Does anyone know when the cervix generally begins to move to the front and start the dilating/effacing stage? Is that something that varies greatly from woman to woman, pregnancy to pregnancy? I think that with the girls, by the time my OB started doing VE's at about 38 weeks, my cervix was at the front, 50% effaced. and 1-2 cm dilated. I tried to check myself the other day (don't worry - was very careful and everything was clean!) and I could reach the cervix, but it was still fairly far back, and thick, although soft.
Do later pregnancies tend to start that process later? Or is there not really any predictability? Or should I just disregard my own impression, since I don't really know what I'm doing!