what is effaced in pregnancy
The words effacement, being effaced and effacing are terms that you will hear often as you approach your last trimester. These terms are used to describe the process that the cervix prepares itself for delivery and it is measured by percentage.
Prior to pregnancy and into much of the third trimester your cervix is long and thick. As labor nears it begins to shorten and thin out. This action is referred to as effacement. Effacement is generally measured in percentages by doctors and midwives.