Effacement and dilation question
I had my 36 week ultrasound yesterday. Baby is head down and facing toward my back and I told her to not move. My doctor also did a cervix check for the first time. While I understand what effacement and dilation are, I don't really understand what they say about when the baby might arrive. It seems I'm constantly hearing people say things like "I was dilated to 3 cm for weeks before giving birth." I am 50% effaced, and while I felt better to know that something is happening (I have yet to feel a BH contraction), I'm not sure how this compares to the norm or what it means for the next month and a half of my life. Is there any pattern to effacement and dilation? Should I not worry so much about this? For the record, I'm more worried about having to evict baby at 42 weeks than going into labor tomorrow (which seems awfully unlikely to me.) Anyone remember how they progressed with their first?
~Lisa
momma to DD 12/08 & DS 3/13