[h3]Changes in the Position and Firmness of your Cervix[/h3]
Your cervical position is an optional, secondary fertility sign.
It may take a few cycles to notice the changes your cervix experiences throughout your fertility cycle. It is a good idea to check when you know you are fertile as indicated by your cervical fluid and then again when you know you are not fertile (as indicated by your thermal shift in your luteal phase) when you are getting started. With this correlation, you will feel more easily the differences between your fertile and non-fertile times.
When you are approaching ovulation, your cervix will be high and soft (and you may notice that it feels more open also). When you are no longer fertile, your cervix will feel lower, more firm and you may notice that it is more closed. If you are not comfortable checking your cervix or you find the changes difficult to observe, and you are able to observe your cervical fluid easily, checking your cervix is not absolutely essential. If you are comfortable checking your cervix and are able to identify changes, you will benefit from the additional information that will help cross-check your other signs.
[h4]Checking your Cervix[/h4]
If you choose to check your cervical position as an indicator of fertility here are some guidelines:
- To avoid the possibility of infection, always check the cervix with clean hands.
- Check the cervix once a day after menses. You only need to check once a day, unlike cervical fluid which you may check several times a day.
- Check your cervix at the same time every day as it may change throughout the day.
- Use the same position for checking your cervix throughout the cycle as changing positions will change your observation of cervical height.
- Squatting or placing one foot on a stool (or toilet seat) are good positions.
- Relax. (You will be able to more easily relax as you gain more experience).
- Insert one or two fingers into the vagina. At the back of the vagina, you should be able to feel your cervix. If you feel something at the back of your vagina that stops your fingers, then you have found your cervix. If you apply gentle pressure you will notice that it feels smooth, round and firmer that the surrounding vaginal tissues.
- Feel your cervix and make the following observations:
- Is the cervix high or low? (it is more difficult to reach it is high)
- Does the cervix feel soft or firm?
- Does the cervix feel open or closed? (Women who have already had children may notice that the cervix always feels slightly open).
- Does the cervix feel wet or dry?
- Do you feel any bumps on your cervix? (If you feel bumps that do not seem to be related to your fertility pattern, talk to your doctor right away)
- Record observations.
[h4]Recording Cervical Changes[/h4]
Fertility Friend offers three fields on the data entry page that relate to cervical position. You can record the
position, firmness, and
openness of your cervix.
- Position: Your cervical position may be: low, medium or high. Your cervix heightens and becomes harder to reach as you approach your most fertile time. The important thing is to notice how it changes throughout your cycle in relation to your fertility. Observations can be subjective so you need to notice your own unique changes. There are really no rules to apply as you have to notice the changes relatively as they change. This may take a few cycles to really notice.
- Low: Record "low" for your least fertile cervical position. This is the position where it is easiest to feel and reach your cervix.
- Medium: Record "medium" for the position between your lowest and highest.
- High: Record "high" when your cervix is hardest to reach. You may not even be able to reach it. You will notice that it feels more wet, soft and open at this time as well. This is your most fertile cervical position.
- Firmness: Again, the issue is to notice the changes in the texture of your cervix relatively throughout your cycle as it changes. Like your cervical position, it may take a few cycles to notice your own pattern. To get an idea of what you are looking for, check when you know you are fertile (when you have eggwhite cervical fluid) and when you are sure you are not (after ovulation has been confirmed by 3 high temperatures) so that you know what you are looking for. At your least fertile time, both before and after ovulation, your cervix will feel the most hard and firm, a bit like the tip of your nose. As you approach ovulation, your cervix will soften, feeling more like your lips. You can record the firmness of your cervix as Firm, Medium, or Soft.
- Firm: Record "firm" as the most hard and firm texture you experience throughout your cycle. Your cervix will likely also be low and quite easy to reach at this time.
- Medium: Record "medium" when your cervix feels between your most firm and most soft. You may feel this just before you approach your more fertile time before ovulation and after ovulation as well.
- Soft: Record "soft" when your cervix feels the most soft. It will probably feel quite wet and high at this time as well and you may even notice that it also feels open. It may be hard to reach. This is your most fertile cervical texture.
- Openness: Not everyone is able to observe this sign, but you may also notice that your cervix feels more open when you are most fertile. If you are not able to observe this sign (many people are not), simply do not use it. The firmness and position of your cervix should provide enough additional insight into the changes in your cervix to allow you to cross-check your other signs if this is the case. This observation can also be quite subjective because women who have already given birth may notice that their cervix always feels slightly open. Women who have never given birth, may not notice the change at all or may notice that the cervix only opens slightly at their most fertile time. Like your other cervix signs, you should record how your cervix changes relatively throughout your cycle. If you are certain that you can notice the change in the openness of your cervix you should record the following:
- Closed: Record closed when your cervix feels at its most closed, least open position.
- Medium: Record medium when your cervix is slightly open.
- Open: Record open when your cervix feels at its most open position.
