Posterior cervix anyone ?

[TTC LADY]

had an internal today and mw commented that my cervix was at the back as she really had to push her fingers in to find it (sorry TMI), her English is not great but what I think she meant is that it's posterior instead of anterior.

She also told me I'm about 70 % effaced and 1cm dilated.

Does anyone else have a posterior cervix, what does this mean for labour. Seeing my OB on weds so will also ask her.

 

[Maffie]

I'm watching this with interest as I know my cervix tips backwards so they found checking my cervix more difficult. I had to sit on my fist to tilt my pelvis for them to get a better view.

 

[MummyJo]

I've done a fair bit of research into this myself and the most useful thing I found was:

A common question is about posterior cervices.

Cervices (plural of cervix) are mobile in the vagina. They move from front to back, side to side and round and round. Non-pregnant, they tend to stay in the same neighborhood, but in pregnancy, the head's depth can bring the cervix front and center, or the head can come down while the cervix is still posterior (facing more towards the back of the vagina).

When we do a vaginal exam and find a cervix posterior, it means we feel the baby's head first and have to either reach around the head to find the cervical os or sometimes we "walk" the cervix up with our fingers.

One major thing a woman can do to bring her cervix more forward for an exam is to sit on her fists. I have women make a fist and then, keeping them upright, put them under her hips. That position almost always works wonders for finding a posterior cervix. Not always though.

When a woman is in labor, the uterus contracting brings the cervix forward - where it needs to be for the baby to come out. If a woman is having vaginal exams (or doing them herself), it's a pretty good indication of active labor, whether the cervix is anterior (nearer the front) or posterior. Anterior would signal active labor; posterior usually means there's some work still do to. Of course, there are always exceptions! But generally, this is the case.

Before labor, having an anterior or posterior labor has zero indication of anything. Your provider might say it's a great sign for it to be anterior, but I've seen many a posterior cervix in early labor bring a baby out a few hours after that exam. An anterior cervix can take its own sweet time dilating. Before active labor, I'd not give any credence to where the cervix is at all.

As far as I can tell, having the cervix move from posterior to anterior isn't any more work or cause any more pain during labor. Dilating is enough of an attention-getter!

One more point: If people keep their hands out of your vagina, they wouldn't know where your cervix is and it wouldn't matter one iota. The baby comes out. Really.

Everywhere I looked has said pretty much the same thing but this is the most detailed and easy to understand. I hope it helps and puts your mind at rest.
xx

 

[MrsO29]

I know mine is tilted then tilted again, can't remember the medical term.
It means my smears have always been really sore.
I know mine didn't correct itself during labour and my daughter got stuck, but they got her out eventually.
Also when I had a mmc at 12 weeks, the sac got stuck too and had to be removed by forceps.

I asked my m/w last week if this baby was going to get stuck, and she said to ask the consultant who I am seeing in a few weeks, but that probably nothing would be done about it.

 

[augustbaby09]

I saw midwife today at 41+3 for a sweep and she said where my baby head has dropped down so far and is literally waiting to push out - it has meant the cervix has been pushed back slightly - so she was unable to tell me if i was dilated or not and to do a successful sweep.She managed to slightly feel though and have a prod but that was it.So she said its good baby head is so low but its jsut shame she oculdnt fully get in there. xx

She said because baby head is so low it may mean when i get contractions the stages will go quicker rather then slow.But who knows..

 

[bb20]

Having a posterior cervix for me meant not progressing into labour.At 41wks3days, after countless (excruciatingly painful) sweeps and three gels to induce labour my cervix was still too posterior!! I spent 3days in hospital trying to be induced and not a single change! So I have to disagree with mummyjo, baby won't always come naturally xx

 

[shambaby]

I don't think mummyjo was saying baby will always come naturally - of course not all do - just that a posterior cervix prior to labour is totally normal and doesn't mean anything in terms of when / how labour will happen, so nothing to worry about.

 

[annaki]

bb20..I had the same experience as you it seems. Sweep at 41 weeks - unable to do as cervix too posterior. Induced at 41+6 after 2 pessarys cervix still posterior and unable to assess. Ended up having emergency c-section as labour unable to be induced. Feel like my anatomy failed me.

 

[Katteh]

Mine was very posterior at 40+3 and midwife couldnt do a sweep as it was too far back and closed, then 3 days later I went into labour on my own, so yes it's not a good sign, but things do change xx