Guest Author - Vanessa Pruitt
Checking your cervix for dilation and effacement is not something that only your doctor or midwife can do. In fact, if you are interested in doing it, it can give you a better perspective when talking to your care provider about your body. For many women, �knowing� their own cervix and observing it's changes is very empowering. Some have even chose to decline cervical checks by their care provider and opted to check their cervix personally during pregnancy and even labor.
Preparing
To begin, wash your hands with a mild soap. There are a couple of different positions that work well for checking your cervix. The first is to squat on the floor, bracing yourself with one hand while reaching down with your other hand. It can be hard to reach around your belly in this position if you are very pregnant. The easiest way to check your cervix during pregnancy is either sitting on the toilet, or squatting on the toilet with one foot on the toilet seat and one foot planted firmly on the floor. Insert your index and middle fingers together. You may use a lubricant for comfort if you wish.
Finding Your Cervix
The first thing you will want to do is locate your cervix. It helps if you have ever felt your cervix when you were not pregnant. If you have, you will know that when you are not pregnant, your cervix feels sort of like the tip of your nose. When you are pregnant, your cervix will feel more like a thick, round doughnut or a pair of puckered lips. It can sometimes be located pretty far up, so it may take you some time at first to locate it yourself. I recommend checking your cervix a couple of times before your last month of pregnancy so that you know what it feels like before it begins making changes.
Don't get too discouraged if you can not find or reach your cervix. If you have tried a few times in mid-pregnancy, try again in your last month. Your cervix may change enough for you to feel it just days before labor. If all else fails, you will usually be able to feel it with no trouble at the beginning of active labor.
Observing Changes
After you have located your cervix, the first thing you will want to observe is whether your cervix is posterior (far back) or anterior (moving forward and easy to reach). As mentioned, you may have a cervix that is very hard to reach or one that is easily reached. Observe the position of your cervix each time you check. Your cervix moving forward is an excellent sign and can signal that the baby is lower and engaging in the pelvis for delivery.
Next you will check to see if your cervix is dilated and by how much. Cervical dilation is measured in centimeters from 0 to 10 centimeters dilated. Use a ruler to practice judging dilation with your fingers. Eventually, you will be able to look at your fingers and get a pretty accurate guess of dilation. You can tell if your cervix is dilating if you can fit a fingertip or more inside the center of your cervix.
Lastly, if your cervix is slightly dilated you can check for effacement. Effacement is when your cervix thins out. This is measured in percentages, 0% meaning that it is not effaced and 100% meaning it is completely effaced or �gone�. You can check the effacement of your cervix be inserting your fingers inside and feeling how thick your cervix is from the opening to the top. Remember that the most important thing to note in all of your cervical checks is change. This will help you to build confidence in your body's ability to ready itself for the birth of your baby.
Your husband can also learn how to check your cervix. You may ask him if you can not reach your cervix on your own. Some men find it empowering and extremely educational as well, but don't pressure him if he doesn't wish to learn.
Do not check your cervix if your bag of waters has broken, because of the risk of infection.
