examining

I have been self examining my cervix for many years now (to check cycle etc) and it has been interesting doing it during pregnancy. I've had a slightly open cervix for the last 4 weeks (could fit tips of two fingers snugly on opening) however when I rang hospital to ask a midwife something else and mentioned this, to ask her about dilation and measurement, she freaked out and forbade me from continuing self checks while pregnant as I could get an infection.
(Yes I am aware to not self-examine after waters break).

Well after I explained to her I intended to continue to stick whatever very clean things I liked in my vagina whenever the urge takes me, she settled down but wouldn't give me any information.

(Maybe I should have pointed out many unscrubbed penises have entered many semi-dilated hoo ha's probably mere hours before said cervixes present on her examination bed, but I didn't want to scar her for life with the thought of all that infection in her hospital.)

Anyway, onto my question.. What does effacement mean and how do I check it? (Even if its something I don't need to bother with.. It's all just out of interest anyway).

PS aren't our bodies fabulous?

effacement describes position and thickness of your cervix. you cervic doesnt just dilate, it also moves and thins.
majority of cervixes are posterior facing, meaning the os (opening) faces toward your back (uterus anatomy eyc can change this but im talking majority and "normal". different stages of your cycles it will move as well eg when ovulating it will come forward. and to fit a baby through it needs to move forward.
the other thing it does is thin. majority (again talking generally) cervixes are about 3-4cm long. in order to dilate and get a baby through it needs to thin...like paperthin.
the thing with effacement tho is we describe it in %. so 50% effaced would be about 1-2cm thick. but my 50% would be different to your 50% and same as my assessing you and feeling your 50% effaced cervix would be different to another midwife assessing you.
does that make sense?

you sound pretty clued on and aware of infection risk. just wash your hand before and after and like you said if you think membranes have ruptured then dont do it.
yes i know we dont wash penis's before they dance around inside. but penis's tend to he tuck in pants most of the tine and arent touching everything (doors, animals, food, blah blah) =)

If you have had babies before your cervix will be 1-2 cms open at this stage as a normal thing.
effacement happens with dilation in a multi ( someone who has given birth before) but in a primip ( first baby) it usually happens before dilation. So if its not your 1st baby, you wouldn't expect your cervix to be effacing until you are in labour - I'm presuming you have given birth before, forgive me if I am wrong :)

As TT40 says, assessing effacement is something that you learn after doing a LOT of vaginal examinations and is quite subjective to a degree, i guess if you are a habitual examiner you will pick up the difference between your cervix length pre and during pregnancy.

I would be scrubbing under my nails with a nail brush too prior to examining!

It amazes me that you can reach :) As a midwife myself I have tried in the past to self examine when I thought something was going on and no way in hell could I fell anything of relevance lol.
Saffy and TT40 have explained your questions well.

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Maybe I should have pointed out many unscrubbed penises have entered many semi-dilated hoo ha's probably mere hours before said cervixes present on her examination bed, but I didn't want to scar her for life with the thought of all that infection in her hospital

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:rofl: this cracked me up!

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I explained to her I intended to continue to stick whatever very clean things I liked in my vagina whenever the urge takes me, she settled down but wouldn't give me any information.

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:rofl: this made me laugh, good on you! I self examined in my last pregnancy and did sweeps on myself too. It's amazing how you can reach even when that pregnant.

i checked myself during labour too. mainly cause my whole labour was resisting the urge to push i kept getting paranoid my cervix was swelling.