Back Pain During Labor: Cervical Position In Pregnant Women

Back pain is common during the pregnancy. But a severe and achy back is also a common symptom during the labor. A woman may get crampy feeling just like her pre period days. As she gets labor pain, her back pain would also increase in the intensity. The added pain during the labor is due to change in her cervical position. While pregnant woman will go through following four stages of labor:


Stage 1: It marks the beginning of labor to full cervix dilation

Stage 2: It marks full cervix dilation to the delivery

Stage 3: It marks delivery of baby to expulsion of placenta

Stage 4: It marks expulsion of placenta to afterbirth recovery


Cervix of a woman is a point where the vagina and the womb meet. It is the joining line of the vagina and the uterus. Uterus is the place where the implantation of the baby takes place. Cervical dilation is the term used for the preparation for opening of cervix for child birth.


A baby just before the labor is quite large to come out from the mother's womb. The vagina and the cervix in normal state doesn't have the opening more than 2-4 cm. While the baby develops inside the uterus, the cervix also tends to get prepared for delivery of the baby from the womb. It lowers down a bit first and then becomes rigid and go back to the normal position to hold the baby.


While the baby develops inside the womb, the uterine contractions make the cervix prepared for stretching of up to ten centimeters. This is called the complete dilation of cervix and the baby comes out normally. In this process the cervical lines also thin down which is called effacement. During dilation, cervix forms a mucus membrane and also remain tighten to hold the baby preventing from premature birth.


While in some abnormal cases, the cervix becomes weak and loosens which increase the risk of premature birth of the baby. If this condition happens the cervix opens up early and the delivery of the baby happens before time. It is a very critical condition. To stop such premature birth or to make the cervix strong to hold the baby till it completes the period in the mother’s womb, doctors perform a stitching act called cerclage to prevent the baby from coming out.


Thus the delivery time depends largely on the cervical position, while a pregnant woman goes through labor.