Photo: @partyforthree via Instagram
?This might be a stupid question, but what?s a cervix"? asks a dad-to-be at a prenatal class.
If you?re learning about the mechanics of childbirth in detail for the first time, this part of a woman?s anatomy is going to come up a lot. The cervix is the narrow neck of the uterus?picture the opening at the bottom of a balloon?which keeps the uterus closed until it?s go time.
?During early pregnancy, the cervix is really firm and closed, pointing to the back of the vagina,? explains Nicola Strydom, a registered midwife in Calgary. ?A mucus plug forms inside the cervix to protect the baby from bacteria.? It?s not abnormal for the cervix to bleed a little during pregnancy, especially after sex, due to all the tiny blood vessels. Between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy, the cervix tends to shift forward, pointing toward the front of the vagina. It gets softer and starts to widen and open (also known as dilating), and thin (or efface). If this isn?t your first baby, the cervix is already softer and a little more open than a first-time mom?s.
About one percent of pregnant women have a cervical problem, known as an incompetent cervix or cervical insufficiency. (Yep?those are the technical medical terms.) This means the cervix is weak and starts to open, shorten or form a funnel shape partway through pregnancy, which may contribute to an increased risk of preterm birth. The problem could just be how your body is made, but according to the Society...