They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
A photo of a pregnancy dilation chart has gone viral for the absolute best reason.
Earlier this year, the SVC Birth Center – the only nationally accredited CABC birth center in Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope, and San Fernando Valley – shared a photo of a wooden birthing tool they use to help mums-to-be see how their cervix dilates during labour.
The diagram goes through what the cervical dilation process looks like, centimetre by centimetre. It ended at 10 centimetres, which the SCV Birth Center showed by holding a newborn’s head near the opening.
“Whelp – that’s what 10 centimetres looks like, just perfect for that little head,” they captioned the photo.
Steffanie Christi’an later shared the photo on her own Facebook page, where it quickly went viral.
“This is what 10cm of dilation looks like. This is why we deserve all the things,” she wrote alongside the photo.
Many Facebook users took to the comments to marvel at what the female body can do – while others asked the SVC Birth Center where the tool could be purchased.
It turns out that FromJennifer, a US-based Etsy shop, created the dilation measurement board – and costs €29.50.
The description for the board reads:
“This board functions both as a learning tool and piece of artwork, portraying the cervical dilation process women go through during birth, beginning with one centimeter dilated up to a full ten centimeters.
“For those practicing how to decipher between the different sizes, this board will be a wonderful help. It also is a beautiful representation of birth, pregnancy, and womanhood.”
