Day 5 of 31: A Baby, A Bishop, and a Cervix Walk into a Bar...

Anne is one of my dearest doula friends. I love her energy, her ideas, and now, her drawing abilities! (Seriously, that first picture? I want it on a shirt!) When she writes, she never ceases to grab my attention. Her title here alone gives insight into her humor and wit. Along with all her talents and gifts, she is also an impressive childbirth educator, and a doula whose heart is huge. I wish for us all to have an Anne in our lives.

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A baby, a bishop, and a cervix walk into a bar...or maybe they are more likely to walk into a weekly pre-natal appointment, with your care provider, near the 40th week of your pregnancy.  At this point in your pregnancy induction may be discussed for a variety of reasons.  If your goal is to have a vaginal delivery, you ought to know about the Bishop score. 

Which Bishop and his score in what?  The score is all about the status of your cervix and the location of the baby's head in relation to your pelvis.  (What any of this has to do with a Bishop, I have no idea!)  The higher the Bishop score, the more likely an induction will work and result in a vaginal delivery.  Anything less than an 8 is deemed not favorable.  So, if I wanted to avoid an induction, until it is truly medically necessary, I would ask my care provider about the status of my cervix and the location of the baby's head.  That way I could calculate my own Bishop Score!  So through my truly terrible artistic abilities, let me show/explain what you need to find out:

1-Cervix Position 
So the angle of the dangle of your cervix changes in preparation for birth.  During most of your pregnancy your cervix is pointed towards your back (posterior cervix).  As birth time approaches the cervix moves to point toward your front (anterior cervix).

2-Cervix Softness/Ripeness
Like a banana without the brown spots.  During pregnancy your cervix is hard and rubbery like the tip of your nose.  As labor progresses it get more compressable and a bit softer like pinching your ear lobe between your thumb and finger.  When your cervix gets really soft it feels mushy like the inside of your cheek.  

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3-Cervix Effacement
Usually expressed as a percentage.  The cervix has a length to it, so as it effaces, it gets shorter/thinner.  I like to compare it to a tree stump at 0% effacement and a very tasty crepe at 100% effacement.  Which one do you think will open more easily?

4-Cervix Dilation
How big is the hole?  Will the baby's head fit through it yet?!?  Expressed in centimeters from 0-10 centimeters. 

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5-Baby Station
All aboard! Oops I mean time to leave, mommy wants to see what you look like.  AND she would like to sleep on her stomach again!  Baby Stations range from -4 at the pelvic brim, to 0 at the Ischial Spines of your pelvis, to +4 crowning.  I always remember that the positive numbers are a positive sign that the baby is positively coming out.

Science hasn't truly figured out when a baby will exactly be born -- as doulas and educators, we can offer the Bishop Scoring process to our families to help them understand how close their bodies may already be labor and baby-time. For more fun, check out this calculator and additional graphics, just in case my artwork left you scratching your tilted head!

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Anne is the youngest of 6 children, which is probably why she gets along well with people. She also grew up on a dairy, which is probably why she gets along with animals. She has two daughters, and is a volunteer 4-H Community Leader. She was one of the original creators of the Chico Doula Circle, volunteered for a hospital-based doula program, and offers gratis support to expectant teen moms. Anne hopes to offer childbirth classes to further expand the knowledge-base of her doula clients. Find her at Happy Pushing or on Facebook.

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Did you know? For two years in a row, I have celebrated International Doula Month (May) by featuring guest posts by and about doulas? I am always looking for stories to feature -- so if you are a doula, or had an experience with a doula, contact me to reserve your guest spot! You can write something just for this occasion, or share something you have previously written.