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Just wondering what it's supposed to feel like in 2nd tri. I know it should be closed, but high or low? Soft or firm? Is it a bad idea to put a finger up there to check?
Anyone check their cervix during pg?
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Mine's pretty high, pretty firm, and very much facing posterior in early 2nd tri.
Edit: as long as your hands are quite clean and nails aren't too long it's fine to check anytime, so long as the waters aren't broken. Don't do it frequently of course, no point to doing so and it might move germies upward within there.
Edit: as long as your hands are quite clean and nails aren't too long it's fine to check anytime, so long as the waters aren't broken. Don't do it frequently of course, no point to doing so and it might move germies upward within there.
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My fingers are too small. I can't reach mine.
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Funny you ask this, because I just posted a question about this in my ddc a few days ago! I felt mine for the first time since about 10 weeks (now 16) and was alarmed by how soft it is.
I knew it was supposed to be high during pregnancy, but I didn't know it was normal for it to be so soft. One of the ladies who responded said her mw told her that its normal for it to be super soft up until about 20 weeks, which totally made me feel much better.
But I was freaking out a little about how soft it was because I thought it might be an indication of something wrong! I'm not too worried now.
Sadie
I knew it was supposed to be high during pregnancy, but I didn't know it was normal for it to be so soft. One of the ladies who responded said her mw told her that its normal for it to be super soft up until about 20 weeks, which totally made me feel much better.
But I was freaking out a little about how soft it was because I thought it might be an indication of something wrong! I'm not too worried now.
Sadie
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Very cool! Thanks for all the info! I've been scared to "go there," but now I feel armed with the info to know what I'm feeling for. I will have to clip my nails first
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I checked mine daily until about 5 weeks, then every week or so since (I'm 22 weeks now). Up until 14dpo, it was hard and low which is normal for my body. Then it suddenly got soft and high like it always does the day before my period and has stayed that way. Of course I got really scared when it did this since I miscarried my first pregnancy. Luckily, my cervix has stayed that way and baby is just fine.
I checked yesterday and it's soft, but not as soft as when I'm ovulating and I could wedge the very tip of my finger into the opening without pressure or resistance.
Every woman's body is different though
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It looks like you've gotten the same variety of answers as if you'd asked in the TTC forums "what should my cervix feel like when I'm ovulating?"
As for checking, I do it in the shower. Easy to squat down with hands about as clean as they get and also no biggie to wash CM off hands after
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I checked yesterday and it's soft, but not as soft as when I'm ovulating and I could wedge the very tip of my finger into the opening without pressure or resistance.
Every woman's body is different though
As for checking, I do it in the shower. Easy to squat down with hands about as clean as they get and also no biggie to wash CM off hands after
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Everyone's cervix feels different during pregnancy and while it's a great idea to know your body you need to be careful. ALWAYS make sure your hands or your partner's hands are clean. DON'T freak out. If you find something that concerns you, talk to your caregiver. BE HONEST and tell them what you have been doing. DO NOT check your cervix if you are having trouble with bleeding, pain, or pre-term labor. You could make a possibly dangerous situation worse.
I realize that this thread is about mothers feeling their own cervixes, but I just want to add a cautionary note suggesting that mothers NOT allow their doctors or midwives to check their cervixes in the weekly prenatal visits of their last month of pregnancy.
Mainstream-medically-minded doctors and midwives believe that these weekly cervical checks will tell them 1) how soon labor is likely to begin, 2) how well the baby's head will fit in the pelvis during labor, and 3) whether the baby is head down.
However, the truth is that 1) how dilated and effaced the cervix is will NOT accurately predict when or whether labor will start (women can go 3 wks with a cervix dilated 3 cm & 100% effaced, and women can start labor the next day with no dilation/effacement at all), and 2) the pelvis stretches when the baby is being born (yes, the 3 bones of the pelvis are connected by ligaments which are loosened by pregnancy hormones so that they will stretch), so before labor there is no way to predict how much that pelvis will stretch, and 3) there are much safer ways to assess whether the baby is head-down (as in abdominal palpation).
The risk of these weekly cervical checks is that they can set up an inflammation process in the cervix that can weaken the area of the bag which is nearest to the area of inflammation. Then when the bag has weakened enough, it can break the next time that the mother sneezes or coughs or otherwise increases the pressure in the uterus. This inflammation/weakening/breaking process typically takes about two days. The risk of having the bag break as the first step of the labor process is that it increases the likelihood of a deadline of 24 hrs for the birth to happen, which increases the need for pitocin, pain meds, epidurals, forceps, and C-sections, in the usual cascade process of hospital interventions.
I am not sure of whether a mother checking her own cervix in the last month can set up this inflammation process as well. But I would say that it's probably better to err on the side of caution, and that it's probably better to not disrupt that precious cervical mucous plug.
Best wishes,
Joy (RN)
If you want more info on who I am.....
http://home.mindspring.com/~djsnjones/id2.html
Mainstream-medically-minded doctors and midwives believe that these weekly cervical checks will tell them 1) how soon labor is likely to begin, 2) how well the baby's head will fit in the pelvis during labor, and 3) whether the baby is head down.
However, the truth is that 1) how dilated and effaced the cervix is will NOT accurately predict when or whether labor will start (women can go 3 wks with a cervix dilated 3 cm & 100% effaced, and women can start labor the next day with no dilation/effacement at all), and 2) the pelvis stretches when the baby is being born (yes, the 3 bones of the pelvis are connected by ligaments which are loosened by pregnancy hormones so that they will stretch), so before labor there is no way to predict how much that pelvis will stretch, and 3) there are much safer ways to assess whether the baby is head-down (as in abdominal palpation).
The risk of these weekly cervical checks is that they can set up an inflammation process in the cervix that can weaken the area of the bag which is nearest to the area of inflammation. Then when the bag has weakened enough, it can break the next time that the mother sneezes or coughs or otherwise increases the pressure in the uterus. This inflammation/weakening/breaking process typically takes about two days. The risk of having the bag break as the first step of the labor process is that it increases the likelihood of a deadline of 24 hrs for the birth to happen, which increases the need for pitocin, pain meds, epidurals, forceps, and C-sections, in the usual cascade process of hospital interventions.
I am not sure of whether a mother checking her own cervix in the last month can set up this inflammation process as well. But I would say that it's probably better to err on the side of caution, and that it's probably better to not disrupt that precious cervical mucous plug.
Best wishes,
Joy (RN)
If you want more info on who I am.....
http://home.mindspring.com/~djsnjones/id2.html
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