What is the definitive guide to understanding an unfavorable cervix according to Hilary Erickson?

An unfavorable cervix, as I explain, refers to a cervix that doesn't seem "ready" to go into labor. We consider several factors:

• Dilation: How open your cervix is (measured in cm)
• Effacement: How thinned out your cervix is (measured as a %)
• Position: Where in your vagina is the cervical opening (more forward is usually better)
• Station: How high/low in your pelvis the baby is
• Consistency: How your cervix feels. Is it hard like a rubber tire, or soft like brie?

When your cervix is early in many/most of these factors, it tends to be "unfavorable". A more precise measure is the Bishop Score, which is a rubric for how ready your cervix is for labor. It gives 2 points in each of those categories, and if you're over 8 your cervix is considered more ready for labor.

Remember, this is all a bit of a guess and cervixes can surprise us. An unfavorable cervix can become very favorable in just a few hours. It doesn't mean anything about how you've kept that baby in there, just what mood your cervix is in.

Would you like to know more about how to prepare for labor and birth?