Q&A
Fertility Awareness: Checking Cervical Position
Question:
I've heard that checking cervical position is helpful for tracking my fertility cycle. How do I go about determining the position of my cervix?
Monitoring your cervical position helps give you essential information on your fertility cycle, especially if you're trying to have a baby. You keep track of the cervical entrance (open/closed), position (high/low) and how the cervix feels (soft/firm) and (wet/dry), and from these observations, you can gauge your fertility.
Wash your hands prior to checking your cervix, then gently insert one or two fingers into your vagina. (Many women find it easier to check their cervix while they're sitting on the toilet.) You should be able to feel your cervix as you reach back. It helps to check your cervical position around the same day each day and chart down your fertility signs.
Here's what to look out for:
In the first half of your menstrual cycle, your cervix is lower in your vagina and easily reached by your fingertip. You will notice that your cervix feels firm (like the tip of your nose) and dry, and the cervical opening is at its smallest (closed).
Around the time of ovulation, the cervix feels soft (like your lips) and moist, and the entrance of your cervix opens and becomes very receptive to sperm, allowing them to more easily make their way to meet the waiting egg. This is the time when you're considered very fertile.
Then, within a few days following ovulation, the cervix becomes firm and closed again.
Together with checking your cervical mucus and recording your basal body temperature, you will be better able to determine when ovulation has occurred.
