When does cervix close during pregnancy

What changes can you expect in your cervix in early pregnancy?

During early pregnancy you will experience changes in your cervix. Find out how it feels and how to check the cervix position.

During early pregnancy you will experience changes in your cervix, which is located between your uterus and vagina. The position of this can change during pregnancy, and it is possible to tell when conception occurred by looking at the position of the cervix. In addition to changes in your cervix position you’ll also experience changes in the position of the mucus around the cervix. The position of both the cervix and consistency of the cervical mucus can confirm whether you’re pregnant early on.

What is the cervix?

The cervix is a narrow, tubular-shaped structure that is at the at the lower end of the uterus. The cervix extends into your vagina and fills with mucus during pregnancy, this is called the mucus plug which is a protective barrier. When you’re pregnant the cervix position is firm, long and closed until the third trimester.

How does the cervix feel in early pregnancy?

During early pregnancy your cervix is likely to feel soft and rise up. The feeling of softness comes as during pregnancy your cervix will contain more blood due to rising levels of estrogen in your body.

The cervix will rise although it’s hard to know exactly when this will happen as every woman experiences this differently. This means that although you can sometimes tell if you’re pregnant by feeling the position of the cervix, it’s not always accurate as it may not have risen yet. It’s always best to confirm you’re pregnant with your doctor.

How is the position of the cervix tested?

You can check the position of your cervix yourself. First you need to be able to locate it. The cervix is about 3-6 inches inside your vagina and generally feels like a small donut with a tiny hole in the centre. To check the position of this, firstly remember to wash your hands properly with soap. You could even do it straight after coming out of the shower. Also remember that you don’t want to have long nails as this may cause injury.
Once you’ve done the above to avoid transmitting bacteria, get into a sitting position and move your longest finger into your vagina. You may have to insert your finger up a few inches before you can feel your cervix.

Cervical length during pregnancy

Cervical length is usually associated with preterm labour (labour that begins before you are 37 weeks pregnant). Your cervix should, in normal circumstances be rigid and closed, and gradually open up as your baby grows. When your cervix opens up too soon, you may be at risk of having a premature birth.

Your cervical length may also change if you have an overstretched uterus, bleeding complications, inflammation or infection.

Cervical mucus in early pregnancy

This mucus will change during early pregnancy and it will be thick, clear and viscous. This will turn into the mucus plug during pregnancy.
If you find that the mucus is yellow or green in colour, has an unpleasant smell, and secretion comes with itching you may be dealing with an infection and you should see your doctor immediately.

Cervix in Early Pregnancy: What to Expect

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — By Becky Young on March 18, 2019

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How to determine if your cervix is low or high

Each woman’s anatomy is different, but in general, you can determine the position of your cervix by how far you can insert your finger before reaching the cervix. Become familiar with where your own cervix sits, and it will be easier to notice changes.

If you monitor the position of your cervix over a couple of menstrual cycles, you’ll learn where your cervix lies when it’s in a low or high position.

Is it a reliable pregnancy test?

Cervical changes always occur during early pregnancy, but they can be difficult for many women to detect. Because of this, they’re not a reliable method for determining whether you’re pregnant.

Also, the position of your cervix may be different based on the position of your body while you’re checking the cervix, or if you’ve recently had sex.

If you’re able to identify certain changes, they may help you detect a pregnancy. You should still confirm the pregnancy with a pregnancy test after your first missed period.

Other early signs of pregnancy

Often, the most reliable sign of early pregnancy is a missed period and positive pregnancy test. If you have irregular cycles, identifying a missed period may be difficult, which can make it hard to know when to use a pregnancy test.

If you use a pregnancy test too early in pregnancy, you may get a false-negative result. That’s because pregnancy tests measure hCG in your urine.

Also called the pregnancy hormone, hCG takes a couple weeks to build up to levels that can be detected in at-home pregnancy tests.

Other signs of early pregnancy may include:

nausea or vomiting
sore breasts
tiredness
frequent urination
constipation
increased vaginal discharge
an aversion to certain smells
strange cravings

Next steps

If you think you may be pregnant, it’s important to take a pregnancy test to confirm. There are early pregnancy tests available that can be taken even before your period is due, but results are more accurate the longer you wait.

Pregnancy is normally easily detected on a home pregnancy test one week after your period is due. Doctors are able to test for pregnancy earlier than you can with a home testing kit. This requires a blood test, however.

Once you get a positive pregnancy test, you should contact your doctor and make your first appointment to be followed in your pregnancy.

It’s possible to get a negative test result and still be pregnant. This just means that your pregnancy hormones haven’t yet risen to a level that can be picked up by a test.

Your hormone levels continue to rise as pregnancy progresses, so if you have a negative result, but your period still hasn’t arrived, try testing again in another week.

The takeaway

It’s important to take good care of yourself if you’re pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant. This includes:

taking prenatal vitamins
eating a balanced diet
staying well hydrated
getting enough rest
avoiding alcohol, tobacco, or other recreational drugs

Light exercise such as pregnancy yoga, swimming, or walking can also be beneficial in preparing your body for carrying and giving birth to your baby.

For more guidance and weekly tips for preparing your body for pregnancy and giving birth, sign up for our I’m Expecting newsletter.

Last medically reviewed on March 19, 2019

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Cervix position during ovulation. (n.d.).
conceptionadvice.com/cervix-position-during-ovulation/
Han L, et al. (2017). Cervical mucus and contraception: What we know and what we don’t. DOI:
10.1016/j.contraception.2017.07.168.
How soon can I do a pregnancy test? (2015).
nhs.uk/chq/Pages/948.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=140
Signs and symptoms of early pregnancy. (2017).
nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/signs-and-symptoms-pregnancy/
Signs of ovulation. (2018).
americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/signs-of-ovulation/
Timmons B, et al. (2010). Cervical remodeling during pregnancy and parturition. DOI:
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Understanding your menstrual cycle fact sheet. (2015).
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Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Mar 19, 2019

Written By

Becky Young

Edited By

Ruby Thompson

Medically Reviewed By

Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT

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Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — By Becky Young on March 18, 2019

FIRST SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

All girls have heard about the first signs of pregnancy, the so-called discharge .

How else can you tell if you are pregnant or not? Let's say you had a long delay in your menstrual cycle. Time flies, and menstrual bleeding does not start. In this case, you will systematically feel nausea, while the mammary glands will seem heavy to you.

In addition to discharge, another sign of pregnancy is the constant thirst for sleep. The everyday activities of the people around you are annoying, and besides, you become very nervous about the presence of certain smells. nine0005

In addition to discharge, the first sign of pregnancy is an increase in appetite. Food begins to evaporate from your refrigerator at an astonishing rate and in a variety of combinations of ingredients. At the same time, saliva may still flow, and the number of midnight trips to the toilet will also increase. During the day, you can’t walk for a long time either, this is problematic because of the constant desire to urinate.

All of these discharges and other signs may be present both together and separately. Often a woman talks about a delay in the menstrual cycle in the absence of any deviations in her state of health. nine0005

There is an accessible and easy way to clarify these facts. Of course, no method will give you 100% guarantees. You can get a reliable 100% conclusion only after an examination by a gynecologist and a special diagnosis (examination). However, when the first signs of pregnancy appear (discharge, etc.) in the initial 10-12 days of the deviation of the menstrual cycle from the chronology, even in a good clinic you will not be able to guarantee the results of studies to determine pregnancy. nine0005

If menstruation does not start at the expected time, then after waiting for the morning, measure the body temperature in the rectum. An ordinary thermometer (medical, of course) is inserted into the rectum as soon as you wake up. Do not get out of bed while performing this operation. Doctors advise to prepare a thermometer in the evening and put it near the bed.

Need more than 6 hours of sleep. The thermometer is inserted behind the muscle that compresses the anus. The insertion depth of the thermometer is 2 centimeters, and the measurement time is from five to seven minutes. Record the measurement results. Measure body temperature every day for 7-10 days. If the temperature is most often more than 37 C, then this indicates the presence of the first signs of pregnancy. nine0005

In the absence of menstruation for 3 or more days, as well as in the presence of the first signs of pregnancy (discharge), gynecologists recommend doing a test to determine early pregnancy (most of the tests that are commercially available detect the presence of pregnancy already on the 1st day of delay !). They are easy to use and quite reliable.

The confidence probability of the test is much higher if it is carried out two or three times.

Outwardly, these tests are all different, but they are based on one chemical reaction to a specific hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is produced during pregnancy. The breakdown products of the hormone are excreted in the urine. The chemical reagent that drinks the dough plate interacts with these products. nine0005

Check that the test has not expired. For the experiment, the purpose of which is the first signs of pregnancy (discharge, etc.) it is better to use morning urine. After sleep, the content of the hormone and its decay products in the female body increases. This means that the probability that the tester will detect this increases. If you are a person who does not trust such tests, then as an option you can do a urine test to quantify the content of hCG. Although, this analysis is carried out by far not every medical and diagnostic center. nine0005

Let's say 3-4 weeks have passed, the temperature in the rectum is systematically over 37 degrees, and the test for determining signs of pregnancy gave a positive result 2 times. At the same time, you feel great, there are no subjective disorders and you are full of energy. There may even be an emotional upsurge. Do you need a women's consultation to determine the first signs of pregnancy? Need. To begin with, to confirm that the pregnancy is uterine, and also that the fetal egg was formed precisely in the uterine cavity. nine0005

In the normal course of pregnancy, fertilization occurs in the uterine cavity itself. After all, a fertilized egg must reach the site of implantation (through the fallopian tube). If there are any obstacles in the way of the fetal egg (narrowing in the fallopian tube or in the tubal angle of the uterus), and also if the fertilized egg moves for a very long time, or the egg is too large to pass the fallopian tube, then such an egg will not enter the uterine cavity.

In this case, an ectopic or ectopic pregnancy may occur and develop. Remember that an ectopic pregnancy in the earliest period shows the same qualitative reactions as the uterine one. In general, the first signs of pregnancy, discharge for example, are universal for pregnancy in the general case. nine0005

A gynecologist can detect only indirect first signs of pregnancy, such as plethora of the external genitalia, discoloration of the mucous membrane of the cervix and vagina. It turns blue (acquires a cyanotic hue). In addition, softening of the isthmus (the place where the body of the uterus and its cervix connects) may be noted.

In general, the body of the uterus may be quite large and soft, and may also appear asymmetrical due to swelling at the site of implantation of the ovum. nine0005

The uterine appendages are palpated (felt) by a gynecologist. Sometimes it happens that during a normally developing pregnancy, growths are found in the places where the appendages of the cervix are projected. These changes are usually reversible and the normal structure of the ovary is gradually restored. Such growths may appear as corpus luteum or corpus luteum cysts. However, these formations can also be pathological.

To find out if this is the case, you need to resort to other methods of determining the presence of discharge and other first signs of pregnancy. nine0005

Ultrasound of the pelvic organs is the safest method. Depending on which research method is chosen (transvaginal or transabdominal), already three weeks after conception, you can get information about the fact of pregnancy, as well as its localization.

The current level of development of medical equipment and methods allows you to diagnose pregnancy, as well as predict its further development. In addition to ultrasound, the expectant mother can undergo a test examination, which will reveal the likelihood of developing intrauterine pathologies in the baby, the appearance of genetic changes, and the risk of infection of the fetus. nine0005

But if the fetal egg is in the uterus and the baby is located correctly, then everything should be fine with you! With the help of an ultrasound, you can see your unborn child, who already has the distinctive features of the parents.

pregnancy first signs of pregnancy

Consultation with a specialist:

nine0064 The structure of the cervix and its functions

The organ has a cylindrical shape, and its inner part is a hollow “tube” lined with epithelial tissue.

The cervix is divided into two regions:

Vaginal. Enters the vaginal cavity. It has a convex shape. Lined with stratified squamous epithelium.
Supravaginal. Lies above the vagina. Lined with columnar epithelium.

The area where the squamous epithelium of the vaginal part changes to the cylindrical epithelium of the cervical canal is called the transformation zone.

The cervical canal is the central part of the cervix. It has an internal pharynx that goes to the body of the uterus, as well as an external one facing the vagina - it is seen by the gynecologist when examining the patient. In nulliparous women, the external os has a round or oval shape, in those who have given birth, it is slit-like. The channel always contains a certain amount of mucus. nine0005

Cervical mucus is a biological fluid, the importance of which in a woman's reproductive health can hardly be overestimated.

It has antibacterial properties and prevents penetration into the uterine cavity infection. When a woman becomes pregnant, the cervical canal is closed with a dense mucous plug, which reliably protects the fetus from pathogenic microorganisms.

The rheological characteristics of cervical mucus change depending on the woman's monthly cycle. During ovulation and menstruation, it becomes more fluid. In the first case, it helps the sperm to move through the canal, which means it promotes conception. In the second, it facilitates the outflow of menstrual blood. nine0005

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Cervix during pregnancy

The task of the cervix during this period is to protect the fetus from infection and prevent abortion or premature birth.

Shortly after conception, the following changes occur in it:

The pink surface of the channel takes on a bluish tint due to the increased pattern of blood vessels. This is facilitated by intensive blood circulation in the uterus. nine0072
The mucous membrane becomes softer. This is also due to increased blood circulation and mucus secretion.
The cervix descends lower, and the lumen of the canal narrows and is tightly "sealed" with a cork.

According to these changes, the gynecologist can visually determine pregnancy a few weeks after conception.

As the fetus develops in the womb, the length of the cervix gradually decreases. It is very important that it matches the gestational age, since a too short neck can threaten miscarriage or premature birth. nine0005

In the third trimester, the cervix becomes shorter, softer, and closer to childbirth, it begins to open slightly. The mucus plug may come off within a few weeks of labor.

Cervix and childbirth

Before the onset of active labor activity, the organ shortens to 1 cm and its anatomical position changes. The neck, previously directed slightly backward, moves to the center and is located under the head of the child. nine0005

As labor proceeds, the cervix shortens and smoothes, and its lumen gradually opens so that the baby's head can pass through it. Full dilatation of the cervix - about 10 cm.

At the first birth, the internal os opens first, and then the external one. With subsequent disclosure occurs at the same time, so childbirth is faster.

Diseases of the cervix

Diseases of this organ are divided into the following types: nine0005

Background - not associated with malignant processes.
Precancerous (dysplasia) - there are areas with damaged cell structure (atypical cells), but without malignant changes.
Cancer - malignant changes in the cellular structure.

Most of the diseases of the cervix occur without symptoms. In some cases, they may be accompanied by increased discharge, discomfort during sexual contact, bloody discharge. But even cervical cancer can give severe symptoms only at a late stage, when the disease is difficult to cure. nine0005

Cervical pathology can only be detected by specialized methods during a gynecological examination.

These methods include:

Pap smear. Allows you to suspect the presence of atypical cells and the degree of their damage, to identify the inflammatory process in the cervix. Based on the results of the Pap test, further examination of the patient is performed.
Colposcopy. Visual examination of the mucous membrane of an organ using an optical device - a colposcope. During colposcopy, various tests can be performed to identify damaged areas, as well as a tissue fragment (biopsy) is taken to perform a histological examination. nine0072
Histological analysis. The study of the cellular structure of the selected biomaterial under a microscope. The diagnosis of "dysplasia" and "cervical cancer" can only be made based on the results of histology.
Flora smear. It is performed to identify pathogenic flora and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics and antimycotics (antifungal drugs). The analysis is necessary for organizing the treatment of inflammatory processes.

Your doctor may also order blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Some strains of HPV are oncogenic and provoke dysplasia and cervical cancer. nine0005

Oncological processes of the cervix are formed rather slowly, passing through three stages of dysplasia - mild, moderate and severe. And even the third degree of dysplasia can be treated with full preservation of the reproductive function of a woman.

Early stage cervical cancer also has a favorable prognosis for the patient if treatment was started on time. Whether the organ will be preserved at the same time, the doctor decides according to indications.

At later stages, a radical hysterectomy is practiced - removal of the uterus with appendages, pelvic lymph nodes and the upper region of the vagina. nine0005

We repeat that dysplasia and subsequently cervical cancer develop slowly, almost asymptomatically, but are easily diagnosed during a medical examination. Whether a woman gets this type of cancer or not is largely a matter of her personal responsibility. An annual visit to a gynecologist for preventive examinations will protect you from this serious illness and preserve your reproductive health.

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