The Bishop Score
The Bishop Score is a method to help determine how favorable your body is for an induction. The less favorable, the more likely your induction will fail and thus lead to a cesarean birth. The more favorable your score is the more likely your induction will lead to a vaginal outcome. There are several reasons to induce. This is a question for you and your care provider. But determining how favorable you are is something you should know so you can make an informed decision regarding the likely outcome.
Points you earn / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 /
Dilation (cm) / 0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 /
Effacement (%) / 0-30 / 40-50 / 60-70 / 80 /
Station / -3 / -2 / -1/0 / +1/+2 /
Cervix / firm / medium / soft / /
Cervix Position /posterior/ meidan / anterior/ /
Ask the care provider these questions: How far dilated am i? How effaced? What station is the baby located? How does my cervix feel? Is it soft or firm? Did the provider upon the exam have to reach way back, making it uncomfortable to do the exam? Ask if your cervix is posterior or anterior. Then take that information and give each item a value based on the chart above. The add up your score. This gives you a predictive value for your inductions success.
A predictive value:
0-4 45-50% failure
5-9 10% failure
10-13 1% failure
Understanding your rate of success for induction is just gathering information in order for you to make an informed decision.
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