How To Check Your Cervical Position Yourself For Optimal Fertility
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Not everybody can keep track of their ovulation. While for some, their body’s are like clockwork, the ovulation dates may vary for others. Are you tired of looking at your calendar and checking if today’s the day that you are ovulating? Good news is there are more ways to check your fertility which you can do all by yourself. Yes, we are talking about your cervix. Your cervix can give you some answers you need regarding optimal fertility.
Cervix is the one that connects your vagina to the lower portion of the uterus (1). The amazing thing about cervix is it keeps changing to mirror the changes taking place in your reproductive cycle. We bet you didn’t know that, did you? The position and nature of your cervix can tell you a lot, and it’s not just when the baby is due.
In This Article
Why You Should Check Your Cervical Position
Knowing more things about your body is only going to work in your favor. And knowing how to check your cervical position will come in handy when you are trying to get pregnant or figuring out if you are closer to your due date.
We often see the doctors checking the cervix to determine when the baby is going to come out during labor. Your cervix dilates when you are ready to give birth. It expands to create a bigger opening for the passage of the baby. During labor, if your cervix is 10 cm dilated, it means you are ready to push for the baby. Your doctor will be able to check how much the cervix is dilated by inserting one or two fingers into the cervix. The uterine contractions will help dilate the cervix and also shift the baby’s position for birth (2).
Your Cervix During Ovulation
Knowing how to check your cervix will be most beneficial to you when you are trying to conceive. It will help you in tracking your fertility by understanding when you are ovulating. This way, you can time when to engage in lovemaking to increase your chances of getting pregnant. The cervix will be soft, wet, open and high when a woman is ovulating (3).
Can I Rely On the Position Of My Cervix To Confirm Pregnancy?
Yes, doing a cervical check will help you to find out if you are pregnant. But it’s not the only indicator. You can confirm your pregnancy by buying a pregnancy kit from the pharmacy or doing a blood test at the doctor’s clinic. Your cervix shouldn’t be the only factor to confirm the pregnancy as it keeps changing for various reasons at times.
You may be able to notice the changes in your cervix once you are pregnant. Usually, your cervix will be rigid, closed and 3-cm long (4). If you have conceived, your cervix will start to soften (5). The length of your cervix will gradually shorten and become thinner as you get closer to your labor. During labor, your doctor will perform a pelvic exam to check how far your cervix has dilated (6).
How To Perform A Cervical Check
Checking your cervix for the first time might make you nervous. But know that all you need to do is relax and find a comfortable position to get started. It is also best to talk to your doctor about it before doing one yourself. Here’s how you can check the position of your cervix:
Hygiene comes first: Ladies, your hands need to be squeaky clean if you are touching down there. You don’t want to be inviting germs and bacteria to your lady parts, so make sure to wash your hands first. Also, stay away from checking if you are currently dealing with an infection. Contamination from outside will only aggravate things for you down there.
Sit/squat in a comfortable position: Next, you can squat or sit on the toilet or support yourself with one leg over the tub- any position that you find comfortable.
Be gentle and move in: You can use your index or your middle finger to reach in slowly and gently. Slowly slide your finger inside your vaginal opening. Take your time. Continue moving it around as long as you aren’t in pain or any discomfort. If you feel something unusual, you’ve found your cervix!
If you are feeling it for the first time, you might not be able to notice any changes. Remember how it felt the first time and keep documenting the changes to know how it usually feels.
Though checking your cervix is a good option to confirm your pregnancy, it’s better not to rely on it completely. There are chances that you still might be pregnant even if your cervix doesn’t feel any different. So, it’s always better to confirm it by consulting your doctor.
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