Repost from 2nd tri...TMI Cervix Question

DANIELLE LORRAINE · November 2009

I'm still 2nd tri, but maybe you ladies can help......

I'm not normally one to post tmi questions on here, but MW is out of town, this isn't an emergency and I don't want to bother her. Google hasn't helped much either.

I was "cleaning" and examining last night in the shower and noticed that my cervix is so much softer than it used to be. It's also more open now than ever before. What concerns me though, is that on one side of the outer part there is a rough patch... kind of like sand paper. Strange? Perhaps. The other side of my cervix feels fine. I've never felt this before and I've never had an abnormal pap. Just wondering if any other ladies out there have experience this.

Thanks in advance and sorry if it's tmi.

sarahmae8 · November 2009

I honestly don't know as I am not one to check myself. I would ask your MW and if you are not feeling any contractions,pain or bleeding then I am sure everything is fine.

MsMoseley · November 2009

DANIELLE LORRAINE:
I'm still 2nd tri, but maybe you ladies can help......
I'm not normally one to post tmi questions on here, but MW is out of town, this isn't an emergency and I don't want to bother her. Google hasn't helped much either.
I was "cleaning" and examining last night in the shower and noticed that my cervix is so much softer than it used to be. It's also more open now than ever before. What concerns me though, is that on one side of the outer part there is a rough patch... kind of like sand paper. Strange? Perhaps. The other side of my cervix feels fine. I've never felt this before and I've never had an abnormal pap. Just wondering if any other ladies out there have experience this.
Thanks in advance and sorry if it's tmi.

First of all you should not be examining yourself, period. Let alone at this stage in your pregnancy. You could be irritating your cervix. I would leave that up to my midwife when the time is right.

Are you a trained OB or midwife yourself?..otherwise I dont know why or how you would even begin to think your qualified to do that, or even try and diagnose yourself.

adcffaa · November 2009

I agree with everything MsMoseley said...

t_igiveit2weeks · November 2009

I'm one to totally admit that I touch myself often, but I don't even think my fingers are long enough to make it to my cervix. I've never it tried and I probably won't either.

Mrs.tlcS · November 2009

1. Stop giving yourself internal examinations. It is unnecessary, and possibly harmful.

2. Your MW will have someone else on call for her if you have concerns about your pregnancy or your body. Please call them for advice.

3. Stop giving yourself internal examinations.

jordans_wife · November 2009

good god sister! leave that for the pros! yikes.

itkatydid@gmail.com · November 2009

Dude... you felt your own cervix? How?? I feel like my OB was putting her entire arm in there at my first internal?!?!

I would think you are probably fine but you are also introducing bacteria into your vagina and on the rare case you are actually touching your cervix and it is dilating at 26 weeks I would say you are putting yourself at risk. Leave the internals to the professionals.

HoleyStory · November 2009

I'm thinking that you need to keep your fingers out of our vaginal/cervix area. Checking yourself when you're only 26 weeks is a good way to get an irritated cervix and maybe an infection(even if you did it in the shower). Infections and irritated cervixs can cause early labor and I don't think you want that.

Now for an answer to your question, if you're really concerned, call your OB/MW. Your cervix can start softening this early.

madameprimm · November 2009

Unless you have some sort of super filter attached to your shower, the water coming out of there is not sterilized.

skylined21 · November 2009

Why in the world are you shoving you fingers so far in your vag that you can feel your cervix? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?! WTF is wrong with you?

TXTwisterBabe · November 2009

MsMoseley:
DANIELLE LORRAINE:
I'm still 2nd tri, but maybe you ladies can help......
I'm not normally one to post tmi questions on here, but MW is out of town, this isn't an emergency and I don't want to bother her. Google hasn't helped much either.
I was "cleaning" and examining last night in the shower and noticed that my cervix is so much softer than it used to be. It's also more open now than ever before. What concerns me though, is that on one side of the outer part there is a rough patch... kind of like sand paper. Strange? Perhaps. The other side of my cervix feels fine. I've never felt this before and I've never had an abnormal pap. Just wondering if any other ladies out there have experience this.
Thanks in advance and sorry if it's tmi.
First of all you should not be examining yourself, period. Let alone at this stage in your pregnancy. You could be irritating your cervix. I would leave that up to my midwife when the time is right.
Are you a trained OB or midwife yourself?..otherwise I dont know why or how you would even begin to think your qualified to do that, or even try and diagnose yourself.

This! WTF?? Why in the world would you be trying to touch your cervix anyway? Do you just get bored and start playing around in there or what? From what you said, you've done this since before getting pg too? WHY???

I can't even form complete sentences right now...all I can think of is WHY???

Julia-Henry · November 2009

kimberleigh30 · November 2009

I personally do not check my cervix on a regular basis. I leave that for my Husband. He's never noticed anything unusual. So I'm not really gonna be a help on this one. Sorry.

MiraclePending · November 2009

There's nothing wrong with checking your own cervix. I really can't get over how squeamish everybody gets about it. You have sex with your husbands. There's going to be a LOT more bacteria on his penis than on your hands after washing them. Do your husbands go and "sanitize" their areas before doing anything? Your body is trained to protect itself from your own bacteria. It is also designed to protect your baby from bacteria your husbands may spread to you. Unless you're on pelvic rest or are at risk for preterm labor, it's perfectly safe.

As for your question and the rough patches, it's normal. The opening of your cervix feels much like puckered lips that open and dilate as you progress in your pregnancy.

madameprimm · November 2009

MiraclePending:
There's nothing wrong with checking your own cervix. I really can't get over how squeamish everybody gets about it. You have sex with your husbands. There's going to be a LOT more bacteria on his penis than on your hands after washing them. Do your husbands go and "sanitize" their areas before doing anything? Your body is trained to protect itself from your own bacteria. It is also designed to protect your baby from bacteria your husbands may spread to you. Unless you're on pelvic rest or are at risk for preterm labor, it's perfectly safe.
As for your question and the rough patches, it's normal. The opening of your cervix feels much like puckered lips that open and dilate as you progress in your pregnancy.

She's removing the protective cervical mucus/discharge inside that is doing the protecting. How is that perfectly safe? It's not that people are squeamish about it considering a lot of ladies check theirs while TTC. Oh and to answer your question, yes my husband is normally right out the shower at least 95% of the time before we do anything.

bananasmomma · November 2009

I wish I could reach myself, but at this point...I have trouble even wiping.

BTW...keep your fingers (and other random objects) away from your cervix.

Mrs.Meyer · November 2009

MiraclePending:

There's nothing wrong with checking your own cervix. I really can't get over how squeamish everybody gets about it. You have sex with your husbands. There's going to be a LOT more bacteria on his penis than on your hands after washing them. Do your husbands go and "sanitize" their areas before doing anything? Your body is trained to protect itself from your own bacteria. It is also designed to protect your baby from bacteria your husbands may spread to you. Unless you're on pelvic rest or are at risk for preterm labor, it's perfectly safe.

As for your question and the rough patches, it's normal. The opening of your cervix feels much like puckered lips that open and dilate as you progress in your pregnancy.

Actually this is right. A "sterile" vaginal exam is not necessary until your water breaks. I'm a nurse, too. Do you realize that your OB/CNM/NP is not wearing sterile gloves when he/she checks you? It's just the same as washing your hands, and I think ramming a penis up there is quite a bit more violating than checking with your own fingers!

KaciRoo · November 2009

I have no words. Indifferent

xnbride · November 2009

Honestly I would personally be concerned because at 26 weeks your cervix should usually be firm, posterior and closed. That fact that it is soft, anterior and slightly open is definitely alarming. I would definitely ask your MW about it. You should refrain from doing self checks until you are to term. That is why they wait as well because there are risks involved and they can actually cause preterm labor especially if you are already dialated.

DANIELLE LORRAINE · November 2009

Mrs.Meyer:
MiraclePending:

There's nothing wrong with checking your own cervix. I really can't get over how squeamish everybody gets about it. You have sex with your husbands. There's going to be a LOT more bacteria on his penis than on your hands after washing them. Do your husbands go and "sanitize" their areas before doing anything? Your body is trained to protect itself from your own bacteria. It is also designed to protect your baby from bacteria your husbands may spread to you. Unless you're on pelvic rest or are at risk for preterm labor, it's perfectly safe.

As for your question and the rough patches, it's normal. The opening of your cervix feels much like puckered lips that open and dilate as you progress in your pregnancy.

Actually this is right. A "sterile" vaginal exam is not necessary until your water breaks. I'm a nurse, too. Do you realize that your OB/CNM/NP is not wearing sterile gloves when he/she checks you? It's just the same as washing your hands, and I think ramming a penis up there is quite a bit more violating than checking with your own fingers!

Finally, an intelligent answer!

meghann0409 · November 2009

Do you ever wonder why there aren't lots of posts like this?

KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUTTA YER COOT.

jmrussell03 · November 2009

FIRST, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you really didn't just feel your own cervix. I am hoping that you just don't the names of your body parts and are really feeling just the external parts of yourself.

Second, if you really did, not highly recommended. You could be introducing new bacteria to the area and removing protective substances. Did you use gloves? Have you been trained on what to do/look for?

Sex is not sterile, but a penis also does not have fingernails!

madameprimm · November 2009

DANIELLE LORRAINE:

Finally, an intelligent answer!

No more like the answer you wanted to hear. It's foolish to remove the substance protecting you from getting an infection. Notice that neither one of the "intelligent" answers addressed that fact. Huh?

TXTwisterBabe · November 2009

madameprimm:
DANIELLE LORRAINE:

Finally, an intelligent answer!
No more like the answer you wanted to hear. It's foolish to remove the substance protecting you from getting an infection. Notice that neither one of the "intelligent" answers addressed that fact.

This.

LOL at "intelligent answer" OP is BSC. An intelligent answer is not just an answer that you want to hear. What qualifies for "intelligent" in your book, anyway?

ScissorTailedFlycatcher · November 2009

jmrussell03:

Sex is not sterile, but a penis also does not have fingernails!

This is one of my favorite quotes of the day!

Seriously, OP, I doubt you actually touched your cervix. I have had several in the last 9 days and it feels like the doc/nurse puts her whole arm up there to even attempt to figure it out.

For the future, DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME.

madameprimm · November 2009

shortyred919:
This is one of my favorite quotes of the day!

Seriously, OP, I doubt you actually touched your cervix. I have had several in the last 9 days and it feels like the doc/nurse puts her whole arm up there to even attempt to figure it out.

For the future, DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME.

FWIW, I used to check my cervix when I was charting during TTC. It's only kind of hard to reach when it's sitting high. However, there is no way that I'd be digging around in there cleaning out all the "good" stuff, especially while pregnant. That's just stupid.

ScissorTailedFlycatcher · November 2009

madameprimm:
shortyred919:

This is one of my favorite quotes of the day!

Seriously, OP, I doubt you actually touched your cervix. I have had several in the last 9 days and it feels like the doc/nurse puts her whole arm up there to even attempt to figure it out.

For the future, DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME.

FWIW, I used to check my cervix when I was charting during TTC. It's only kind of hard to reach when it's sitting high. However, there is no way that I'd be digging around in there cleaning out all the "good" stuff, especially while pregnant. That's just stupid.

Could you do it with a belly in the way? But yeah, regardless, checking your cervix is dumb.

madameprimm · November 2009

shortyred919:
Could you do it with a belly in the way? But yeah, regardless, checking your cervix is dumb.

I'm a fluffy girl so my belly is always in the way. Wink

Sheeks88 · November 2009

Mrs.Meyer:
MiraclePending:

There's nothing wrong with checking your own cervix. I really can't get over how squeamish everybody gets about it. You have sex with your husbands. There's going to be a LOT more bacteria on his penis than on your hands after washing them. Do your husbands go and "sanitize" their areas before doing anything? Your body is trained to protect itself from your own bacteria. It is also designed to protect your baby from bacteria your husbands may spread to you. Unless you're on pelvic rest or are at risk for preterm labor, it's perfectly safe.

As for your question and the rough patches, it's normal. The opening of your cervix feels much like puckered lips that open and dilate as you progress in your pregnancy.

Actually this is right. A "sterile" vaginal exam is not necessary until your water breaks. I'm a nurse, too. Do you realize that your OB/CNM/NP is not wearing sterile gloves when he/she checks you? It's just the same as washing your hands, and I think ramming a penis up there is quite a bit more violating than checking with your own fingers!

I agree. I don't see anything wrong with checking your self as long as your finger nails are short or gone and you have cleaned your hands or put on gloves. It's not like she said she is trying to break her water or stripping me membranes.

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