Question: what does it mean to be 2 cm dilated and 70 effaced?
Answer: "Dilated" refers to how open the cervix is. ... "Effacement" refers to the thinning out of the cervix. 70% effaced means that the cervix is about 70% "thinned out". If a woman has never had a baby before, her cervix usually effaces first, then starts to dilate once it's thin.