dilation/effacement:
think about a balloon you've blown up...the 'neck' of the balloon is the
cervix. If you keep blowing up the balloon that neck will get shorter and
shorter until eventually it's flat and there's nothing you can tie a knot
in...that's effacement.
dilation is hope open it is...so you can be 5cm dilated and barely effaced at
all (it would look like a tube)..or you can be not dilated at all and
completely effaced (it would be flat but no opening)...
most first time moms do the effacement first and end up by the time they are
2cm dilated being 90-100% effaced...
many second+ times moms do both at the same time..so they are 3cm dilated and
only 25% effaced...5cm and 75% effaced...8cm and 100% effaced...(any
combination, this is just an example). They tend to do it hand-in-hand,
though...not doing the effacement all ahead of time like a first time mom
does...
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