How to Check Cervical Dilation

The cervix dilates as a woman prepares to go into labor and give birth. The cervix dilates to make way for the baby’s head to go from the uterus to the vagina, and finally into your arms. ^{[1] X Source of Research} Your cervix should be from 1 to 10 cm dilated, which is when you can give birth. ^{[2] X Sources of Research} In most cases, your doctor, nurse, or midwife will test for dilation, but you may also want to do the dilation test yourself. By palpating the cervix and looking at other signs such as mood and labor sounds, you can see how much the cervix has dilated.

Table of Contents

Prepare for manual cervical examination

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Talk to a medical professional. Having a safe pregnancy is important for delivering a healthy baby. With the right obstetric care from your doctor, nurse or midwife, your pregnancy will go well, and it’s also safer to have your cervical dilation checked.

Note that, from the ninth month, the doctor will begin to look for signs that labor is approaching. They will feel the abdomen and do an internal exam to check the cervix. The doctor will determine if the baby has “come down,” meaning the cervix has begun to dilate and become softer.
Ask them any questions, including whether the baby has come down. You should also ask if it’s safe to do a cervical dilation test yourself. If the pregnancy is safe, you can proceed.

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Hand washing. Dirty hands will spread bacteria and pathogens, causing infection. Cervical examination requires insertion of a hand or finger into the vagina. Washing your hands is especially important for the health of you and your baby before a cervical dilation test. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Use any soap and warm water to wash your hands. Wet hands under running water and apply soap, lather hands together. Scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds, making sure to scrub all surfaces of your hands. Wash off the soap and then dry your hands completely.
Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if you don’t have soap. Pour into the palm of your hand an amount sufficient for two hands. As with soap, rub your hands together to wet all surfaces, including nails. Continue scrubbing until hands are dry.

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Thanks for the help. If you’re a little nervous or afraid to test on your own, ask your husband or loved one for help. Allow them to help as much as you can, to the extent that you feel comfortable. They can help by holding a mirror, holding your hand, or reassuring you.

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Prepare in a comfortable position. Before examining the cervix, you need to prepare a comfortable body position. You should sit on the toilet seat or lie on the bed with your legs extended, just do what feels most comfortable. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Take off your outfit underneath before you start, so you won’t have to take it off when you’re ready.
Sit or squat on the toilet with one foot on the floor, the other on the seat. You can also squat on the floor or lie on the bed if that feels more comfortable.
Remember you have nothing to be ashamed of, because what you are doing is completely normal and natural.

Cervical examination at home

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Insert two fingers into the vagina. Before the test, you must first get a feel for how far you need to expand. Instead of inserting your whole hand into the vagina, which would cause discomfort, use only your index and middle fingers to begin examining the cervix. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before inserting your fingers into the vagina.
Identify the entrance to the vagina with the tips of your fingers. The back of the hand should be facing the spine and the palm facing up. Tilt your finger toward the anus to feel the cervix most easily. If you feel pain or discomfort, remove your finger.

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Push your finger into the cervix. When you touch the cervix of a pregnant woman, you will see that the lips have many wrinkles. After inserting your fingers into the vagina, keep pushing until you feel the cervix, which feels like wrinkled lips. ^{[6] X Research Source}

You should know that some women have a high cervix, while others have a low cervix. You may have to push your finger quite deep into the vagina or it will be quite quick. Basically, the cervix is the “terminal” of the vagina no matter where it is located in the body. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
Touch gently to find the cervix. Pressing or poking with your fingers can cause bleeding. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
A finger can slide easily into the midpoint of the cervix if it is dilated. At the center of the cervix you can feel the amniotic sac surrounding the baby’s head. You will feel like touching a rubber ball filled with water. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Continue using your fingers to feel the dilation of the cervix. When the stretch is 10cm, that’s usually when the baby is ready to be born. If one finger can easily insert the cervix, use another finger to determine dilation. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Remember: if you can slide a finger into the midpoint of the cervix, the dilation is about 1 cm. Similarly, if you can insert five fingers into the cervix, the dilation is 5 cm. As labor progresses, the cervix changes from stretch to elastic. When trying from the bow that has been stretched 5 cm, you will feel like touching the rubber ring on a food can.
Continue inserting your fingers gently into the vagina until the entire hand is used up or when it feels uncomfortable. Pull out your hand to see how many fingers you’ve used. This will give you an idea of how much the cervix has dilated.

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Go to hospital. If your cervix dilates more than 3 cm, you’re usually in labor. You should go to your chosen hospital in advance or prepare your home if you are planning to give birth at home. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Tracking contractions also helps you decide if you should go to the hospital. Contractions will become stronger and more frequent. Contractions usually occur every 5 minutes, lasting about 45-60 seconds. ^{[12] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Find more signs of cervical dilation

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Listen for sounds that show a dilated cervix. There are many signs that indicate a dilated cervix that you do not need to insert your fingers into the vagina. This is especially helpful if you are experiencing extreme pain or discomfort. Most women will make certain sounds when they go into labor. Listening to these sounds will help you guess how much the cervix is dilated. The following sounds are commonly associated with labor and cervical dilation: ^{[13] X Research Source}

0-4 cm stretch, you don’t make much noise and can talk relatively easily during contraction.
With a stretch of 4-5 cm, it is difficult or almost impossible for you to talk. The noise can be very light.
From 5-7 cm, you make louder and uneven noise. You can almost or barely talk during contractions.
Between 7-10 cm, you make very loud noises and cannot talk during the contraction.
If you’re a fairly quiet person during labor, you can also have the dilation checked. Have someone ask you questions at the beginning of your contractions. The more difficult the answer, the more cervical dilation.

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Pay attention to emotions. Giving birth is an emotional experience for a woman. Observing the emotions you experience can predict cervical dilation. The following emotions may be present during labor: ^{[14] X Research Source}

Happy and smiling when the stretch is 1-4 cm
Smile and laugh out loud between contractions when the stretch is 4-6 cm
Get annoyed with other people’s jokes and have a short chat when the dilation is about 7 cm until birth.

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Smell to assess stretch. Many people smell it when a woman has a dilation of the cervix from 6-8 cm. The smell is quite heavy and indistinct. ^{[15] X Research Source} If you can smell this in a woman’s room in labor, the cervix is likely to be 6-8 cm dilated.

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Look for blood and mucus. Some women have mucus discharge at 39 weeks gestation, which is pink or brown in color with blood. ^{[16] X Source of Study} Mucus and bloody discharge may continue throughout the initial stage of labor. However, when the dilation reaches 6-8 cm, a lot of blood and mucus may appear. The presence of these substances indicates that cervical dilation may have reached 6-8 cm.

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Consider the purple line. This purple line is located in the buttock interstitium, you can use it to determine cervical dilation, when this line reaches the top of the buttock interstitium, the cervix is maximally dilated. Maybe you have to ask someone else to look at the purple line. ^{[17] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}

In the early stages of labor, the purple line is located near the anus. As labor progresses, it crawls up between the buttocks. When the cervix is maximally dilated, this line dilates to the apex of the buttock interstitium.

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Consider how your body feels. Many women notice physical signs of dilation without a vaginal examination. In general, they feel like they have a cold when the dilation is close to 10 cm and/or the pushing phase. Feeling these signs and symptoms can help you determine cervical dilation. In most cases, looking at a combination of these signs will tell you about cervical dilation. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Feeling like you want to vomit, your face is red and you feel warm to the touch, indicating that the dilation has reached 5 cm. The body may also shake uncontrollably. If you’re just vomiting, it’s likely due to emotions, hormones, or fatigue.
If your face is flushed with no other symptoms, then the stretch is 6-7 cm.
You should know when the body is shaking uncontrollably with no other signs, it is likely due to fatigue or fever.
If you bend your toes or stand on your toes, the cervical dilation is about 6-8 cm.
Goosebumps on the buttocks and upper thighs are a clear sign of cervical dilation of about 9-10 cm.
Unintentional bowel movements are also a sign of complete dilation of the cervix. ^{[19] X Source of Study} You can feel the baby’s head at the perineum.

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Feel the pressure in your back. As the fetus descends into the birth canal, you will feel pressure at various points along your back. The wider the cervix dilates, the deeper the pressure recedes into the lower back. Normally, the pressure will move from the iliac rim down to the coccyx. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

Advice

Gently and slowly. No sudden movements!
Wash your hands after examining the cervix.

Warning

Stop examining the cervix if you experience pain, great discomfort, or spasms from trying to insert your hand into the vagina. In this case, you should leave the cervical examination to a specialist.

Steps

Prepare for manual cervical examination

Cervical examination at home

Find more signs of cervical dilation

Advice

Warning

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