The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor that has been in operation since 1884. According to its official website, the vision of the BLS is to meet the information needs of a rapidly changing U.S, and global economy by continuously improving its products and services, investing in its work force, and modernizing its business processes.
Note: Scar tissue may interfere with normal intrapartal cervical dilation and effacement. Vaginal bleeding other than slight spotting may be sign of cervical dilatation. Leaking membranes may herald impending delivery and place client at greater risk for infection.
1cm roughly equates with a Cheerio, 3 cm with a slice of banana, 4cm with a Ritz Cracker, 7cm with the top of a soda can, and 10cm with a bagel. As cervix dilation itself is not a reliable predictor of when labor will begin, knowing the degree of cervical dilation in advance of active labor is of little benefit. It also carries unnecessary risks, the first of which is introducing infection. It also increases the risk of starting preterm labor. Internal exams are not recommended for the above reasons until after 41 weeks when potentially facing a postdate induction. Then, cervical dilation can provide valuable information on whether induction is likely to be successful at that point.