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Checking
Your Cervix
While cervical exams provide little useful information the majority of
the time, there may be some instances in which you could benefit from
knowing “what’s going on down there”. This is especially true
if you’re planning a homebirth, particularly if it will be
unassisted. I hope this information is helpful to those
wanting to learn.
As always, safety and sanitation come first. Always wash your
hands thoroughly and trim away any sharp nails. The cervix is
well circulated with blood near the end of pregnancy, thus making it
easier to irritate or scratch if you are not careful.
Also, vaginal exams are most successfully performed with the index and
middle finger. Be mindful of your thumb and keep it well out
of the way.
Finding Your Cervix
It will be much easier for you to find your cervix if you were charting
your fertility signs prior to your pregnancy. When you’re not
pregnant, your cervix will have a hard consistency like the tip of your
nose. It is similar to a soft, full donut complete
with a “hole” (the “os” of the cervix, or the part that dilates and
effaces) in the middle. It will be closed and tight when not
dilated. However, if you’ve already had a baby, even by
c-section, then the cervix never quite closes completely again.
When pregnant, your cervix will feel soft, open and warm with a mushier
texture, much like your lips.
It’s quite possible that if you are attempting to check your own
cervix, you won’t be able to reach or find it yourself. You
may have to enlist the help of your birth companion in this task.
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