This viral photo of the cervical dilation process is incredibly eye-opening

We shouldn't minimize how far mothers' bodies are pushed.


Understanding the cervical dilation process as an expecting mom can be a bit daunting. Pre-pregnancy, most of us think our vaginas just open up and out comes baby, but it's a bit more complicated than that. That's why when doulas, midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists have a tool that skillfully depicts the cervical dilation process, it can be a game-changer.

SCV Birth Center in Santa Clarita, California had the right idea when they shared a photo of a wooden chart that perfectly describes the expansion of the cervix. This board, designed to function as both a learning tool and a piece of artwork, shows that women truly are superheroes.

More specifically, the artwork portrays the cervical dilation process women go through during birth, beginning with one centimeter (about the size of a Cheerio) dilated up to a full 10 centimeters (the size of a bagel).

Facebook user Steffanie Christi'an shared the photo by SCV Birth Center and captioned it: "This is what 10cm of dilation looks like. This is why we deserve all the things" and it went viral from there, with nearly 200,000 shares. We love that this image is so popular. Finally, a non-threatening birthing diagram that truly put things into perspective!

Of course, dilation isn't exactly a crystal ball and doesn't exactly tell you when the baby will be born—in fact, some women can walk around 3-4 centimeters dilated and not deliver for weeks—but it does help midwives gauge how the process is coming along and it shows women exactly what our bodies are meant to do.

This artwork is a true representation of birth, pregnancy and womanhood. And there's nothing more beautiful than that.

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