What is a cervical lip and what do we do about it?

If at some point in labor you have a cervical check and they tell you that you have a lip of the cervix, ask where it is! If you know where it is, you can do something about it.

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As the cervix gets near full dilation, sometimes there will be a bit of cervix on one side that is still present, while not on the other side. This is called a cervical lip. Most commonly, this shows up as an anterior lip, which refers to the area of the cervix closer to your pubic bone. This may be caused for a variety of reasons, including uneven pressure from baby on the cervix or a not-so-solid engagement.

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If you have a cervical lip, all you have to do is use positioning to your advantage. Wherever the lip is located, put your baby’s head on it! For example, if there is an anterior lip, try spending some time in a supported hands and knees position. If there is a left cervical lip, try a left-side lying position with a peanut ball between your legs. And so on and so forth. Knowledge is power and so is positioning when it comes to labor ❤️