Cervix Question....

Hi,
Well yesterday i was having contractions every 5 mins lasting 55 secs and i did the hosp dash,,,, Once i got examined i was told that the "front" of my cervix is 2cms dialated (this can happen coz i have had babies before) and the "back" of my cervix is still completely closed but soft. The midwife was actually shocked that it was so soft for being 37 weeks (i am due on the 22nd by the hosp dates).:D

So my question is this...... since when is there the "front and back" of a cervix?
Also how long before labour does your cervix soften??

thanks for answering my many questions....
Jen

Hi,

I have absolutely no idea what the front and back of the cervix is. I am fairly sure your cervix can soften up to a couple of weeks before labour. My mother is a midwife and apparently some people can walk around for days being a few centimetres dilated. I was induced with my third and it had been a week since I was examined, my cervix was soft at the exam but not dilated, a week later when I went in to be induced my ob ruptured my membranes and then told me I was two cm dilated and I had no idea. I hadnt even had a contraction.

I have no idea what they mean by front and back cervix!!!!
It is common for your cervix to start to soften a few weeks before birth. Also if it is not your first baby your cervix will never again be fully closed. There will always be a small opening (usually called a multi os)

Hmm, strange. I too was told there was a "high & low" part to the cervix. When i was 15 weeks i had a little bit of blood (i was told coz it was dark that it was "old" blood) - much to my panic i went to the dr's & was sent for a ultra sound (at a "Lake imaging" place), to which the result came back that my cervix was open - my dr sent me to a specialist who looked at the US slides i had & said "Hmm, i see what they mean" then rang the hossy to put me straight in (i was never "bleeding" as such, i had had some blood). To cut this a wee bit shorter, i sat in the hossy all weekend absoulty *****ting myself waiting for monday to come so they could do another ultra sound, to which this time i was told that there was nothing wrong - everything was fine, he said to me that he had no idea what the others had been talking about & that mabey they were looking at my "higher or lower" cervix & the lady must have know what she was doing. My cousin is also a MW & she knew what this was - still overly confusing to me though.
Alan if possible could you explain the Multi os is & how these people i delt with could've been so wrong?

Shell

OK first to give you a picture of your cervix.
Make a fist. Imagine that the tube like shape that your curled up fingers make is your cervix then the hole down the centre of your curled up fingers is your os.
Mow squeeze your fist tight and with a finger from your other hand touch the curled up part of your little finger. You should be able to feel that there is a little depression or dimple there. This vaguely how your cervix would feel if you had never given birth. Now let your fist relax, still keeping the fist shape. Again touch the curled part of your little finger, you should feel a doughnut shape. This is a multi os. Of course your cervix is much softer than your fist but I hope this gives you an idea

Your cervix is a tube about 5cm long. This length can vary by 1 The or 2 cm for different women. Multi os is a term used by midwives to indicate the size of the os. (the os is the opening in your cervix. If you have never given birth then the os is tightly closed. If you have given birth before then your os will always be slightly open, usually not quite enough to put a finger in.

I can understand what someone means by a high low cervix it was the front back cervix that confused me.

As for why the people you dealt with were so wrong that would be difficult for me to know. I could only make a couple of suggestions.
1 the person taking the US was not sure what they were doing
2 The US machine was very old
3 The people reading the US were inexperienced
4 The people reading the US did not know that you had other children
5 The people reading the US did not know that the os normally stays open a little after you have given birth.

Thanks Alan!! You explained it much better than anyone had!
Isnt sad that they have these people working with such equipment that they cant understand / read it properly & get it wrong like my situation!? NEVER will i go to one of these places again or recomend them to anyone, i should've just gone straight to the hossy.
Thanks again Alan - youve been a great help.