Shocking picture shows how big 10 centimeters in dilation REALLY is

The brutal realities of childbirth: Viral image shows what 10 centimeters of dilation really looks like – and how it compares to the size of a baby’s head

  • A photo going viral on Twitter and Facebook gives reference points for cervical dilation during childbirth
  • It features a wooden board with ten circles cut out of it, each a centimeter wider than the next 
  • Doctors and nurses will have a woman start pushing during labor when her cervix measures 10 cm. across 
  • The cervix is at the top of the vagina, several inches, and separates the vagina from the uterus

Most people, parents are not, know that a woman’s cervix dilates to 10 centimeters before she is supposed to start pushing during childbirth. But how big is that really?

An image that’s going viral on social media illustrates just how big ten centimeters of dilation really is, offering a broader understanding of what mothers go through during labor.

Horrifying: An image that's going viral on social media illustrates just how big ten centimeters of dilation really is

Horrifying: An image that’s going viral on social media illustrates just how big ten centimeters of dilation really is

Props to moms: Steffanie Christi'an, a singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan, seems to have been the first to post the photo on April 9

Props to moms: Steffanie Christi’an, a singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan, seems to have been the first to post the photo on April 9

The image shows a circular wooden board with ten circles carved out of it. Each one is numbered, one through ten, indicating how many centimeters in diameter the hole is.

The tenth circle, which is 10 centimeters across, is quite large, and a baby’s head is seen behind it. That ten centimeter is how big a woman’s cervix measures across before doctors and nurses encourage her to start pushing during childbirth.

The cervix is at the very top of the vagina, several inches inside a woman, and separates the vagina from the uterus, where the baby is.

Further, 10 cm. is the pushing point, not the final measurement. The cervix can continue to expand to accommodate a newborn’s head, which might be slightly larger.

Steffanie Christi’an, a singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan, seems to have been the first to post the photo on April 9.

Yikes! That ten centimeters is how big a woman's cervix measures across before doctors and nurses encourage her to start pushing during childbirth

Yikes! That ten centimeter is how big a woman’s cervix measures across before doctors and nurses encourage her to start pushing during childbirth

Oh no: Another one made by the site Kiddicare.com compares each centimeter to objects or pieces of food — with 10 cm. represented by a bagel

Oh no: Another one made by the site Kiddicare.com compares each centimeter to objects or pieces of food — with 10 cm. represented by a bagel

‘This is what 10cm of dilation looks like. This is why we deserve all the things,’ she wrote in a post that’s been shared 165,000 times.

It was then shared on Twitter by Ngoako Lerato Mannya of Johannesburg, South Africa, where it’s earned 53,000 likes and lots of comments.

‘My mom pushed all 3 of us out. I need to thank her again, especially for my big-headed little brother,’ wrote one woman.

‘Hello birth control,’ wrote another.

Similar charts showing dilation sizes exist on the internet, though this one seems to have struck a nerve with people.

Another one made by the site KiddiCare.com compares each centimeter to objects or pieces of food — with 10 cm. represented by a bagel.

Expecting a baby? My Pregnancy Journey is one of the best online resources for expectant and new parents. Featuring advice and tips to help keep your pregnancy fun.

***

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk