HESI Maternity Case Study Practice Test

In labor, the cervix changes through stages: latent, active, and transition. The active stage is when cervical dilation accelerates from about 4 cm to roughly 7 cm, with stronger, more regular contractions that help open the cervix more quickly. This is why the range 4–7 cm is the typical span for the active phase. Beyond this, from about 7 to 10 cm, the process enters the transition phase, leading toward full dilation at 10 cm and the pushing stage. So, 0–3 cm corresponds to the latent phase, 8–10 cm is late active/transition, and 10 cm is full dilation.