CERVICAL DILATION MEASUREMENT AND STAGES OF LABOR DIAGRAM

Cervix which is the lowest portion of the uterus opens when woman has a baby, the process called “cervical dilation”.
Cervix opening (dilating) is one way that healthcare staff track how a woman’s labor is progressing
During labor, the cervix opens to accommodate the passage of baby’s head into vagina which is around 10 cm dilated for most babies
If cervix is dilated with regular, painful contractions you are in active labor and getting closer to delivering your baby.

Active labor with more rapid cervical dilation generally starts around 6 centimetres of dilation. During this active phase, the cervix typically dilates at rate of 1.2 to 1.5 centimetres per hour. Woman with history of prior vaginal delivery tend to demonstrate more rapid cervical dilation.