hi archie...i want to askk you ....is it possible for perggy women to dialate..in last month of prognancy....like one month before due dat could she dialate one cm...and still she can carry baby...and still if she dialated 3 intches...and will deliver that babay after 20 days...is it possible...please answer me this question...becozz as far as i heard...if once the mom to be start diation....she will go in labour...and with in 24 hour she will deliver baby....please clearify this..thanks in advance...aakansha archie replied. Dear Aakansha,

Women can be dilated as much as 2-3 cms anytime in here last 4 weeks before due date, means in 9th month anytime and still she can carry baby without entering in labor.
Dilating cervix is essential and can be very long procedure in some women while in some women dilation starts a few hours or a day or two before actual labor.
If women dilates 3 inches (somewhere you write) that's 7.5 cms and there is no possibility that women dilated for 3 inches will carry baby for 20 days. But if she is dilated 3 cms she may carry for some days.

How the dilation takes place?
Your body starts producing hormones called prostaglandins and this must occure towards the end of term. The prostaglandins starts thinning cervix (called effacement of the cervix) and also the hormone has ability to induce mild contractions, often resembles to Braxton Hicks Contraction. The dilationg, opening of the cervix begins parallel to effacement. Sometime when the cervix is 30% effaced one can be dilated for 1 cm and when it's progressed to 50% women can be dilated up to 2 cms. But unless the effacement continued to 100% there is no further dilation of the cervix. If the effacement continue and picks up the speed then parallel to that cervix continue to dilate and one get in the labor automatically. But in many cases effacement starts 2-4 weeks before expected due date and is very slow process. I know many women who happened to be dilated 2 cm at their 38 weeks but then they stopped dilation further and they did not dilate until actual labor.

Hope this helps to understand dilation process.
Archie