Heres some info on Bishops Score:
Bishops Score
A Bishop's Score refers to a group of measurements used to determine whether a woman may have a successful vaginal delivery and whether labor ought to be induced. Bishop's Score is based on station, dilation, effacement, position and consistency.
Station is a term used to describe the descent of the baby into the pelvis. An imaginary line is drawn between the two bones in the pelvis (known as ischial spines). This is the "zero" line, and when the baby reaches this line it is considered to be in "zero station." When the baby is above this imaginary line it is in a minus station. When the baby is below, it is in a "plus" station. Stations are measured from -5 at the pelvic inlet to +4 at the pelvic outlet.
Dilation is measured in centimetres, from 0 to 10. Your cervix is fully open and you should be able to push when it is dilated to 10 centimetres. 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 centimetres long before labor. Once active labor begins, you will begin to dilate more quickly.
Effacement refers to the softening and thinning of the cervix. You won't feel this happening; it may only be measure with a vaginal exam. Effacement is measured in percent. When your cervix is normal, it is considered to be 0% effaced. When you're 50% effaced, your cervix is half its original thickness. When your cervix is 100% effaced it is completely thinned out and you are ready for vaginal delivery.
Position refers to the positioning of the cervix. If the cervix faces front (anterior) it is more favorable, while posterior is less favorable.
Consistency of the cervix is measured on a scale of firmness from firm to soft. The softer the cervix is, the better the chance of vaginal delivery.
To ensure your own induction's success rate, inquire about your Bishop's score or better yet learn each part of the score and figure it out for yourself. The unfortunate reality I have seen lately is inductions with scores as low as 2 which makes induction very difficult and success rates low. Induction with low Bishops scores decreases a woman's coping ability with the increased pain of induction and the increased length of labour. This can be combined with AROM (artificial rupture of membranes) to supposedly increase the success rate early in the induction, but in fact this far too often leads to cesarean births as ruptured membranes increases the chance of infection for both mother and baby. Make informed decisions for both you and your baby!
Score Dilatation Effacement Station Position Consistency
0 closed 0 ? 30% -3 posterior firm
1 1-2 cm 40 -50% -2 mid-position moderately firm
2 3-4 cm 60 -70% -1,0 anterior soft
3 5+ cm 80+% +1,+2
A point is added to the score for each of the following:
Pre-eclampsia
Each prior vaginal delivery
A point is subtracted from the score for:
Postdates pregnancy
Nulliparity
Premature or prolonged rupture of membranes
Interpretation
cesarean rates: first time mothers women with past vag. del
scores of 0 ? 3: 45% 7.7%
scores of 4 - 6: 10% 3.9%
scores of 7 - 10: 1.4% .9%
Induction is generally attempted when a mother has a favorable Bishop's score. A mother may be given misoprostel, cytotec or prostaglandin gel to help ripen the cervix and improve the score. A score of five or less is said to be "unfavorable." A score of eight or nine would indicate that the cervix was very ripe and induction would have a high probability of being successful.
i am not sure the format will read correctly as i am taking this from information i would give to clients in a word doc.
hope it helps.
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