These are ten centimeters of dilation: this adapts the cervix so that the baby can be born

The dilation chart is a tool that some midwives use to practice measuring cervical dilation with their fingers.

But it is also a visual aid for pregnant women to see how well their body adapts when giving birth. The American singer Steffanie Christi'an shared on her Facebook account an image of one of them, where a baby's head appears through the largest hole, the 10-centimeter hole, the maximum dilation of the cervix. The photo has gone viral because it graphically reflects the extent to which the female uterus dilates to give way to the baby.

"That's why we deserve all things"

The original photo is from SCV Birth Center, a birth assistance center in Santa Clarita, California. Displays the measurement chart, which is sold online, with wooden circles with increasingly large holes around the perimeter.

Each hole is marked with a number that identifies its diameter in centimeters, a representation of the gradual increase in the dilation of the woman's cervix during labor.

The largest hole, ten centimeters, is shown with the head of a baby through it. The text that accompanies the photo says "This is what the 10 centimeters look like, perfect for that little head."

Steffanie Christi'an shared the photo with her own caption, more daring: "This is what the 10 cm dilation looks like. That's why we deserve all things."

The post has been shared more than 185,000 times and has received hundreds of comments of amazement and recognition for the work of women in giving birth.

In Babies and more The five phases of childbirth: what will happen at every moment explained step by step

Dilation, step by step

It is the first phase of labor and also the longest. The first moment, that of passive dilation, is when the opening of the cervix begins until it is erased, dilated and softened three centimeters.

It can last for days or weeks without annoying contractions, so the woman does not perceive what happens until her gynecologist recognizes her.

Contractions are common from the 35th week of gestation, but they do not become regular. It is only a sign that labor is approaching, but it is not imminent.

It will be in phase two of childbirth, when the cervix will go from 3 to 10 centimeters of dilation to open the birth canal and allow the baby to leave.

In Babies and more The average time of dilation in labor is slower than the centimeter per expected hour

In this phase, known as active dilation, the contractions are already rhythmic, strong and more continuous. But the intensity and rhythm will vary according to the woman, so the duration of the total dilation will also be different.

You can dilate one centimeter per hour, but you can also move faster, especially if you have had more children.

The pain that accompanies this phase is because the efforts of the uterus are very concentrated and when the uterus contracts strongly it tends to expel all the blood that is in its muscle fibers, which are squeezed. The absence of blood produces a lack of oxygen in the muscle and that is what determines the pain.

When the contraction ends the muscle expands, relaxes and returns to receive the blood supply, oxygenating again, being when the pain ceases momentarily.

It is also at this stage of erasure, when the amniotic bag is usually broken. It will expand until it reaches approximately 10 centimeters, which will be when the baby can already poke the head and leave in the next phase, the ejector.

Photos | iStock and Facebook SVC Birth Center

Video: Insertion technique for the Copper T380A IUD (March 2024).