Pregnancy And Baby Care Conditions During Pregnancy Soft Cervix During Pregnancy

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If the cervix remains hard, the delivery process may become difficult as the cervix may not dilate and open during delivery.

A soft cervix during pregnancy is the way your body prepares itself for delivery. A slightly dilated and soft cervix in late pregnancy does not mean that the labor will start early or may be shortened. Your cervix may stay like this for several weeks before you deliver. At times, your cervix may be hard, closed, and thick throughout the pregnancy, but the moment you go into labor, it turns soft within a matter of hours to give way to your baby. In pregnancy, the cervix is rich with blood and thus softer than usual. In early pregnancy, the cervix becomes soft and rises a bit. But this can happen anytime during pregnancy. While it happens during early pregnancy for some women, it may not happen for others. You can also see this change in your cervix right before your period is due. Read more on friable cervix

While the baby is inside your womb, the cervix thickens and lengthens in order to protect your baby. The thickness and thinness of the cervix is called as effacement. Effacement is measured by way of percentage, 0 per cent indicates thickness and hardness while 100 per cent indicates very a soft cervix during pregnancy. Your doctor may conduct a cervical exams in order to determine the softness and thinness of your cervix during pregnancy. Also, a cervical exam helps the doctor know in which direction is your baby. The moment your baby comes in a head-down position, it means that you can deliver anytime.

Cervical examinations can be very uncomfortable, especially if you are having contractions. But after knowing its importance, you will now understand why is it crucial during pregnancy.

The cervix can be described as the entrance to the uterus. There are several changes that are seen in the cervix each month, during the menstrual cycle, ovulation and pregnancy. In order to make any cervical observations on your own, you will need a mirror, a plastic speculum and a flashlight. However, do bear in mind that observing the position and the changes in your cervix can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you are pregnant. Moreover, you could also end up infecting yourself. Therefore, you should only try doing so at home, if you do have adequate knowledge and experience about cervical observations. Otherwise, it is best for you to go to a gynecologist or a health care provider to check the position of your cervix as well as the changes that are taking place in it.

Soft cervix before a period

Just before you get your period, the position of your cervix should be on the lower side. At the same time, the cervix is usually quite firm before periods. After the completion of your menstrual cycle, as the ovulation period approaches, the position of your cervix will change. It will be higher than before, wet and open. Once the ovulation period passes, the cervix comes low again. You will also find it firm and closed at this time.

In case you are experiencing a soft cervix before a period, it is best for you to take a pregnancy test, as you may be pregnant.

Soft cervix in early pregnancy

Although the changes felt by every woman in pregnancy may vary, the cervix is believed to be very soft at least in the initial stages of pregnancy. In fact a soft cervix is one of the first signs of pregnancy. There are many young girls who rely on the position and the softness of their cervix to know if they are pregnant or not. However, this is not a definite way of determining of you are pregnant or not; it is only one of the symptoms of pregnancy.

During ovulation, the cervix is usually soft and high, but as you approach your period, your cervix comes low and becomes firm. But, if you do get pregnant, then your cervix continues to remain in the same position. Therefore, almost all women have a soft and high cervix during pregnancy. If your cervix remains high and soft even after ovulation it could mean that you are pregnant. You need to take a pregnancy test to confirm this though.

Even though your cervix is soft and high, it will remain closed tight throughout pregnancy, to prevent any infections. While the baby is in your womb, the walls of the cervix get thicker, in order to keep the baby from falling into the vagina. In fact during pregnancy, a mucus plug covers the bottom part of the cervix, which acts as a protective barrier, keeping bacteria, viruses and other harmful microorganisms out of the uterus. In case you notice an open cervix in pregnancy, you need to let your doctor know about it immediately. This could be a signs that the mucus plug has come loose and your body is preparing for delivery. This is quite common in the third trimester and even after the cervix opens, it could be several days before you go into labor.

What is the significance of soft cervix during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, your cervix receives a rich supply of blood causing it to become softer. At times, during pregnancy, your cervix may become hard, thick and closed, but as soon as your body starts preparing for labor, the cervix turns soft. Therefore, a soft cervix during pregnancy is an indication that the body is preparing for labor. It is very important to have a soft cervix during labor. In case the cervix does not soften during labor, then the delivery process could be a lot harder. A hard cervix does not dilate adequately, making labor all the more painful. It is normal for your cervix to get softer and open slightly much before the actual delivery. Softening of the cervix is not necessarily a sign that you are about to go into labor within the next few hours; it just tells you that your body is getting ready to deliver the baby and it could be several days or weeks, before you deliver the baby.

In case your doctor observes a low and soft cervix during pregnancy, it could be an indication of a condition known as uterine prolapse. This condition occurs with the muscles, ligaments and tissues holding your uterus together weaken for any reason. Because of this your uterus drops towards the pelvic cavity. This problem is more common in women who are elderly or have had more than one vaginal birth. Your doctor will need to monitor this condition carefully, to make sure that it does not lead to any major complications during delivery.