Trying to understand my old labour notes: cervix dilating and then contracting?!

[morningpaper]

I've been reading through my old labour notes.

7.30pm: 4cm dilated
2 hours later: 8 cm dilated
1 hour later: 6-7cm dilated (different midwife)

Is cervical dilation not a very SCIENTIFIC measurement? Or did my cervix go into reverse thrust? I'm confused.

Hi mp,

not a very scientific measurement unfortunately. I always think that when you get a reverse dilation like that it's because the head is not well applied to the cervix and has altered position. Either that or just a different midwife feeling things differently.

I think they are taught how to measure the cervix and as they cannot see it and can only feel it I presume it will differ from midwife to midwife - I also think it depends on the midwifes experience.

Bit annoying isn't it.

I might have dilated 4cm in 2 hours or 2 cm in 3 hours. Big difference isn't it?

My old midwifery testbook says around 0.5cm - 1cm an hour is "normal" (whatever that is). In my experience dilation is all very well but not if the baby's head is not well applied - then you get all sorts of variations in measurement as a cervix not well applied to the baby's head (or vice versa) is much more easy to stretch and then you get an overestimated dilation.

Morningpaper whilst it may appear confusing to me it still reads the same in terms of labour
at 7h30 you were just in established labour
and 2 or 3 hours later you were on the verge to transition but not ready to push, still some woek to do. (between 6 and 8 cm there is very little) - also some MWs like to talk positively (!8 cm may (?) have been a slight over-exageration)
What happened next though?

Yes MWs have different readings on same woman ALSO you can actually "go backwards" in dilation too... I have seen 5cm go down to 2 !

Next I was in labour for another fun-packed 8 hours, they let me push at 9cm. So I guess the conservative estimate was probably correct.

MP, how do you get your notes?

Dinny: I photocopied them before I was handed over to Health Visitor care (until then I still had them in my Maternity notes folder).

write to your hospital dinny, they have a legal obligation to give them to you. will rip you off for photocopying charges though....

[quick thread hijack] hox, when shall we meet? we are not so far....

hi soph! not next tuesday as i'm giving birth.....

It is definately not an exact science and some people (especially junior doctors) are rubbish at it

My question would be why did you need so many internal examinations morningpaper?

Mears - EXCELLENT question!!!!!

why do hospitals keep them?

Hoxtonchick, are you due next week???!!!! Can't believe it's time already!

i'm due on the 10th july dinny, but i'm being induced at 38 weeks due to my diabetes (blah blah blah!). am a little scared.... but excited too.

I think the first was when I went in.

The second was when I asked for an epidural and they wanted to check my progress.

The third was at the changeover of midwife and she wanted a good poke around.

Didn't bother me at all TBH, I didn't feel a thing, I would have had my own arm up there too if I could have reached...

Hi again MP

I think that all was fine but maybe - considering earlier replies you had either dilated then retracted slightly because of baby's positioning or it was to do with a difference in midwifes techniques. Hope that you are feeling a bit better about it all.

dinny - hospitals keep your notes for 25 years incase you want to sue!

I went from 9 cms to 6 cms when ds flipped round and became back to back. I just burst into tears when they told me I'd gone backwards! Makes me shudder just thinking about it....