Feeling the cervix offers clues regarding early pregnancy, but it is not a sure way to detect pregnancy. Cervical changes may be subtle, and not all women will be familiar enough with their cervix to pick up on the changes. The only guaranteed way to check for pregnancy is with a pregnancy test.
If you've conceived, the cervix will remain in a higher position. The second noticeable change is in the feel of the cervix. If you haven't conceived, your cervix will feel firm before your period, like an unripened fruit. If you are pregnant, your cervix will feel soft .
When pregnancy occurs, the cervix will rise up and become soft, yet the uterine is will remain tightly closed. This occurs at different times for different people– as early as 12 days after ovulation or well after the pregnancy has been confirmed by a home pregnancy test or doctor.
In early pregnancy, your cervix will become soft and high in your vagina. This is one of the first things that happens after fertilization. Your cervix will then harden but stay high. As your pregnancy progresses, the cervix will again get softer, which helps allow for childbirth.
“During early pregnancy, the cervix is really firm and closed, pointing to the back of the vagina,” explains Nicola Strydom, a registered midwife in Calgary.
First you need to be able to locate it. The cervix is about 3-6 inches inside your vagina and generally feels like a small donut with a tiny hole in the centre.
The texture of the cervix also changes in early pregnancy due to increased blood flow. If the woman has not conceived, the cervix will feel firm to the touch, like the tip of a nose. If she has conceived, the cervix will feel softer, more closely resembling the lips.
You can tell if your cervix is high or low by inserting one or two fingers into the vagina and feeling for the cervix. If you can reach the cervix by your first knuckle, your cervix is low. If you can reach it by or beyond the second knuckle of your finger, your cervix is average height or high.
Incompetent cervix occurs when your cervix opens, weakens or shortens too early in pregnancy. It's also known as cervical insufficiency. It can cause problems including miscarriage (loss of the pregnancy) and premature birth (being born before 37 weeks of pregnancy).
When the cervix is in a low position, you may feel your cervix with your finger inserted in the vagina up to the first knuckle. When the cervix is in a high position, you may feel your cervix with your finger inserted in the vagina past your second knuckle, or you may not be able to feel it at all.
Texture. The texture of the cervix also changes in early pregnancy due to increased blood flow. If the woman has not conceived, the cervix will feel firm to the touch, like the tip of a nose. If she has conceived, the cervix will feel softer, more closely resembling the lips.
The cervix also begins to soften. If you were to feel your cervix when pregnant, it would feel like puckered lips. During labor, your cervix will become so soft and thin that you won't be able to feel it at all.
Your cervix looks and feels different when it's in the fertile stage of your menstrual cycle. You can use this information to detect ovulation. It's easier than you may think. When your cervix is high, soft and open, you are getting closer to ovulation.
Cervix characteristics during follicular phase
During the follicular phase, your body is preparing the uterine lining for a fertilized egg to attach. Estrogen levels are low now, so your cervix usually feels firmer. Estrogen will make it feel softer as your menstrual cycle progresses.
A high cervix means that your uterus is placed "high" in the abdominal/pelvic cavity — usually it is suspended just above the vaginal canal.