can you tell yourself whether your cervix is open?

i had gastro yesterday - no vomitting but really bad stomach cramps all day - i started to feel a bit nervous however when i noticed these cramps were coming at regular intervals (ps im 22 weeks), and would be really bad and then go and then get bad and then go - every 15-20 minutes.
i thought to myself, i hope im not crazy, but ended up going to emergency just to see if they could do a vaginal exam and make sure i wasnt in premature labour.
of course it took forever, but eventually the doctor did one and she said "it seems closed" and i went home and that was that, except i've continued to have cramping, especially when i walk around and i feel really lousy.
im just assuming at this point that ive got gastro, but the thing i wanted to ask was about whether you can check your own cervix - because i can, and to me, mine feels open. i can insert (sorry if this is squeamish) the tip of my index finger right into it. im sure it wasnt like this before i was pregnant (i used to check the position of my cervix when ttc - and it was definitely closed then). but maybe during pregnancy it just opens a tiny bit anyway....?
anyone know much about this? the doctor said people who have already given birth (thats me) do have more open cervixs than people who dont ..but she said the cervix doesnt open until the last few weeks before birth.

You can but I do think it's something you really shouldn't do. You could introduce bacteria from you hands in there as well as disturb the mucous plug.
Then I guess there could be a risk of rupturing the membranes if you poke about in there the wrong way :dunno:

Go back to the Dr and tell them you had a feel yourself and it felt a bit open to you.

I would definitely go to your Dr if you still feel lousy. You could have a UTI or something as well. Did they check to see why you were getting the cramping?

Hi,
Definitely agree with Sammi-j's point about being careful re bacteria etc.

Do you have your own GP or OB. I would call them and see if they can fit you in for an appointment. With a concern such as yours I would imagine most Drs would squeeze you in even if they are busy.

Could the cramps be BH?

Take care

I would go to emergency and demand that they moniter you, it sounds suss to me...

I've been told that your cervix remains about 1-2cm open if you've already had babies (that's what I was told when I was pregnant with DD).

They never suggest you check your own cervix, when I was in hospital with threatened PTL at 22 weeks this pregnancy and with DD, they wouldn't even touch the cervix in there, and they were midwives and OBs. They say that it can introduce bacteria too early in and stimulate labour, and that early is a very very bad thing. They used one of those instruments to kind of hold things open down there and then shone a light in to look at the cervix rather than feel it.

If you are feeling like this, I'd definately go straight into your delivery suite or emergency....did you see an OB when you went in?

thanks everyone for your replies...good reminder to not check your own! i think mine is probably just open the 1cm that it normally is in that case, and ive just got this damned gastro...i think after 2 days if it was threatened/early labour i would know by now. im still getting stomach cramps and diarreagh (can NEVER spell that word) but they are not regular now, and i definitely feel better today than yesterday
if its still bad tomorrow i will go back in
unfortunately i dont have my own ob, just gone through the public system, and dont even have a gp that i know/trust.

I agree with the others, and bad gastro can give you tummy cramps too.

But you should go back to your doc, because you shouldn't have gastro for so long

I had gastro about a week ago and was really worried i was in early labour cause the cramps were very strong. I was put on a drip for about 6 hrs to get rehydrated. The Dr explained that dehydration causes the uterus and bowels to spasm and if left untreated can lead to early labour. So get those fluids into you (hydralyte is good) and get checked about a UTI cause this can also bring on labour. Good luck with it all :)