Expert: Elayne Glantzberg - 9/20/2007

Question
I am 40 +2 weeks pregnant with my second child. I have been checking my own cervix regulrly for the past few weeks, and i have been able to put two fingers inside and open them slightly, so i am guessing about 2 cms dilated, and it has been still quite far back, to the depth of  my fingers, i can just reach to put fingertips inside. Today when i checked it has gone way back out of the way again! i could only just feel the edge of it! Whats going on? Is my baby ever going to come out?  Why has my cervix gone back? Isnt it supposed to come further forward? What does this mean? Ive been doing loads of walking and keeping very active. She is engaged, so i thought that keeping active would make her head press on my cervix to help. Im so frustrated now i wish i had never checked.

Answer
It might be better never to have checked!  Unfortunately, cervical position, dilation, and effacement mean absolutely nothing for when you will go into labor.  Some women can be dilated to 4 cm and stay pregnant for weeks, while others can be completely closed and still deliver within hours.  There is no way to predict which type you are, so refraining from checking your cervix will help to reduce anxiety and stress over what you find out.

As for the position, a posterior cervix can sometimes indicate that your baby is also posterior.  The ideal position for birth is left occiput anterior (LOA), where the baby is head down with its back facing the left side of your tummy.  A posterior baby has its back facing your back.  This causes the forehead of the baby to present to the cervix, instead of the highly-moldable crown, and can result in delayed onset of labor, longer, more painful labor, and difficulty pushing.

It is possible to encourage your baby to swing back around to the anterior position.  Practice optimal fetal positioning techniques as outlined at www.spinningbabies.com.  In particular, do 100-200 pelvic rocks a day, and stay off the couch or recliner.  During labor, stay upright and out of the bed.  During pushing, again stay upright, ideally on your hands and knees as this position maximizes the size of your pelvis.  All of these things will encourage your baby to turn, and pushing on your hands and knees will make it easier to deliver your baby even if he/she doesn't turn.

Good luck!