How to Check a Cervix for Dilation

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Cervical dilation happens as a pregnant person gets closer to their labor and delivery. The cervix dilates to unblock your baby’s path from your uterus to the birth canal and finally to your arms. [1] The cervix needs to dilate from 1 to 10 centimeters, at which point you can deliver your baby. [2] In most cases, licensed professionals such as doctors, nurses, and midwives will check to see how far your cervix is dilated, but you also might want to get a sense for yourself.

Please note that checking your cervix for dilation yourself isn’t medically recommended. See a healthcare professional whenever possible. The information provided here is for reference and educational purposes.

Checking Cervical Dilation at Home

Talk to your doctor to ensure it’s safe to check your dilation. Wash your hands and sit, squat, or lie down. Insert your pointer and middle fingers into your vagina until you reach your cervix, which feels like a pair of puckered lips. Use your fingers to measure how far you’re dilated.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Check Your Cervix Manually

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  1. Having a safe pregnancy is important to a healthy birth and baby. As certified obstetrician and gynecologist Jennifer Butt says, making sure you’re getting proper obstetrical care from a doctor, nurse practitioner, or midwife can help ensure that your pregnancy is progressing normally. [3] Along with this, they’ll be able to tell you if it’s safe for you to check your cervix for dilation.
    • Be aware that beginning in your ninth month of pregnancy, your doctor will begin looking for signs that your labor is getting closer. This includes palpitating your abdomen and performing an internal exam to check your cervix. They will see if the baby has “dropped,” which means that the cervix has begun to dilate and get softer.
    • Ask your doctor any questions you may have, including if the baby has dropped. You should also ask if it is safe to check dilation on your own. If your pregnancy is safe, then you can proceed.
    • Warning: While it’s possible to check your cervix for dilation yourself, it isn’t medically advised and could pose a risk to you and your child, so it’s best to go to the doctor. [4]
  2. Wash your hands . Having dirty hands can spread bacteria and germs that cause infection. As Butt explains, checking your cervix requires inserting a hand or fingers into your vagina. [5] It’s imperative to your health and that of your unborn baby to wash your hands before you check your cervix for dilation. [6]
    • Use soap and warm water to clean your hands. Wet your hands with running water and apply your soap, lathering well. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds, making sure to scrub each surface of your hands. Rinse off the soap and then dry your hands thoroughly.
    • Use a hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol if you don’t have soap. Apply enough of the sanitizer for both hands to the palm of one hand. Just as with soap, rub your hands together and cover every surface. Keep rubbing until your hands are dry.
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  3. If you’re a bit worried or scared about doing the exam on your own, ask your partner or another loved one for help. Allow them to help as much as you are comfortable with and like. Support can come in the form of holding a mirror or your hand or even offering calming words.
  4. Before you can effectively check your cervix for dilation, you need to be in a comfortable position. You might want to sit on your toilet or lie on your bed with your legs spread, just do what is most comfortable for you. If you're very pregnant, consider sitting on the toilet with one foot on the floor and the other propped up on the toilet seat. [7]
    • Take off your clothes on your lower half before you start. This way, you don’t have to awkwardly remove them when you’re comfy.
    • Sit or squat on the toilet with one foot on the floor and the other on the toilet seat. You can also squat on the floor or lie on your bed if these are more comfortable
    • Remember that you have nothing about which to be ashamed. You’re doing something completely normal and natural.
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Part 2
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Checking Your Cervix at Home

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  1. You’ll need to start your exam by getting an initial sense of how far you may be dilated. Instead of putting your entire hand into your vagina, which may cause discomfort, use your pointer and middle fingers to start checking your cervix. [8]
    • Locate the entrance of your vagina with the tips of your fingers. The back of your hand should be facing your spine, and your palm should face upwards. Angle your fingers back towards your anus to most effectively feel your cervix. If you feel any pain or extreme discomfort, remove your fingers.
    • Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before inserting your fingers into your vagina.
  2. A cervix feels like a pair of puckered lips when pregnant. After you’ve inserted your fingers into and up your vaginal canal, keep pushing them until you reach what feels like puckered lips. [9]
    • Be aware that some people have a high cervix while others have a low one. You may need to insert your fingers further up your vaginal canal, or you might reach it relatively quickly. The cervix is basically the “end” of your vaginal canal, no matter its position. [10]
    • Use a gentle touch to feel for your cervix. Pressing or poking it with your fingers can lead to bleeding.
    • Recognize that one finger may easily slip into the middle of your cervix if it is dilating. You may feel the bag of water covering the baby's head at the center of the opening, which may have the sensation of a latex balloon filled with water.
  3. Once a person is dilated 10 centimeters, they’re generally ready to deliver their baby. [11] If one of your fingers entered the middle of the cervix easily, you can use additional fingers to figure out how far along you’re dilated.
    • Continue to insert fingers gently into your vagina until you’re using your entire hand, or it causes discomfort. Remove your hand to see how many finger widths you used. This can give you a general idea of how far your cervix is dilated.
    • Keep in mind the following: If you can slip one finger into the middle of your cervix, you’re about one centimeter dilated. Likewise, if you can insert two fingers, you’re 3 centimeters dilated. [12]
  4. If your cervix is dilated more than 3 centimeters, it generally means you are in the active phase of labor. [13] Go to the delivery center you’ve chosen or prepare your home if you’re having a home birth .
    • Be aware that your contractions can also help indicate that you should go to the delivery center. They will be more regular and stronger. They should be about five minutes apart and last for 45-60 seconds. [14]
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Part 3
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Looking for Additional Signs of Cervical Dilation

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  1. Many indicators of dilation don’t require inserting your fingers into your vagina. This can be especially helpful if you are in pain or discomfort. Most people will make some type of sound when they’re in labor. Listening to what types of sounds you’re making can cue you into how much your cervix has dilated. The following sounds can accompany the various stages of labor and cervical dilation: [15]
    • At 0-4 centimeters dilated, you may not make much noise and can talk through a contraction with little effort.
    • At 4-5 centimeters, it may be difficult to nearly impossible to talk. Your noises may still be quiet.
    • Between 5-7 centimeters, you may make louder and staccato noises. It should be nearly or completely impossible to talk through contractions.
    • Between 7-10 centimeters, you may be making very loud noises and unable to talk through a contraction.
    • If you’re a silent laborer, you can also check your dilation. Tell someone to ask you a question at the start of a contraction. The less you can say a sentence, the farther along your dilation is.
  2. Childbirth is an inherently emotional experience. Watching what emotions you’re experiencing can cue you into how far your cervix is dilated. You may have the following emotions during labor: [16]
    • Happiness and laughter between 1-4 centimeters
    • Smiley and laughing at little things between contractions between 4-6 centimeters
    • Irritation at jokes and small talk around 7 centimeters until birth
  3. Many people notice certain scents when they get between 6 and 8 centimeters dilated. The smell of labor is deep, heavy, and dusky—not musky. If you notice a change in the smell of the room where you’re laboring, your cervix may be between 6 and 8 centimeters dilated.
    • Keep in mind that this isn’t a scientifically proven sign; however, some mothers note that it was present during their active stage of labor.
  4. Some people may see a stringy mucus discharge at around 37 weeks that is tinged pink or brown with blood. [17] This bloody show may continue through the early stages of labor. At 6-8 centimeters dilated, however, a lot of blood and mucus may be present. Looking for these substances can indicate that you’re somewhere between 6-8 centimeters dilated.
    • If you’re not at the hospital or with your care team, contact them if you experience a bloody show, as this may be a sign that your body is preparing for labor. [18]
  5. The purple line is located in your natal cleft, or what some people call the butt crack. This line can be a measure of how far you’re dilated, with it reaching the top of your cleft at full dilation. You may need someone to help you examine your purple line. [19]
    • Recognize that in the early stages of labor, the purple line will be closer to the anus. As your labor progresses, it will creep up between your buttocks. At full dilation, the purple line will extend to the top of your natal cleft.
  6. As your baby descends into the birth canal, you will feel pressure at different points along your back. The more you dilate, the farther down your back the pressure will be. It generally moves from the rim of your pelvis down to your tailbone. [20]
    • This is often felt during “laboring down,” a practice that delays pushing for one to two hours after the second stage of labor begins to allow the body to naturally do more of the work. Some studies suggest that delayed pushing could put the mother and child at risk.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Can you check your own cervix for dilation?
    Jennifer Butt, MD
    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
    Jennifer Butt, MD, is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist operating her private practice, Upper East Side OB/GYN, in New York City, New York. She is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital. She earned a BA in Biological Studies from Rutgers University and an MD from Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She then completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Dr. Butt is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Medical Association.
    Jennifer Butt, MD
    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
    Expert Answer
    Yes. However, if you have a condition like placenta previa, where the placenta overlays your cervix, you should avoid having a vaginal exam or performing one yourself, unless your doctor recommends it. These exams can sometimes cause bleeding.
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  • Question
    Does checking the cervix for dilation hurt?
    Jennifer Butt, MD
    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
    Jennifer Butt, MD, is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist operating her private practice, Upper East Side OB/GYN, in New York City, New York. She is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital. She earned a BA in Biological Studies from Rutgers University and an MD from Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She then completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Dr. Butt is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Medical Association.
    Jennifer Butt, MD
    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
    Expert Answer
    It shouldn't. If you experience any pain, extreme discomfort, or contractions associated with trying to enter the birth canal, stop what you're doing. In these cases, you should leave checking your cervix to the professionals!
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/4110-dilation-and-curettage-d--c
      2. ↑ https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/first-stage-of-labor/
      3. ↑ Jennifer Butt, MD. Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist. Expert Interview. 13 March 2020.
      4. ↑ https://www.thebump.com/a/dilation
      5. ↑ Jennifer Butt, MD. Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist. Expert Interview. 13 March 2020.
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17474-hand-washing
      7. ↑ https://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/birth.html#Self-Checking
      8. ↑ https://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/birth.html#Self-Checking
      9. ↑ https://www.thebump.com/a/dilation
      1. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23279-cervix
      2. ↑ https://www.kernodle.com/obgyn_blog/stages-of-labor-explained/
      3. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557582/
      4. ↑ https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/first-stage-of-labor/
      5. ↑ https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/intermountain-moms/2017/12/false-vs-true-labor/
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21605-bloody-show
      7. ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pregnant-mental-health.html
      8. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21605-bloody-show
      9. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21605-bloody-show
      10. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20846387/
      11. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22959-laboring-down

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To check your cervix for dilation, start by washing your hands to avoid spreading any bacteria. Then take off your pants and get comfortable sitting down or lying with your legs spread. If you’re worried about doing the exam on your own, ask your partner or another loved one to help. When you’re ready to check your cervix, start by inserting 2 fingers into your vagina and feeling for your cervix. When you reach your cervix, which feels like a pair of puckered lips, measure the opening with your fingers. If your cervix is dilated more than 3 centimeters, which is about the width of 3 fingers, you should go to the delivery center, since this generally means you’ve started the active phase of labor. For more tips, including how to check your cervix for other signs of dilation, read on!

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