January has been designated as Cervical Health Awareness Month by the United States Congress. In the United States alone, nearly 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. The disease is preventable.

While screening is important, I’d like to share information about your cervix and help you understand how you can help it out.

Your Cervix During Labor

The cervix is an amazing structure.  It stretches to an incredible size during labor.  Its tissues are fibromuscular, and Ina May Gaskin talks about it being sphincter like.  The cervix can be a bit shy and needs to not be disturbed in order to open for birth. Unfortunately, our birth practices here in the United States don’t really honor this idea.  During birth, it can sometimes be helpful to do cervical checks to see how far one is dilated. However, some practitioners can be really rough to these sensitive tissues.  Experienced practitioners can tell how one is progressing without having to do cervical checks. 

I had one pregnant client come to see me who had just been checked by her OB to see where her cervix was as she was nearing her due date.  She told me that it hurt when they checked. I gently palpated her cervix and could feel tension and irritation in the tissues; not so helpful when it needs to relax and open for birth.  All I like to do is give the cervix some love with my touch. I did so on my client, and it responded by relaxing and releasing. 

The Black Box of The Body

The cervical tissues need to be treated with kid gloves.  It has a lot going on in it. Thanks to my Russian partner, Katerina, who helped me to see how these tissues are recorders of all that happens in the vaginal space.  I like to think of the cervix as the black box recorder of airplanes. It’s amazing to feel into the cervical tissues and sense what is being held in there. Being an empath, my stomach will tighten when the cervix has been holding a lot of trauma or disrespect in there.  What’s really great is to feel the release that happens when giving the cervical tissues some loving attention.

A Cervical Orgasm?

Did you know the cervical tissues can also produce an orgasm?  When stimulated the cervical tissues can create a full-body orgasm that is different from a clitoral one. Katerina says she can sense into the cervix and it will tell her if someone is having enough sex or not! 

While I don’t get that same information when touching into a cervix, I do know the power and importance of increasing connection to these tissues.  Being able to touch into your own cervix can bring greater awareness of your own fertility and sensitivity.

The Position of The Cervix

Cervical positions in the vaginal space can vary so greatly in different people and depends on the position and mobility of the uterus.   To touch your own cervix, use your index or middle finger and follow your urethra as far back as you can and see if you can find your cervix.   The cervix feels like the end of the opening of your nose. There is a firm muscular circle with a slight opening or indentation in the middle.

Ideal Location

Ideally, the cervix is midline and you have to reach a bit for it.  Squatting can be an easier way to reach your cervix or standing with one leg up on the toilet or bathtub. If you can’t seem to find it you can try turning your finger around the other direction and follow your rectum back and then lift your finger away and it might be there. Some cervixes might naturally be too high for your finger to reach them.

Altered Positions

I have found cervices pushing into bladders which can cause that constant urge to have to pee.  I feel after childbirth it is so helpful to make sure the cervix has good mobility 360 degrees in all directions.  Lack of cervical mobility can create problems with intercourse as the cervical tissue needs to be able to mobilize with thrusting.  If you are having deep thrusting pain, limited cervical mobility may be to blame. 

If you don’t have to reach at all and it seems like your cervix is closer to the opening, your uterus may be falling down and lacking good support. This could be a sign of your uterus prolapsing.   If you don’t have any symptoms of heaviness or pressure feeling like a tampon falling out, you will want to be careful of any bearing down pressures on your pelvic organs. If you are symptomatic, please start learning about how your posture and intra-abdominal pressures affect prolapses and figure out ways to support your pelvic organs better. 

Your Cervix & Your Cycle

Your cervix also changes its shape and location depending on your cycle.  During ovulation, the cervix moves higher and becomes softer. The cervix is more open and wet to help you be more fertile.  During the rest of your cycle, it will be more firm, low, non-wet, and closed.  Also, once you’ve had a baby the cervix’s opening becomes less round and more like a slit or oval in shape.  It will feel more open than before having a child.

Cervix Resource

There is a wonderful website showing pictures of different services to give you a better idea of what you will be feeling.  If you don’t mind pictures of real tissues and some blood, check it out here: http://beautifulcervix.com/cervix-photo-galleries/

 

I encourage you to become familiar with your cervical tissues.  If you can reach it, please touch in on it and send it some love.  The cervix is a very sensitive tissue and can store so much for you.  Allow it to let go of whatever may be held by just touching in with it and helping it to let go. 

Your cervix will be so grateful you did!

 

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