, low-impact movement, and exercise help to get things into gear before labor and delivery,” she explains. “With sex, there's actually a chemical in semen that helps to stimulate contractions.”

Another trick she suggests is nipple stimulation. “When your nipples are stimulated, it can trigger the body to release a chemical called oxytocin, which helps you go into labor,” she says. Often, doctors will administer Pitocin, a synthetic version of oxytocin, to progress or induce labor, according to McLaren. “To stimulate the natural process of oxytocin, squeeze the nipples or practice using your breast pump,” she offers, suggesting getting your partner involved as well.

If you’re 37 weeks or later, McLaren suggests a natural red raspberry leaf tea to possibly encourage contractions or evening primrose oil supplements.

Moral of the story: Everyone is different. Some cervixes remain tight as a fist until the big day. Others open early (especially if it's not their first time at the rodeo). You can walk around with dilation of four or even five centimeters, but without regular contractions, you're not in labor. But don't worry. Whether you dilate a little, a lot, or not at all, baby's on their way.

Experts:

Megan Schmitt, M.D., a Park Nicollet OB-GYN who delivers at Methodist Hospital Family Birth Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Dr. Barbara McLaren, board-certified OB-GYN and co-founder of Kushae feminine wellness products

This article was originally published on Aug. 30, 2017

false or real / “Waiting for a baby”

February

Shortly before the birth, the expectant mother may be disturbed by training contractions, rhythmic contractions of the uterus, which quickly pass and appear occasionally. How to distinguish them from real contractions, and why they are needed, we will try to find out.

For the first time, the phenomenon of temporary contractions was described by the English doctor John Braxton Hicks. That is why they are called - Braxton Hicks contractions or false, training contractions, precursor contractions. In his scientific work of 1872, he argued that these contractions are short-term (from half a minute to 2 minutes) contractions of the muscles of the uterus, which are felt by a pregnant woman as an increase in the tone of the uterus. They appear after the 20th week of pregnancy. And during the day they happen often, but the expectant mother in the daytime may not even notice them. However, as time goes on, they intensify, becoming more and more obvious.

WHAT FALSE BROUGHT IS FOR

The uterus is a muscular organ. And like any muscle that has to perform the work allotted to it in the body, it needs training. After all, if she hangs for all forty weeks like a bag, she will not cope with the load in childbirth. Thus, the purpose of training or false contractions is to prepare the uterus and cervix for childbirth. That is why one of the names of training bouts is contractions harbingers - harbingers of an approaching birth.

ARE FALSE PARTS PAINFUL?

As a rule, false contractions are painless, but with increasing duration they become more noticeable and bring more discomfort. However, in all women, they manifest themselves in different ways, someone does not feel them at all, and someone does not sleep at night, tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position for sleeping. It all depends on the pain threshold. The main thing in this situation is to stop being nervous about this and calm yourself with the thought that such training is necessary for the most important upcoming event - the birth of your crumbs. And to calm down a little and sleep better, ask your doctor to prescribe a sedative for you and get a special pillow for expectant and nursing mothers. With her, falling asleep and experiencing the discomfort of the last weeks of pregnancy will be much easier!

HOW TO LIVE WITH FREQUENT PARTS

Some expectant mothers complain that their Braxton Hicks contractions are frequent and cause significant discomfort, even when they are doing housework or other light physical activity. In such a situation, obstetricians are advised to lie down or vice versa, take an easy walk, in any case, change the type of activity. If training contractions bother you a lot, it is recommended to drink a glass of water, juice or herbal tea, calm down and get some rest. Ask someone close to give you a massage. Lie in silence. And to also benefit from training fights, try doing breathing exercises: practice breathing techniques in childbirth in practice.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE TRAINING FROM LIVING

The most important thing to understand is that real contractions are much more painful than Braxton Hicks contractions. You will understand it right away. In addition, the contractions that bring you closer to childbirth are more regular. The contractions begin in the lower back, spread to the front of the abdomen, and occur every 10 minutes (or more than 5 contractions per hour). Then they occur with an interval of about 30-70 seconds and over time the intervals between them are reduced. Some women describe the sensations of labor pains as severe menstrual cramps, or sensations during diarrhea, when the pain rolls in waves in the abdomen. These contractions, unlike false ones, continue even after a change in position and when walking, constantly intensifying. As soon as you feel all these symptoms, call your ob-gyn - hour X has arrived. If in doubt, also do not be afraid to disturb the doctor. The doctor will ask you a few questions that will help him determine the type of contractions and eliminate all your doubts and worries. After all, it is always better to consult a doctor and trust his professional experience.

You should seek help if:

• you have more than four contractions an hour and they happen regularly
• contractions are accompanied by pain in the lower spine
• contractions are accompanied by watery or bloody vaginal discharge
• the contractions are so strong that it is very difficult for you to endure them
• there is a marked change in the child's movement, or less than 10 movements every 2 hours
• you think your waters have started to break

Alla Misyutina, Consultant Physician, Independent Laboratory INVITRO

Dear women, during labor, the body needs a lot of oxygen, so proper breathing is very important. A large influx of oxygen into the blood of mother and baby alleviates the condition of the crumbs, which during childbirth experiences oxygen starvation. Special breathing techniques help to properly open the birth canal and make contractions and attempts as effective as possible.

Different types of breathing should be used at different stages of labor.

• During "false" contractions, breathing should be deep and slow. During the period when the contractions become more intense, it is necessary to use "pain-relieving breathing". This breathing is slow, deep, the inhalation is done through the nose, it should be longer than the exhalation through the mouth. More details: inhale is done at the expense of 1-2-3-4, and exhale - at the expense of 1-2-3-4-5-6. With the help of such breathing: mom relaxes, distracts from pain, focuses on the score; the baby receives as much as possible, so he needs oxygen.
• In breaks from contractions, you need to rest and breathe evenly without any effort, so that you can then easily follow the doctor's recommendations.
• During attempts, you need to exhale all the air from the lungs, then take a deep breath and push for up to 6-9 seconds. Quickly exhale all the air, quickly take a deep breath and again hold your breath for 6-9 seconds, and so on - about three times per attempt.
• In breaks from attempts to rest and breathe deeply, evenly and relaxed.
• It is very important to only push on the perineum and never push on the head. In this case, all efforts are wasted and will appear in the form of burst vessels in the eyes and on the face.
• In the period after the birth of the head, it is necessary to stop pushing and breathing shallowly, some call this breathing “dog-like”, deep breathing can harm both mom and baby. Then everything goes on as usual, the main thing is to obey the doctor.
• After the baby was born, within half an hour the last stage of labor begins - the birth of the placenta. Special breathing is no longer required, at the doctor's command, push a little into the perineum and EVERYTHING! Dear women, pain during childbirth is good, it means that your baby will be born soon. There is no need to resist the pain, this is a mistake that brings a woman and a child nothing but fatigue. On the contrary, it is necessary to concentrate and help in every possible way to give birth to a healthy baby.

BIRTH AGAIN

So, you have decided that this is no longer a “teaching”, but the beginning of childbirth. In addition to contractions, the onset of labor can be indicated by the outflow of amniotic fluid and the passage of a mucous plug that closes the lumen of the cervix. The mucous plug can also come off 2-3 days before delivery. However, her departure does not always mean that it is time to go to the hospital. During pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed. With the onset of labor pains, its opening begins: the cervix of the uterus gradually expands to 10-12 cm in diameter (full disclosure). The birth canal is preparing to "release" the child from the womb. Intrauterine pressure increases during contractions as the uterus shrinks. And in the end, this leads to rupture of the fetal bladder and the outflow of part of the amniotic fluid.

The first, preparatory, period of labor for women giving birth for the first time takes an average of 12 hours, and 2-4 hours less for those who have second births. At the beginning of the second stage of labor, contractions join the contractions - contractions of the muscles of the abdominal wall and diaphragm. In addition to the fact that different muscle groups are involved in contractions and attempts, they have one more important difference: contractions are an involuntary and uncontrollable phenomenon, neither their strength nor frequency depend on the woman in labor, while attempts to a certain extent obey her will , it can delay or strengthen them. Therefore, at this stage of childbirth, a lot depends on the expectant mother and her ability to quickly and correctly follow the commands of the obstetrician taking delivery. And most importantly - to tune in correctly and not allow panic and thoughts about something bad. Obstetricians and gynecologists recommend that mothers perceive childbirth as a holiday, a baby's birthday. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the fact that now your main task is to help the baby be born. If, during childbirth, the expectant mother panics, the concentration of adrenaline in her blood will increase significantly. Which will not have a very good effect on the process of childbirth. Adrenaline affects the synthesis of oxytocin, which significantly weakens contractions and slows down the process of childbirth. In addition, adrenaline completely blocks the production of endorphins, which will increase the feeling of pain during contractions and attempts. That is why it is so important to properly tune in, concentrate and help the baby to be born as soon as possible.

Lilia Egorova

Harbingers of childbirth - Irkutsk City Perinatal Center

Skip to content Harbingers of childbirth

Preparing a mother for childbirth takes place on all fronts - not only moral, but also physiological. For example, before childbirth, there are often so-called. Braxton Hicks contractions, or preparatory contractions. So the body prepares for the real first contractions. With the onset of real contractions, the cervix adapts to giving birth to a baby. There are two definitions for this process - "smoothing" (shortening) and "opening" (expansion). In this article, we will tell you about cervical smoothing. So you will better understand what complex processes take place in the body and how they help you at every stage.

What does cervical smoothing mean?

What is smoothing? Let's start with a tour of anatomy. The cervix is a narrow, long section of the uterus that opens into the vagina at one end and into the uterine cavity at the other. As a rule, the cervix is tightly closed and elongated (usually its length is 3.5-4 centimeters). When contractions begin, the cervix flattens, relaxes, and shortens. This phenomenon is called "smoothing".

The degree of smoothing is checked by the obstetrician during the vaginal examination. It is impossible to check this on your own. However, do not worry, this is a completely natural phenomenon, which will be monitored by a doctor.

How does the smoothing of the cervix work?

To imagine how smoothing goes, you need to have an idea of how the first stage of labor proceeds. It consists of two phases: a latent phase and an active one. The harbingers of childbirth include the first contractions. At the same time, the muscles of the uterus begin to contract, and the intervals between contractions become shorter. Contractions start the process of smoothing and opening the cervix in the body. It proceeds very slowly at first, but accelerates towards the beginning of the active phase of labor.

How is expansion different from dithering?

The degree of opening is expressed in centimeters and the maximum opening corresponds to 10 centimeters.

During labor, the obstetrician will observe how flattened and dilated the cervix is. In vaginal delivery, the cervix should be completely flattened and dilated to 10 centimeters.

The approximate duration of dilation can be determined as follows: after the transition to the active phase of labor, the average dilation rate is 1-2 centimeters per hour. Of course, all births are different, and this is just an indicative value. If the doctor thinks that the birth process has stopped or the child is in danger, a caesarean section may be indicated.

Can Braxton Hicks contractions cause flattening?

If you have had occasional irregular contractions over the past few months, this does not mean that the cervix is flattening or dilating and labor is close. They are also called Braxton-Hicks contractions, or "preparatory", "false" contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions do not affect the cervix in any way. This is just a workout that helps the body prepare for real childbirth.

Training contractions have characteristic features that will help to distinguish them from the harbingers of childbirth, labor pains.

How do you know if the cervix is flattening?

If you have already started regular frequent contractions, you can assume that the process of smoothing and opening of the cervix has started in the body. During childbirth, the obstetrician controls the degree of smoothing and disclosure.

Can you feel the cervix dilating and/or flattening?

At the first signs of labor, and with it the smoothing and dilation of the cervix, you may feel discomfort, slight cramps, or you may not feel anything at all. The process of smoothing and opening the cervix can only be monitored transvaginally, usually by a doctor.

Flattening by itself is not a sign of labour. This is a physiological change that tells the doctor where you are in the birth process. Knowing how your body works is helpful, but it's important to remember that your doctor knows best, so just relax and focus. Very soon you will have a long-awaited baby, and all the physiological details will no longer be so important.

Reviews of the center

Hello. I want to express my gratitude to the medical staff on duty on the night of October 30-31, 2020. Unfortunately, I don’t know their last names. But many thanks to the staff of the admission department, the doctors who made the decision to have an emergency CS (which saved my child's life) and the entire operating room team. They worked very well and professionally.

Inna K.

I want to express my deep gratitude to O.A. Ryazanova!
She is amazing! It not only gives powerful emotional and psychological support in childbirth, it gives a storehouse of knowledge in raising a child! God bless her and thankful patients!

Irina Yu.

I express my deep gratitude for the support and help in my birth to the wonderful professionals obstetrician Svetlana and doctor German Gennadievich and the whole team of doctors. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Evgeniya B.

My wife and I gave birth in partnership. How I suffered. My wife was immediately taken to the operating room, and I waited near. Doctors, of course, well done, very efficient and well-functioning work. Thanks to you my son was born healthy! Professionals who are not afraid to entrust their lives!

Andrey Z.

I would like to leave a review to my doctor, whom I see. Sydykova Ainura Karimberdievna is a professional in her field. Very competent gynecologist, knows the answers to any questions, very attentive, kind. One feels a lot of experience in the antenatal clinic. In my opinion, this is an even more important stage than the birth itself. Therefore, I am very grateful to fate that brought me to such a doctor. All my fears and worries were resolved in time. Thanks a lot!!!

Julia K.

I gave birth in May, I was satisfied with everything! The room was good, with all amenities. All doctors are specialists, thanks also to neonatologists.

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Our family is grateful to the entire staff of the GOC for our son.
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