From CANFP
How to Judge Changes in Cervix
By Andrea and Ron Gronsky
Feb 13, 2006, 12:55
Question
My wife and I have just started using NFP 3 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
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
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