Guide to Checking Your Cervical Position

The female body is a complex system. Conception depends on a carefully balanced orchestra of hormones and the female reproductive system. There are many ways to predict when your most fertile time is. One way is by checking the position of your cervix.

Your cervix is the entrance way to the uterus. It is located in the back of your vagina. It can feel hard like the tip of your nose or soft like you lips. It can be of varying heights as well; low, medium and high. It is also important to note that it can appear open or closed. However, if you have given birth vaginally before, it is possible that it will always appear slightly open.

When you are infertile, you cervix will appear low, closed and hard like your nose. As you journey towards the middle of your cycle, it will rise and get soft like your lips. During ovulation is will appear soft, high, open and wet (SHOW). This allows for the sperm to enter into the uterus to join with the egg.

The wet sensation is caused by a rise in estrogen. It will cause an increase in cervical mucus. At this time it should appear as egg whites and be abundant in nature. However, when trying to conceive, it can be difficult to distinguish between cervical mucus and semen. One way to tell what it is would be to drop it in a glass of cold water. Cervical mucus will ball up and sink. Semen will float and dissipate.

Checking your cervix can be one way to monitor your fertility during the cycle. Always remember to wash your hands and keep your nails trimmed so as not to nick the delicate skin. Since your cervix height will vary throughout the day, make sure to check it at the same time each day preferably in the same position.

Some people check their cervix after ovulation in hopes of predicting whether pregnancy occurred. While it is true that the cervix will become high and soft as an indicator of pregnancy, the point in time that this occurs varies with every woman. So it may not rise until after you are confirmed pregnant.

It is a good idea not to check your cervix after ovulation. It is not a reliable indicator of pregnancy and it invites bacteria. Messing around with your cervix when you are pregnant can cause complications with your pregnancy.

Checking your cervix can be a valuable addition to your ovulation prediction methods. However, it is best used in conjunction with other natural family planning methods.