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Giving birth is no mean feat. Try pushing a human baby out of your lady hole and you would know what we are talking about. If you are one of those people who don’t understand the hype behind pregnancy and childbirth, then you definitely need a reality check. And this viral photo shared by a birth center in California does just that. The photo is a clear reminder to everyone, including fathers of what mothers have to go through to bring a child into this world. And judging by the image, mothers all over the world deserve huge respect and recognition for what they have to endure.
The viral photo which was originally posted by SCV Birth Center shows a wooden board with different diameter holes in them. Each hole represents the dilation of the cervix of a woman during the different stages of labor. The image shows the baby’s head emerging through one of the holes that is marked as 10, referring to 10 centimeters dilation. They captioned the post as, “Whelp – that’s what 10 centimeters looks like – just perfect for that little head.”
The Miracle Of Birth
So, if you have ever wondered what a 10-centimeter dilation looks like, you will no longer have trouble visualizing the same.
Take a look at the post below:
The post was also shared by musical artist, Steffanie Christi’an. It garnered over 34K reactions and 339K shares from people everywhere. There was a huge outpour of horror, appreciation, and awe for women for what they had to go through to give birth. Many women shared their own experience of giving birth, with one woman commenting on how quickly she dilated from 3 centimeters to 10 centimeters during labor, and how it felt like being ripped in half.
Labor Pain And Childbirth
Image: Shutterstock
Labor pains and childbirth can be different for each woman. During labor, the cervix dilates to help the baby exit from the uterus. The cervix usually remains as a tiny closed-hole preventing anything from entering or leaving the uterus, which in turn protects the baby. Intense contractions that occur during labor causes the cervix to expand to help deliver the baby. As labor progresses, labor pain tends to become more intense due to frequent and stronger contractions (1).
Image: Shutterstock
Labor can be classified into three stages. Stage one of labor can be divided into 3—early labor, active labor, and transition phase. In early labor, the cervix of a woman dilates from the size of a cheerio to 3 centimeters, which is about a quarter’s size. In the active stage of labor, the cervix begins to dilate to the size of an Oreo cookie and can expand up to 7 centimeters. It is during the transition phase that the cervix dilates to about 10 centimeters, which is about the size of a large bagel.
After complete dilation, women enter the second stage of labor. They experience an intense urge to push, and this stage can last anywhere between a few minutes to several hours. Some women also try different positions, such as standing or squatting to speed things along. Once the baby is delivered, the contractions become weaker, and the woman expels the placenta. The cervix then begins to contract back to its previous size. This process, however, can last anywhere from a few days to weeks (2).
The human body is a true work of art that is capable of performing miracles, such as that of giving birth. While it might be hard for many of us to fathom the pain and suffering it takes to bring a child into this world, we hope this post gave you some clue of what mothers have to endure.
