The Labor Mama

This is definitely not a perfect science.

But honestly? Birth isn’t a perfect science either. It ebbs and flows, changes directions, surprises us, and refuses to follow “rules.” So it makes sense that this isn’t an exact measurement either.

Sometimes the purple line is really obvious. Other times it’s faint and harder to spot. That’s why it can be helpful to know what things look like before labor, so you have a better idea of what changes you’re actually seeing.

Some estimates suggest the purple line shows up in about 90% of labors, and I’ve seen it plenty of times while caring for laboring moms. Research has found decent-ish correlation too.

That said, it’s not a direct “this many centimeters equals this much dilation” kind of thing. Just like a cervical check, it can give you a loose snapshot of what’s happening right now, but it can’t tell you what’s coming next or when baby will arrive.

And unlike a cervical exam, it can’t tell you about station, effacement, cervical position, or cervical consistency—all pieces that can sometimes add more context to the bigger picture.

So is it perfect? Nope.

Is it another interesting tool that might give you some information during labor?

Absolutely.

Have you seen it in your own labor? Or had someone point it out to you?

Things I didn’t know when I became a mom: That swaddling my baby would make people call me a bad mom.

Who knew?

But I love it - safely - and utilized it with all my kids. We all utilized it at work too and 99 times out of 100, it helps calm those little squishes.

Comment SBLANKET for that fav swaddle too. LOVE that thing!

Team swaddle or no? And please, don’t yell at me.