TTGP Guide: Cervical Position (CP) *TMI*
Neikoda
member
**Warning: If you are grossed out by checking or talking about CM or CP, I would not suggest continuing to read this thread**
Welcome ladies to a terribly *TMI* guide to CP, everyone’s favorite fertility sign. If there is something you are unsure of or have questions about, please post them below and I will do my best to answer them. Please be aware that every woman’s body is different and individual adjustments may need to be made for CP tracking to be its most effective.
The main two fertility signs that are most accurate and most used are charting your BBT(Basal Body Temperature) and CM(Cervical Mucus). CP is not a fertility sign that should be tracked on its own, but instead should be used to further align with your current fertility signs, or help to alleviate any confusion between conflicting signs. If you haven’t already, most women here suggest downloading the Fertility Friend app to track your fertility signs and references to it will be made here. Please note that all CP information is entered in FF under ‘Secondary Signs’.
How to Check Your Cervical Position
-Wash your hands prior to checking your cervix.
-Chose a comfortable position either sitting, squatting, or standing with one leg elevated (like on a bathtub).
-Insert one finger into the vagina to feel for the cervix. It will be located on the ‘upper-front’ or ‘top’ of the vagina.
Please Note: Do not measure your CP at different times of the day or in different positions. For consistency measure at approximately the same time each day and in the same position.
Your Cervical Position During Your Cycle
The cervix changes considerably during different parts of your cycle. For those of you that don’t fit the cookie cutter methods of measuring, following your cycle based on the guidelines below will help you to measure your CP in the future.
During AF: The cervix position is low and hard. Generally it is slightly open to allow for blood flow.
After AF: The cervix will remain low and hard, but the opening will also close.
Approaching Ovulation: The cervix will become softer and moister while starting to rise.
Ovulation: The cervix becomes soft and may seem almost out of reach (or out of reach for some women). The opening will be open.
After Ovulation: The cervix becomes more firm and begins to drop again. The opening will be closed tightly.
Pregnancy: The cervix will rise and become soft similar to that of ovulation. Although, the opening will remain closed. Generally this occurs after 12DPO.
Position
The position of your cervix is measured as high, medium, or low. One method that works for many women, but not all is the ‘Knuckle Method’. See the diagram below.
Low: If the cervix can be reached before the or at the first knuckle, it is considered ‘low’. To understand what your particular body’s ‘low’ is, check your cervix during or shortly after AF.
Medium: This will occur after AF and is characterized by the cervix being between the first and second knuckle on your finger. This can be measured anywhere between the few days following AF and before your FW. Your body is ramping up for ovulation and as the cervix moves higher, you are closer and closer to ovulation.
High: This occurs within a day or two before ovulation through ovulation. Your cervix will be difficult to reach falling between the second and third knuckle, or for many ladies, even out of reach. This is your peak ovulation time as your cervix prepares for the entry of sperm.
Texture
Hard: A hard textured cervix will feel similar to the tip of your nose. This can be observed during or just after AF.
Medium: A medium texture will occur for majority of the cycle, generally feeling less stiff and moister than your cervix at the beginning of your cycle.
Soft: A soft texture is often said to feel more like the texture of your lips. Personally, mine has never been quite that texture but there is a considerable difference in stiffness and moisture from the beginning of my cycle. Don’t be concerned if you do not fit this description perfectly.
Opening
Closed: Your cervix will be closed for majority of your cycle including after AF and during your luteal phase. The opening may feel tight, like a dimple at this time.
Medium: The cervix will begin to open slightly as ovulation approaches. This is most easily felt as the texture also tends to soften.
Open: The cervix is open during the peak of your cycle, ovulation. As the cervix is soft, you are often able to run the tip of your finger over the opening and notice it seems to move with ease. In my experience, this has been the easiest way for me to determine when the cervix is open.
Many people do not recognize the opening and closing of the cervix on its own, so don’t worry if you’re struggling to determine if your cervix is closed, medium or open. Spend the next cycle checking daily to have a basis of comparison. Once you’ve felt it closed, open seems like a night and day difference.
The ideal cervical position that occurs at ovulation is a combination of a high position, soft texture and an open opening. This is the only combination in which FF will consider it a sign of ovulation and the CP for that day will show green. This is not to say that your CP is not contributing to your tracking. Even if you never feel like you achieve ‘High/Soft/Open’, the pattern will show you useful information in regards to ovulation.
Below is a copy of one of my charts to exemplify how CP changes throughout one’s cycle.
Please feel free to ask any questions or for clarification below. If you like this guide and would like to see others on different topics related to TTC, please let me know.
Previously nweg...7878
Re: TTGP Guide: Cervical Position (CP) *TMI*
Me: 32 | DH: 36
Married June 2005
1/2016 - TTC#1
4/2017 - Initial RE visit, Dx: Severe MFI (Varicocele, 14% motility, 3% progression, but normal count)
7/2017 - Stage 3 endometriosis discovered during laparoscopic removal of ovarian cyst
9/27/2017 - BFP at 10dpo (cycle 22), baby boy due June 9, 2018
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Also, the relative "height" will vary for everyone. It can take a few cycles of tracking CP to get a sense of what "low" or "high" means for you personally.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
@Sugargirl1019 When the cervix is low, the penis can still surpass it into the vagina during sex. But I know for myself, sex shortly after AF can be painful if he hits the cervix.
Previously nweg...7878
PS: don't google cervix positions and click images unless you're willing to look at real, human crevices (is that actually the plural of cervix?)
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
Previously nweg...7878
TTC since August 2018
ETA: back to report I saw some VERY interesting images showing the difference of cervical position in an unaroused vs aroused state as well as the penis being able to go above or below the cervix a bit - learned it is called the anterior or posterior fornix where the penis can push into. Thanks for my biology lesson!
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Previously nweg...7878
ive introduced myself a bit back and then had either a chemical or false early positive and stopped for a bit. But continue to lurk...
anyways I had a ? With cp after ovulation is it a bad sign if cervix is still HSO? Per bbt ( if my temp continues to rise) I'd be 1dpo today but I'm concerned bc my cervix seems to have not gotten the memo lol
anyone have a lazy/slow cervix post O?
#3 DD June 2014
CP December 2015
M/C 8/2016
Rainbow & Babe #4 EDD 7.28.18
Previously nweg...7878
the TWW just drives me insane and I feel like the more and longer I TTC the more loops my body throws at me lol
@nwegman7878
#3 DD June 2014
CP December 2015
M/C 8/2016
Rainbow & Babe #4 EDD 7.28.18
TTC since August 2018
Wanted to answer this here rather than WTO, in case people are searching this in the future. CP is a good additional guideline, but it can vary per woman and is one of the more finicky fertility signs. I wouldn't think of it as a "if it's x than I am probably not fertile", but more of a "if it's y than I probably am". It can be firm right through your fertile window and it would not be a detriment, but if it's soft there's a high likelihood that you are at or around your fertile window. Additionally, apparently most women who have never been pregnant experience less changes in their CP during their cycle (thanks, bodies).
For me, my CP is almost always medium/high and firm (I can only find it squatting as well), but I can detect a bit of change in the opening sometimes. I can definitely see a change in my CM through the cycle.
Me: 28 & Partner: 32 | Married 2014
BFP 7/29 EDD 4/11
TTC since August 2018
Yup yup, nailed it. CM is a fairly reliable measure of fertility, though. Also, you should obviously make your own decisions, but I will say that I calmed down a lot myself when I moved from only using CP/CM to using OPKs as well (I use Wondfo because they are cheeaaaaaaap) after a cycle or two. They're far more explicitly clear with "ah I have a surge, which means I'm probably ovulating within the next 0-2 days" rather than me over-analyzing everything.
Me: 28 & Partner: 32 | Married 2014
BFP 7/29 EDD 4/11
Previously nweg...7878