Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner. Dilatation means that the cervix opens. As labor nears, the cervix may start to thin or stretch (efface) and open (dilate). ... But a first-time mother often will not dilate until active labor starts.

What does it mean to be 80% effaced?

What Does It Mean to Be 80 Percent Effaced? If you're 80 percent effaced, your cervix is 80 percent thinned and you're nearing 100 percent effacement.

Can you be 100% effaced and not in labor?

This probably isn't the answer you want to hear, but you can be varying degrees of dilated or effaced for several days — or even weeks — before true labor begins. Alternatively, you might not be dilated or effaced at all and still go into labor within hours.