Dilation before labor is it faster?

[smjmekg]

Do you think/has it happened to you that you've dilated before going into labor and it's been faster than a previous baby?I'm gonna ask to be checked at my next appointment Nov 9, I'll be 35 weeks 5 days, just to see if anything has happened. So if you're dilating before you go into labor do you think it will be faster?

[jessmoss626]

I guess it's different for everyone. I was dilated 2-3 cm at 36 weeks and at 37 weeks. When I went for my 38 week appt the dr said I was 4-5 cm and that I probably wouldn't walk around much longer without going into labor. I went into labor the next morning at about 11 am, got to the hospital around 1, they had to break my water around 3 and I was pushing by 7 that evening! It did take 2 hrs to push her out though, her head was stuck on my pubic bone and once I lay down flat she came right out! So I'm 32 weeks with #2 and I hope my labor is similar, it was pretty quick I thought!

[HeatherLF16]

From my experience I would have to say no. I was dialated to a 2cm by 33 weeks and a 4cm by the time I was 38 weeks and my water broke.  I still had to get pitocin to help me along because my contractions were not making me dialate beyond a 4cm. With the pitocin I was to a 10cm in about 6 hours.  Even though I dialated all the way I pushed for 3 hours with no progress.... I had to have a csection.  

[Cassandrajane]

Hopefully you follow... LOL.. I dont want a long labour... LOL..
Personally I thought just depends on your body... My step mums first her labour was 2 hrs... whereas her 4th was 2 days... ?? (and she (Krista) was the smallest out of the 6 and took the longest) LOL...
Told you my step mum was a baby machine! LOL and all 6 were meant to be twins... so there would have been 12.. but she could never keep the twin... the docs were like WOAH..

From what I read about being Effaced that means you cervix is softening??
and Dilating is erm where your cervix is opening?? and your cervix effacing is softening it up for you to be able to dilate or makes it easier anyways??

And you can be 100% effaced without even dilating..??
xx

[smjmekg]

Well, from what I understand this will be like a first time pregnancy since DS was a scheduled c-section. Hopefully I follow in my mom's footsteps, my sister brother and I were all out in under 5 hours.

[alaysha]

First time pregnancies I believe its something like you are supposed to dilate 1 cm every hour whereas with your second + its supposed to be every 1/2 hour you dilate 1 cm. Dont quote me though since I cant remember where I heard that. My second labor wae faster than my first but with my first I was induced and only 1 cm and this time around I was 4 cm 90% when I got to the hospital.

[Cassandrajane]

I shall finds outt my step mum is a baby machine...! LOL.... It still all confuses me! I read soo many books on this stuff.. because school is cr*p but it has nothing about it. It has the labour but nothing about being effaced and dilation and everything, just drugs!! LOL... These hosps and docs are trying to ban drugs, and thats all they speak about in the pregnancy books aha..

I think with my step mum... with her 6th she dilated and stuff she was something like 6 cm dilated and she had her water broke and within an hour my brother was here... But thats her 6th!! Or it might have been her 3rd! I cant remember.... I kinda turned off when she was talking about it, cause I was trying to eat, and its not something I want to talk about when eating!! LOL

xx

[smjmekg]

cassandrajane~~~You should have asked! I could have told you the difference, lol. I know once labor begins I'll dilate faster than before it starts, BUT I'm just curious how many ladies have had shorter/longer labors when they've already started to dilate before labor begins.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Not in my experience.  But all my labors have been pretty short regardless of whether I was dialated, went into spontaneous labor or was induced, with or without epidurals.  My longest labor was my stillborn but that was only because I was hopped up on morphine and was really out of it.  I couldn't even hardly push I was so out of it.  The rest of my labors were no longer than 9 hours.

[smjmekg]

Alrighty Ivy. I'll be off and on as well, got a little bit of kitchen/laundry duty to attend to since I was a little lazy over the weekend. Actually, not lazy just had family time with Josh and Elijah. Hopefully I'll catch you on at some point!

ANYWAYS...I can't believe I'm so far either! It really has flown by, 3 weeks 6 days I found out, now I'm 32 weeks 4 days. It is pretty amazing how fast it's all going by. I'm getting more nervous the closer it gets, and more worried about everything. There's just SO much to think about this time, that I wasn't worried about last time...

[Cassandrajane]

I found this...

Dilation is measured in centimeters, from 0 to 10.  Your cervix is fully open and you should be able to push when it is dilated to 10 centimeters.  Occasionally, a physician will measure dilation in "fingers."  Dilation often begins days or weeks before labor actually begins.  At first, the progress may be very slow.  Some women may be dilated 2 to 3 centimeters long before labor.  Once active labor begins, you will begin to dilate more quickly.

Only because I got confused between being effaced and dilated. So I thought I might research.

x

[Ashelen]

for me it was faster...but not by much. with Kahlan I was 1cm (I had gone to 3cm when she was engaged but then for some reason she "floated" back and I closed back to 1cm...odd) and 90% effaced when I went into labor with her...and it took only a few hours...with Grey i was 5/6cm dilated and 100% effaced and it only took a few hours..but I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour less with Grey.

I can't believe you're so far along Brinny...seems like just yesterday you were finding out you're having a girl! I'll try to catch you on FB today I've been in and out. :)

[smjmekg]

cassandrajane~~~The dr thinks she's head down, but my next appointment is Nov 9 and I have an u/s then.

5n1~~~I was 1 cm and 50% effaced with Elijah at 33 weeks, but I never went into labor I had him at 38w5d, scheduled c-section since he was breech. I didn't get checked after that day so I don't know if I was anymore dilated/effaced.  

[5n1]

No, I was dialated to a 3 at 30weeks with my first and it was 16 hours of labor...a 4 with my second, and it was only a hour after my water broke(had no contractions until it broke), but I contribute the fast delivery to the castor oil, I was 2 weeks past due...and with the last one I was a 4 for weeks, once they induced and I started to efface then it went fast...So, by my personal experience, I think that being effaced will make it quicker, because once you start effacing( well me) I started dialating fast..This last one was induced and was only 4 hours start to finish

[Cassandrajane]

I honestly thought sometimees people dilate gradually anyways closer to their due date.. Like say at 37 weeks you can be 2cm Dilated or whatever?? But I duunooo if it helps or goes faster.. I think people can? I think it depends again like everything else on your own body and the baby?? But I thought you gradually dilate... OH I cant wait to start my antenatal classes!
Have you found out if she (?) is breech??

xx