How to Judge Changes in Cervix

Question

My wife and I have just started using NFP three months ago. We have not had any formal training, but have read and frequently go back to “The Art of Natural Family Planning” to answer our questions. The one question I can not seem to get a handle on is in checking the cervix. My wife has me do it because she says she can never reach up far enough. She claims her fingers are too short. Anyway, I don’t have a problem doing it, I just don’t understand what I am feeling. I’ve read about hard like the tip of your nose and all that, but I am not 100% sure on how I know if it is open or closed. Short of asking my wife’s Gynecologist if I could assist the next time my wife goes in for an exam (ha ha ha), is there any place I can get easier to understand information on what I am feeling up there?
Thanks for your time!

Jim

Answer

Last Updated: October 21, 2013
Dear Jim,

While the cervix sign can be an additionally helpful piece of information in the overall picture of your wife’s fertility cycle, and may be especially helpful to women who are breastfeeding, just off the pill, or premenopausal, we advise couples who have difficulty with this observation to forego this sign. The temperature and mucus signs taken together can give you an excellent indication of the fertility phase with a 99% effectiveness rate. The interpretation of cervix changes is quite subjective and is really meant for a woman to determine herself. Attending a CCL class series may help you and your wife with further information and tips on observations and interpretation of all the signs. A complete teacher listing can be found at www.ccli.org

Ron and Andrea Gronsky

Answered By:

Andrea and Ron Gronsky
Andrea and Ron Gronsky, PhD, Professional Members of CANFP,now retired, taught the Sympto Thermal Method through the Couple to Couple League, in the Oakland Region.

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