Was Du auf dieser Seite findest:
- What is the cervix?
- How can you feel your cervix?
- What does the cervix tell you about your fertility?
- How does the cervix change during the cycle?
- How do you record the status of your cervix with cyclotest mySense?
- Cervical insufficiency (cervical weakness, incompetent cervix)
- All the important questions about the cervix
What is the cervix?
The cervix uteri is the connection between the uterus and the vagina. The neck of the uterus is bounded by two ring-shaped openings: the internal os, which is the opening into the uterus, and the external os, which is the opening into the vagina.1 In this article, ‘cervix’ always refers to the latter, since observing the external opening is considered a reliable, analysable ovulation symptom in a woman’s cycle.Functions of the cervix
The cervix is, so to speak, the gatekeeper of the uterus. By opening or contracting, it determines when sperm may travel on through the cervical canal to the uterus and the egg, and when they may not. Since this permeability changes cyclically, observing the cervix provides relevant information about your fertility status. Self-examination of the position, firmness and opening of the cervix in the vagina is therefore one way of applying the symptothermal method of NFP (natural family planning).1
The narrow opening of the cervix uteri can not only keep sperm out, it also prevents germs from ascending into the uterus and thus protects against possible infections. During childbirth, the cervix becomes softer under the influence of a hormone. It opens during labour until the cervical dilation has reached about 10 cm as the baby is born.
Cervix categories: opening, position & firmness
Three cervix categories can be distinguished: opening, position and firmness.
How can you feel your cervix?
The cervix is examined mostly by women who have difficulty observing their cervical mucus. They can examine the cervix instead and note down the firmness, opening and position of the cervix.
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How do you observe the cervix?
The cervix sits at the end of the neck of the uterus or, seen from the other side, at the end of the vagina, and can be felt with your fingers. This naturally takes a little practice. When you have reached the end of the vagina with your fingers and cannot go any further, you have reached your goal. For feeling it for the first time, it is best to start right after your period, as the cervix protrudes a little further into the vagina at this time and is therefore easier to feel. At this point it feels like a hard bump, roughly comparable to the tip of your nose, but with a slight dimple in the middle. Shortly before the day of ovulation, it can become much more difficult to feel, as it then moves upwards a little.2Tips for feeling the cervix
What does the cervix tell you about your fertility?
Because the cervix changes its position, its degree of opening and its firmness depending on the fertility phase, the current fertility phase can be read off from it. These signs alone, however, are not enough to reliably determine the fertile days; ideally, you also add the basal body temperature. This can be measured with a basal thermometer.
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The symptothermal method is then applied in the combination of temperature and cervix.1 This method provides special rules for determining the fertile days.
The cervix is …
Analysing the condition of the cervix as a fertility symptom in the female cycle
Note that the individual phases and characteristics of the cervix in the female cycle merge slowly into one another!
How does the cervix change during the cycle?
Depending on the cycle phase, the position, firmness and opening of the cervix change.
Positions and openings of the cervix in the female cycle
The cervix before the period and after menstruation
After menstruation, the cervix sits low; it is hard and closed. At this time, you will notice very little or no cervical mucus when feeling it.1
Closed and low cervix before the period
The cervix in the highly fertile phase
As one of the ovulation symptoms, the cervix also signals the approaching highly fertile phase by moving further and further upwards, making it increasingly difficult to feel, sometimes not at all.
Half-open cervix in a medium position before ovulation
The closer ovulation gets, the harder it is to reach. In this phase it opens more and more and becomes softer.6 You may also notice that the consistency of the mucus secreted is now very thin and watery.1
Open and high cervix during the fertile days around ovulation
The cervix after ovulation
After ovulation, the cervix closes and becomes hard again. Now the cervix uteri is easier to feel again, as it moves downwards. The cervical mucus feels lumpy to the touch and seals the passage for sperm with a plug of mucus.1
How do you record the status of your cervix with cyclotest mySense?
Whether you use our cycle app cyclotest mySense or our cycle computer cyclotest myWay:
Entering the condition of the cervix in the cyclotest mySense app
Our products are designed so that you can not only record your basal body temperature but also enter the current condition of your cervix. You can enter the characteristics hardness, opening and position.
The condition of the cervix is not included in the analysis in the cyclotest mySense app!
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Cervical insufficiency (cervical weakness, incompetent cervix)
In cervical insufficiency, the cervix is shortened and softened. During pregnancy, the cervix opens too early and can thus lead to a premature birth without any labour contractions.3 It can be detected with an ultrasound examination.4
All the important questions about the cervix
What does the cervix feel like?
What the cervix feels like depends on your fertility status, or rather on the cycle phase you are currently in. You can find out here what the cervix feels like on your fertile and infertile days.
When is the cervix open?
The cervix is open during your fertile phase. During childbirth, it opens up to about 10 cm.
What does the cervix look like when you are pregnant?
At the beginning of pregnancy, the cervix is firm and closed. Only when the due date approaches does the cervix become softer.5
How far does the cervix protrude into the vagina?
How far the cervix protrudes into the vagina depends on the cycle phase you are currently in. You can read here how the position of the cervix changes during the cycle.
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