What Is A Soft Cervix?
A soft cervix is a condition where there are no cervical mucus layers or cervical fluid. This means that the cervix is not fully developed. The term “soft” refers to the fact that it may appear as if the cervix is slightly open, but it isn’t actually completely closed. It’s just not thick enough to stop urine from leaking out into your body. If the cervix is too thin, then it will leak when touched. When this happens, you might get a little burning sensation or even pain during urination.
If you have a soft cervix, you’ll notice that your period comes earlier than usual. You may also experience cramps and other signs of PMS (Post Menstrual Syndrome). Women with a soft cervix often don’t become pregnant until their late 20s or later!
How Does a Soft Cervix Affect Pregnancy?
When you have a soft cervix, your periods come sooner. Your fertility drops off quickly after you hit your mid-twenties. You’re still fertile right up until the day of ovulation, but once that day arrives, all bets are off because you won’t be able to conceive naturally anymore.
Your body won’t start producing estrogens until you’re in your twenties. Before that, you’re just not developed enough to grow a baby inside you. This means that you must get pregnant before you hit your twenties or you won’t be able to do it naturally.
If you’re past the age of 25, then you need to get pregnant soon because your window is closing fast!
How Does a Pregnancy With a Soft Cervix Affect You?
The good news is that pregnancy with a soft cervix isn’t really any different than what you’re used to. Most of your symptoms should stay the same and you won’t feel any physical effects of a soft cervix until your baby starts developing in the second trimester. You might start to feel a little nausea or heartburn, but that’s about it.
However, once your baby starts getting big enough, it will have an effect on your body. The biggest sign that your body is reacting to the baby is probably going to be heartburn. You might start getting heartburn for the first time in your life and it can be pretty painful.
Other symptoms you might have are pain in your lower back, dizziness, and even blurred vision if the baby is pressing hard enough on your spine.
Fortunately, there are ways to combat the symptoms of a soft cervix. Your doctor may be able to give you a medicated cream to rub on your stomach that will help combat heartburn. You could also take over-the-counter medication to help as well.
Make sure you stay hydrated and avoid eating spicy foods or anything else that might cause your stomach to burn. If you have access to a hot water bottle, you can place it on your stomach to take the pressure off your spine and give yourself some relief. Just be careful you don’t burn yourself!
If your symptoms are getting out of hand, don’t hesitate to call your doctor for advice on how to manage them. You will probably be able to continue working all the way up until the day you go into labor.
How Is a Soft Cervix Diagnosed?
Your doctor is going to do an internal exam on your cervix during every prenatal appointment. It’s not uncommon for them to do it twice a visit. Once they feel how soft your cervix is, they’re going to want to monitor it.
There are two ways that your cervix can be monitored during a soft cervix: weekly and daily.
If you have weekly monitoring, then your doctor is probably going to check your cervix once a week in order to see if the softness is getting worse. If it is, then you’ll be put on bed rest or sent to the hospital depending on how bad it is.
If you have daily monitoring, then your doctor should check your cervix every day. This way, if the softness gets worse then they can take measures right away. If it stays stable or gets better then you can continue with weekly checks until it starts to worsen again.
What Does It Mean if the Cervix Is Completely Soft?
If your entire cervix is completely soft, then it means that your labor is going to start soon, and possibly within a day or two. You’re going to feel increased pressure and pain in your lower back and stomach.
When this happens, you need to go to the hospital right away. Once you get there, they’re going to hook you up to a couple of monitors and start an IV in your arm. They’ll keep an eye on the baby and you for a few hours.
If everything seems fine, then you should be able to go home after a couple of days.
If the pressure doesn’t subside after a day or two or if your contractions haven’t started, then you’ll probably be admitted to the hospital and they’ll start inducing labor.
What Does It Mean if the Cervix Is Delivered?
This means that your entire cervix has gone completely through your vaginal canal and is now in your birth tunnel. With your next contraction, your baby should be born with no complications.
What Does It Mean if the Cervix Is Completely Delivered?
This means that your entire cervix has exited your body. Not all women’s cervixes do this, but it can happen. If it does, it means that your baby will be born within seconds.
What to Read Next:
How to Deal With a Long Labor
How Long Are Contractions Before the Baby Is Born?
Why Does the Cervix Close During Pregnancy?
Sources & references used in this article:
A soft cervix, categorized by shear-wave elastography, in women with short or with normal cervical length at 18–24 weeks is associated with a higher … by E Hernandez-Andrade, E Maymon… – Journal of perinatal …, 2018 – degruyter.com
Alveolar soft part sarcoma of the uterine cervix by A Flint, PW Gikas, JA Roberts – Gynecologic oncology, 1985 – Elsevier
Alveolar soft-part sarcoma in the uterine cervix. by V Abeler, JM Nesland – Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine, 1989 – europepmc.org
TFE3 immunoreactivity in alveolar soft part sarcoma of the uterine cervix: case report by AA Roma, B Yang, ME Senior… – International journal of …, 2005 – journals.lww.com
