I was just going to make a post on this! Here is my reply to my thread from before where people were asking re: effacement and dilation.
This info does NOT apply if you think your waters broke - do not stick anything in your vagina in that situation!
Before I check, I wash my hands, then use Purell, and then some lube. Your cervix will be on the top of your vagina, up towards the back of the baby's head. Sometimes the baby will swivel or move when he/she feels you touching his head through the vaginal wall - it freaked me out a bit the first time I felt that, so just wanted to warn you! I am horrible about figuring out baby's station though, but you can tell if the baby has moved up or down if you check more than once.
Dilation - I measured my fingers (I have widish fingers) and so 3 fingers in is exactly 5cm on me. Doctors usually use 1 finger, and then the index and next finger for figuring dilation after that and guesstimate how far apart the fingers can go, so 1 finger to the baby's head (or butt) is 1ish cm, 2 fingers is 2ish (unless you have bigger fingers, I err on the small side of cm measuring because of this and because finger size varies). 2 a fingerswidth apart is 3cm and so on. It is way easier to just measure your fingers and do it that way though, as your fingers may be smaller or bigger. Also dilation is measured by how many fingers you can fit all the way to the baby's head or butt.
Effacement - your cervix starts out at roughly 4cm long, or your index finger to the 2nd knuckle. If you can fit your index in all the way and you are to the first knuckle, then you are roughly 50% effaced. If you cannot feel any lip of cervix at all, but just a hole, you are all the way effaced.
Anterior/Posterior Cervix - how anterior or posterior your cervix is can be a sign too. The cervix gets VERY posterior during pregnancy and starts to come down during labor to a more anterior position. If you really have to reach and/or can't find your cervix at all, you are more than likely pretty posterior. The easier it is to find, the more anterior it is.
Mucous Plug and/or spotting after - Chances are if you check your cervix, you *may* have some spotting and what looks like your plug afterward. Don't automatically assume that this is bloody show and you are going into labor within a few days - the cervix is very sensitive at this point and it does NOT take a lot to make it bleed a bit. Also, your mucous plug will regenerate if you are not going into labor soon (usually within 24 hours), and sometimes even if you are! Sex does the same thing, especially if it is rougher sex (although at this point, any sex would be nice! I am so ready for non-pregnant sex...). Just wanted to warn you all on that one so that you aren't checking at say 36 weeks and freaking out with "bloody show" that day or the next.
Waters Breaking - if you have had a child before and your waters broke early on, you may want to be extra careful if you check, because you *can* accidentally break your waters especially if you are prone to not so tough bags of waters. For some reason, mine is made out of Krypton :-D I cut my fingernails down so there was not as much of a risk of accidentally puncturing it.
Contractions After - Occasionally, you may have some contractions after, if you have been more invasive or your cervix is especially sensitive at that point. I try to do an in and out and not feel around too much to limit this. If you are prone to braxton hicks, be forewarned that checking has the potential to make them more noticeable/painful. I would also not check too early because you could possibly send yourself into labor.
Anyone have any more info? Maybe this can be a sticky.
I was just wondering for this time around in case I do get curious enough to check.
I tried it with my pointer finger and my middle finger, I couldn't find it that way either. I'm so aggravated!
: not sure.
I may try this tonight to see if all my contractions are getting me anywhere
