What is my bishop’s score?

As you approach your "due date" the anxiety may start to loom. I remember the feeling so clearly,the possibility of medical induction looming over you. While a medical induction can be a very positive experience for many it is a far cry from the initial birth preferences they had once discussed.

If only there was some way to assess your body's readiness for birth and help you and your care provider make an informed decision around the topic of induction and which method to choose.

Enter the Bishops score!

The Bishop Score (also known as Pelvic Score) is the most commonly used method to rate the readiness of the cervix for induction of labor. The Bishop Score gives points to 5 measurements of the pelvic examination dilation, effacement of the cervix, station of the fetus, consistency of the cervix, and position of the cervix.

The Bishop’s score was originally developed to predict the likelihood of a woman   entering labor naturally in the near future. A woman with a low score of 1  would not expected go into  labor  for about 3 weeks. A woman with a higher score score of 10  could  be expected to go into labor within a few days. 

The Bishop’s score was originally developed to predict the likelihood of a woman   entering labor naturally in the near future. A woman with a low score of 1  would not expected go into  labor  for about 3 weeks. A woman with a higher score score of 10  could  be expected to go into labor within a few days. 

Although the Bishop’s score was originally used to evaluate the likelihood of vaginal delivery in women who have  given birth before.

 If the Bishop score is 8 or greater the chances of having a vaginal delivery are good and the cervix is said to be favorable or "ripe" for induction.   If the Bishop score is 6 or less  the chances of having a vaginal  delivery are low and the cervix is said to be unfavorable or "unripe" for induction.

While your cervix may not change much until surges begin this assessment can give you a good indication of your body's readiness for birth if your care provider is talking about the possibility of an induction.

I have a free Bishops score guide on my website all you need to do is log in and go to the downloads section. Make sure you print it out and bring to your next appointment so you can discuss with your care provider.