Self-checking cervix...how do you interpret it?

Hi all...I'm an occasional lurker, used to post here a lot under the screen name 'beadgcf.' I did a hospital NCB with my second child, and had a good birth experience. I plan to do another hospital natural childbirth with #3, but this time around I am much more relaxed and flexible about it.

Anyway, I used to check my cervix to track my fertility, so today I did a self-check to see what my cervix was doing now. My theory is that when I actually go into labor, I might be able to compare it to some kind of baseline.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what's normal at this point. At first I couldn't find my cervix at all, as it was SO different. It seemed like it was mushy and everywhere. I was able to get two fingers in the opening, about a cm apart, but I didn't want to go deep d/t the infection risk. It was more like a rubber band than anything firm.

So for those of you who have self-checked at the end of your pregnancy, what does it feel like, and how do you interpret what it's doing?

Thanks!

I haven't been able to reach mine yet. It all depends on hand size and everything too and can be a very subjective measurement. Plus, if you are self checking, sometimes you can't get to the best angle. I'd rather self check than have anyone else check me though honestly.

From what I have learned, if it is softening but still closed, it will feel like your lips puckered for a kiss. I'd say if I were reading what you posted correctly (anyone else, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), and just going off of that alone, that it sounds like 3-4 cms to me.

My friend checked hers about a day before active labor began and we concluded by what she described that she was probably 4+ cms. She could definitely get 3 fingers in with room to spare. And by 10 am the next morning she had a baby :)

Thanks for your response...based on everything I can tell, I would be around 3 cm. But the reason I am questioning it is because with my last pregnancy, I was 10 days late, and the one time I checked my cervix, it felt the same as it does now. Maybe I just have a habit of sitting at 3 cm for weeks. :dontknow:

Could be!! My last midwife had a mom who sat at 7 cm for a week! I was just reading back through my lodge from DS and remembered her. That one still blows my mind!!