odd cervix question... tmi

Neudorfer

kinda wierd, but... how does the cervix open?  horizontally?  vertically?

 and here comes the tmi, i can see my cervix and i have been able to for weeks (ob said was normal haha) but now i think i can see my mucus plug (yuck) and its hinting that my cervix would open vertically at first- kind of like an eye...

i'm pretty sure i have too much time on my hands today. 

MrsL.inMarch

Are you squatting over a mirror??

Neudorfer

MrsL.inMarch:

Are you squatting over a mirror??

sure am, i'm not afraid of my body one bit. haha. 

MrsL.inMarch

I just have no idea how you could possibly see anything (let alone want to, but that's a whole other thing). I could barely see my knees at the end.

I have no idea how it opens, I'm sure it can vary. 

Neudorfer

MrsL.inMarch:

I just have no idea how you could possibly see anything (let alone want to, but that's a whole other thing). I could barely see my knees at the end.

I have no idea how it opens, I'm sure it can vary. 

haha, well it started off because i was scared- dh and i were having fun together and it hurt which isn't normal for me so i looked and was freaked out by what i saw- called ob, she asked questions, turns out its normal for some women and now its like i opened a can of worms- its all so weird!  whenever it hurts i look to see if anything changed.  half paranoid and half curious i suppose. 

Chrisy-Wyobride

I've been told mine is open 2cm on the outside & closed on the inside so the doc told me it was cone shaped right now--does that help at all?  What does that make it horizontal or verticle?  Maybe a combo of both.  I have no real idea, I never thought much about it until my last 2 internals (by different people) both Docs mentioned this to me...I've been meaning to look it up & see what it means (if anything). 

clyoungsey

Good question, I have no idea...all I can think of is the playtex commericals where it opens like a flower.

Mrs.Teddy

I will try to answer if you don't mind a 2nd trier lurkign a bit

I am a L&D nurse so I can tell you how it feels (you probably shouldn't but it IS physically possible to feel it yourself if your cervix isn't too high but I would worry abot infection etc). If  you close your fist the hinside part has like a small hole, that what a close cervix feels like, a litte dimple and if they say its hard its hard like the end of your chin. When you start to dilate it literally starts to open to form, usually a circular type opening. Now every women & body are different, sometimes one side can start to open a bit more or it can be opening more vertically or horizontally. Usually tho its somewhat of a circular shape. When we say 1cm dilated we can literally fit 1 finger tip comfortably in the opening, sometimes we say a fingertip which would mean not quite 1cm if you can only wedge the finger in. 2cm is 2 fingers, 3cm is if you can just seperate the 2 fingers and so on. We would move our 2 fingers all around the edges of the cervix to see the effacement (to see how thing it is) this can really be different in different area, soemtimes one area thins before the others, we usually go by the thickest part. Often before labour begins the cervix is REALLY high and actually behind the babies head. A lot early labour is bringing the cervix forward & lower. This is why it looks like we are reaching for your tonsils sometimes & why the initial checks can be pretty uncomfortable. If you OB or nurse finds the cervix easily ( you can tell if they are reaching) that is a good sign as it nneds to be forward & lower to start to progress. I hope that was clear. I woudl be glad to answer any other cervix or labour related questions for you ladies! Best of Luck to everyone!

Mrs.Teddy

* This answer is directed towards Chrisy's questions about the internal & external dilation*

Many women who have already had babies have what we call an internal & external os. This can be confusing when assessing dilation esp for a "novice" caregiver. Think of the cervix a bit like a tube. Closest to the outside is one "end" that can start to dilate while the inner one, closer to the baby does not, its all connected. As you labour they will bith continue to dilate, the outer maybe at a faster rate, however the "tube" of cervix will also think (effacement) and they will equal out. It is opening in a circular motion. Not really horizontally or vertically. Does that help at all?

Chrisy-Wyobride

Thanks Mrs. Teddy--that was very helpful (both posts)!  )