When you’re trying to conceive (TTC), it’s easy to become a little obsessive looking for tips for getting pregnant. Luckily, from tracking ovulation to monitoring your basal body temperature, there are plenty of ways you can maximize your chances of getting pregnant every month.
Using an ovulation-tracking app like Flo is a great way to better understand how your menstrual cycle works. But you might not realize that your body also gives off subtle clues every month that can give you a head start. It’s a little-known fact that your cervix — the small, donut-shaped canal that connects your uterus to your vagina — actually changes position throughout your menstrual cycle.
Admittedly, your cervix is located pretty deep inside your body, so it’s not visible to the human eye. That means other methods of ovulation tracking (such as keeping an eye on the way your cervical mucus changes or monitoring your temperature) are recommended as easier ways to keep track of what’s going on inside. But if you know what to feel for, learning how to check the location and texture of your cervix can also help you figure out where you are in your cycle. And being able to pinpoint your fertile window could potentially increase your chance of becoming pregnant.
Here, obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Sara Twogood, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, California, US, shares everything you need to know about how to check your cervix. But if you have any questions or concerns about anything to do with your reproductive health, always reach out to your doctor for advice.
Key takeaways
- Your cervix changes position and texture a number of times throughout your menstrual cycle.
- Learning how to track these changes can be one way to give you some important clues about your fertile window, the six days of each cycle in which you could conceive.
- If you think you might be pregnant, ask your doctor for advice before you examine yourself. Self-checks are not recommended during pregnancy.
What is your cervix?
If you’re not sure what or where your cervix is, don’t worry. You’re not the only one, and it’s possible to get pregnant without fully understanding how every part of your reproductive system works. But because extra knowledge can’t hurt, it may be helpful to know that your cervix is a tube-shaped organ located at the bottom of your uterus. And it plays an important role in your ability to get pregnant and carry a baby.
“The cervix is often called the neck of the uterus,” explains Dr. Twogood. “It’s the connecting organ from the vagina to the uterus.” But it’s much more than just a tube. As well as providing an exit point for fluids such as period blood and mucus (which you’ll know as your discharge) to pass through, it has other jobs. This multitasking organ protects your uterus by preventing objects such as tampons, diaphragms, or sex toys from entering you any further. It also helps sperm cells travel from your vagina through to your uterus for pregnancy, thanks to cervical mucus.
Your cervix plays a central role in childbirth, too. During pregnancy, it forms a mucus plug that stops bacteria and infection from reaching your baby. And when the time comes, contractions cause your cervix to open (dilate) so your baby can move down the birth canal and make their way into the world.
Why does your cervix change position during your cycle?
Are you trying to conceive or simply curious about your body? It takes time and patience to check your cervix, but charting its movements throughout the month can give you some important clues about where you are in your cycle and your fertile window. “The cervix changes both position and texture during the menstrual cycle,” says Dr. Twogood. “This is related to the different hormones at play at different times in the cycle.”
You won’t feel it happening, but your shifting cervix is designed to encourage pregnancy. “[It changes] to help get sperm into the uterus and uterine tubes to optimize the chances of getting pregnant,” explains Dr. Twogood.
So, how exactly does it adjust? Let’s run through all the cervical changes that happen throughout your cycle.
Cervical position during your period
On day one of your cycle — when your period starts — your cervix moves downward, helping the blood to flow out. “During your period, the cervix is lower in the vagina/pelvis,” explains Dr. Twogood. It may also be “slightly firm and open to allow blood to exit from the uterus into the vagina and then out of the body altogether,” she explains.
Cervical position during ovulation
Your cervix will then move back up just before ovulation into a prime position for conception. If you have an average 28-day menstrual cycle, this might happen about 14 days before the start of your next period. “During ovulation, the cervix is soft and higher in the vagina and pelvis,” says Dr. Twogood. “The cervical os (the opening to the cervix) is more open to allow sperm easier access into the uterus and uterine tubes.”
