Can you start to Dilate without contractions?

I didn’t have any when pregnant with my son at least none that I felt. I was dilated to about a 2 around 39weeks.

I didn’t start feeling consistent contractions until I was 4cm. Before that I barely felt any cramping, if anything I felt more lower back pain

Everyone’s body is different but those early stages of dilating can take hours to days to even weeks to happen so you may not necessarily feel them that early on

I gave birth at 38+4! You got this mama!

Contractions of the uterus is what makes dilation happen. One can’t exist without the other. Even if you’re dilated a tiny amount, it means you’ve experienced contractions but just might not have felt them.

Absolutely. I was 1.5 dialated this time at 37 weeks and only a sporadic Braxton hicks here and there but with my first I was also 1cm at 37 weeks and had no contractions prior to that. They arent really the same. Sex helps you start to dialate too!

Just reading this I got a contraction!
Is this your first? Maybe you had them just haven’t noticed

Sorry your nurse was not very nice, they should be more considerate you are already going tru a lot

I just had my 38 week appointment and they had me do fetal monitoring because I’m over 35. The monitors actually showed me contracting about every 6 minutes, but I couldn’t even feel them. They showed me my stomach was getting hard during them.

I am almost 2 cm and 70% effaced. I opted to do the cervix checks because women in my family tend to dilate and efface early and then have lightning fast labors so I wanted the information.

Yes. 5 days ago I was 2cm and only thing I’ve felt so far is a tight belly here and there… maybe that’s what that is. 🤷‍♀️ I felt even less with my first baby until I was in active labor.