# Do you know how many centimeters a woman has to be dilated to give birth? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573 "2014-09-15T16:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/41 "2014-09-16T01:00:25Z")
Centimeters?? Dilated?? Eh? I thought the sucker just slipped out. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/42 "2014-09-16T01:18:25Z")
I’m one of the women who guessed a little high. I’ve never had kids, and wasn’t certain about the correct number. What I vaguely remember coming up on medical dramas would be people saying that a woman was _close_ to being able to deliver because she was at 9 cm. So I was pretty sure it was more than 9 cm, but 10 cm seemed a little small (I held out my hands and went “A baby’s head has got to be about this big…”) so I guessed 12 cm. Since I was off by 2 cm I’m sympathetic to those who didn’t know the correct answer, but **Munch** I do have to wonder why you thought 3 cm was anywhere near large enough. Were you thinking of 3 inches or something? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/43 "2014-09-16T01:23:58Z")
My understanding is that it’s 10. I’m not only male, but also gay so it really has no bearing on my life in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/44 "2014-09-16T02:27:44Z")
as a handy visual aid, a Ritz cracker is about 4 cm and a large bagel is about 10 cm. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/45 "2014-09-16T02:45:42Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > “September.” Nobody else got this? I lol’d. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/46 "2014-09-16T04:36:49Z")
My mother was a newborn nursery nurse, so I grew up hearing lots of things like this. I was really surprised that my wife didn’t know so much of what I thought were “the basics.” Now if my mom had only been an investment banker, I could have learned something a bit more profitable. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/47 "2014-09-16T05:11:56Z")
I’m a guy and don’t have a clue. (Why would I?) ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/48 "2014-09-16T06:25:33Z")
Female and not a clue. I never really watched any of the medical dramas (except House), so never came across it that way. And having no interest in the labour part of reproduction means I have never heard what is the right size. My guess would’ve been around 7cm, based on what I imagine a newborn’s head diameter would be, as the youngest baby I’ve ever seen has been around 2 or 3 months old. So yeah, clueless ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/49 "2014-09-16T10:09:02Z")
10cm. That’s what I was told in antenatal classes, that’s what the Ob checked on during delivery…and then we had to go and have an emergency C-S anyway. So now my brain is filled with another factoid I never actually used…“10cm” is probably displacing my sister’s birthday or where I left my gym locker keys. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/50 "2014-09-16T12:04:35Z")
I guessed high (male) but mainly because I was not clear whether the reference was to radius, diameter or circumference (it’s diameter, right?). ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/51 "2014-09-16T12:34:48Z")
I learned this about a hour before my son was born. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/52 "2014-09-16T16:58:09Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Nobody else got this? I lol’d. Family Feud reference, I take it? I didn’t know until I had my first kid a few months ago. (That is to say, I didn’t know until I attended the birthing classes.) I wouldn’t expect a guy to know unless he’s had kids or has dealt with women giving birth. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/53 "2014-09-16T17:06:06Z")
Larger than his head but smaller than his shoulders, which explains the hollering. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/54 "2014-09-16T17:33:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Larger than his head but smaller than his shoulders, which explains the hollering. Smaller than the head and smaller than the shoulders. Which explains the hollering and the funny smooshy coneheads. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/55 "2014-09-16T19:22:24Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Not me. I’m a 52-year-old [childfree] woman and have never even thought about this before, much less known the answer. I’ve also never changed a diaper, so really not my realm at all. Nearly ditto for me (I@m a bit younger in age). Judging from my olde brother’s fat head I would have guessed at least 10 inches, though. My poor mum. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573/56 "2014-09-16T23:09:45Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I wasn’t responding to you specifically, but to the thread in general. Sorry if it came off that way. :smack: I didn’t think I came across that way, either! I wasn’t upset. You were correct - with my knowledge of ST minutiae, I should have remembered that. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-how-many-centimeters-a-woman-has-to-be-dilated-to-give-birth/698573.md?page=2)