Cervical Position – Additional Sign of Fertility
Checking cervical position is a good way to discover peculiarities of your menstrual cycle and detect ovulation. Regular checking of cervical position will help detect your fertile window without seeking help of fertility doctor.
Checking cervical position is not difficult; however this process needs some practice. Usually, two months of practice (two menstrual cycles) is enough to start differentiating low and high position, closed and open condition and also soft and hard texture.
Starting your cervical examination is recommended right after the last day of menstrual bleeding. To get accurate results it is necessary performing the examination at one and the same time every day. Performing this procedure is contraindicated for women having vaginal infections and inflammation of reproductive organs.
How to check cervical position
The best time to start the procedure is after a shower or bath.
- Wash your hands and make sure the nails are trimmed. This will help avoid inflammation and injuries.
- Choose comfortable position. Squat, sit on toilet bowl or put one leg on the edge of the toilet bowl or bath. Choose the most comfortable position and use it each time you perform cervical examination.
- Gently insert pointer or middle finger into the vagina and feel for the cervix.
During the whole menstrual cycle, cervix undergoes certain changes. It has different positions and texture. With getting a little bit of practice, you will be able to detect and differentiate these changes.
What does cervical position mean?
During monthlies cervix stays in a low position. It is hard and slightly open which lets the blood flow out. Right after menstruation opening to uterus closes. The cervix remains hard and low. Usually it is as hard as a nose tip. Before ovulation cervix becomes softer (usually as soft as your lips) and rises to the top of vagina. With the low position of cervix, you will easily touch it with the finger-cushion, while with the high position you will hardly reach it with the fingertip.
During ovulation, the cervix remains soft and open to allow the sperm get into uterus. Sometimes the cervix rises so high that it seems to disappear. It gets very soft and blends with the walls of vagina, so feeling for it with your finger is virtually impossible. When your cervix is high, open and soft this is the most fertile period for conception.
After ovulation, cervix returns to its usual position. It becomes harder and drops lower. The opening to the uterus will become tightly closed. This happens immediately or within a few hours/days after ovulation.
Within a few cycles of practicing you will easily detect the fertile condition of your cervix. Of course, not all women feel comfortable with this method. Thus, if checking cervical position is not for you, you can chart basal body temperature (BBT) or use commercial ovulation predictor kits.
