In plain words
Effacement is the thinning and shortening of the cervix. Before labor the cervix is long and firm. As labor starts, it thins and softens, like a stretched ring. Effacement is shown as a percentage, from zero, which is thick, to one hundred, which is completely thin. A provider checks it with a gentle exam. Effacement and often happen together, but not always. A cervix can be thin and closed for days before labor starts. Effacement by itself does not tell a mother when labor will begin. It is one sign among several, including regular contractions and changes in discharge. Mothers can ask their provider what the check showed and what it means for their timing.
The deeper version
Cervical effacement is the progressive shortening of the cervix from its pregnancy length to a thin rim at the internal os, expressed as a percentage of original length. It precedes or accompanies dilation in the and reflects remodeling and cervical softening. Williams Obstetrics (26th edition, 2022) describes its assessment with the alongside dilation, station, consistency, and position. Effacement alone is a poor predictor of the onset of labor, and the Bishop score has moderate predictive value for success. Controversy concerns the reproducibility of cervical exams across clinicians and the value of routine cervical checks in low-risk pregnancy.
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What mothers here say about effacement
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Sources
- Cunningham FG et al. — Williams Obstetrics, 26th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2022