Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeCalculationMeaningInduction
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
Calculation
Meaning
Induction
Near the end of yourpregnancy, your healthcare provider might start referencing something called a Bishop score. This score is a system created to assess how your body is preparing forlaborand delivery.
Keep reading to learn more about the purpose of the bishop score, how it is calculated, and what the score means.
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The score was named after its creator, Dr. Edward Bishop, who developed the criteria in 1964 to help predict labor success after being inducing.
In the days and weeks leading up to childbirth, your body starts to prepare for labor and delivery. These signs help to show if your body is prepared for a vaginal delivery.
The use of the Bishop score is limited in women withplacenta previa(where the placenta covers the cervix) or with preterm rupture of membranes.
How Is the Bishop Score Calculated?
Cervical Dilation
Cervical exams are usually done in the last few weeks leading up to your expected delivery date to estimate how far your cervix has opened.
Some women won’t experience any dilation of their cervix before labor, while others may be dilated one to two centimeters for weeks before labor begins.
Your healthcare provider will score your cervical dilation on a scale of zero to three points for the Bishop score.
What Is Dilation in Pregnancy?
Effacement
The effacement is assessed during a digital exam and given a score between zero to three points.
What Is Cervical Effacement?
Station
Based on the fetal head position, your healthcare provider will rate this category from zero to three points.
Cervical Position
Cervical position is based on a rating scale from zero to two points.
Cervical Consistency
The consistency of the cervix is assessed during the digital exam to see how soft or firm the cervix feels.
The cervix softens as the body prepares for labor and typically is softer in people who have had previous pregnancies. It’s given a score between zero and two points.
What Does the Score Mean?
The points add up to give you a score between zero and 13. The higher the score, the more likely you are to have a vaginal delivery if induced. Here are specific Bishop score ranges and their meaning:
Your healthcare provider may recommend inducing labor if you don’t go into labor within a couple of weeks of your expected due date. There are other reasons your practitioner may recommend induction, but the most common is being late or post-term—41 to 42 weeks pregnant.
You and your healthcare provider will discuss if inducing is the best option for you based on:
A Word From Verywell
The Bishop score is just one tool that your healthcare team will use to assess your cervix’s readiness for labor and the likelihood of successful vaginal delivery. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have specific questions about your Bishop score and if inducing is a good option for you.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Inducing labor.Marconi AM.Recent advances in the induction of labor.F1000Res. 2019;8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1829. Published 2019 Oct 30. doi:10.12688/f1000research.17587.1
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Inducing labor.Marconi AM.Recent advances in the induction of labor.F1000Res. 2019;8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1829. Published 2019 Oct 30. doi:10.12688/f1000research.17587.1
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Inducing labor.Marconi AM.Recent advances in the induction of labor.F1000Res. 2019;8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1829. Published 2019 Oct 30. doi:10.12688/f1000research.17587.1
MedlinePlus.Inducing labor.
Marconi AM.Recent advances in the induction of labor.F1000Res. 2019;8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1829. Published 2019 Oct 30. doi:10.12688/f1000research.17587.1
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