How to Locate and Find the Cervix

This video is to show how to locate and find the cervix when performing a vaginal exam on a laboring patient for the beginner obstetric nurse.
Check out my blog at www.livelyrache...
Find me on Instagram @livelyrachelanne
Send me a tweet on Twitter @livelyrachela
Send me email inquiries at [e-mail]

[@ovieoloya619]

Thanks, this is super helpful... Am a new intern doctor, and this will help me a lot in taking deliveries

[@andreacentanino4363]

Thats really good! I finish as a student midwife next week and its really hard to reach a posterior cervix

[@VishwasGalav]

thanks for the video. I am an intern doctor posted in OBGYN and my senior asked me to check for the cervical dilation for the first time. I had absolutely no clue as to how it has to be done. When I tried to assess I couldnt even find the cervical opening. Ur videos will help me to do better next time

[@RachelZaleski]

+Vishwas Galav Wonderful glad to hear my videos helped.

[@rogerlandreth7823]

+Vishwas Galav Hey pervert: can I ask you a question? Why is it that males become OBGYN's... So that they can feel strangers' vaginas without getting a rape charge! You're a piece of nasty shit, and so is every other male OBGYN that ever lived.

[@rogerlandreth7823]

***** You're just mad because you know I'm right :p

[@breeze2188]

This video was very helpful! I am a new gras and was hired into L&D and I feel like I am never going to figure out how to figure out a vag exam!

[@RachelZaleski]

Briana Lea First off contrats on graduation and getting a job! I'm sure lots of first time L&D nurses feel the same way you do. Don't give up, one day you'll find that cervix and feel soo happy. Until then keep trying and keep up the good work.

[@shorouqalkhater9226]

I'd have loved to hear the information in this video but it's hard to hear. maybe you should speak up or get a better microphone in the future.

[@RachelZaleski]

+Shorouq Shorouq thank you so much for watching! Thanks for the advice and you along with others have mentioned that the sound is too low in this video so please check out my latest video titled Cervical Location, Dilation and Exam. I've revised and spoken louder. Please let me know what you think.

[@deadeyejac]

You are a wonderful person. Thank you for what you do. I’m a new intern doctor. Covid prevented me from getting practice in school.

[@mars.9585]

I am an experienced nurse in L&D. But I have only worked in teaching hospitals, where residents do ALL the exams. Now in a non-teaching hospital and I feel like a new grad. Having a difficult time locating the cervix. Even more challenging when they are early labor and not medicated. What tips do you have on how to visualize what I am feeling?

[@RachelZaleski]

I have a few other videos that explain the feeling of the cervix as it thins out. I think the key is to be as gentle as possible, lay the head of the bed down to a flat position, ask the patient to breath in their nose and out their mouth and lubricate your fingers with plenty of gel. Then once you're in the vaginal canal feel along the sides of the walls until you touch the cervix. It might be higher up if she's not in active labor. Once you're there you should be able to feel the center of the cervix. Usually if she's not dilated you can feel a hole, kinda like the center of a very small donut. You might not even be able to get your index finger in the opening of the cervix yet. I have another video that shows different dilation sizes. Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions or feel free to email me

[@britanyreddel5373]

I am in the same boat! It has been such a hard transition going from a teaching hospital to a non teaching hospital. I feel so clueless 😣

[@mars.9585]

@@britanyreddel5373 I think it is harder when you are seasoned nurse because everyone expect you to be proficient in exams. Rachel's tips were very helpful. I still struggle finding the closed cervix.

[@yasunarai9881]

does length of the finger matter when you go in for a vag exam? like can someone with short fingers perform it?

[@RachelZaleski]

Length of fingers should not matter when doing a cervical exam. Just be gentle and have plenty of lubricant.

[@SamHuerta98]

@@RachelZaleski can you explain how the length of fingers doesn’t matter? I’m new to this and I feel like I can never reach the cervix, I feel like I can’t get my fingers in deep enough? I feel like if my fingers were longer maybe I could feel the cervix but also I’m very new to doing vag exams so I still don’t know exactly what I’m feeling for or what it feels like. Also the few times I’ve gotten to do one, I feel absolutely horrible bc I’m in there for a long time trying to find it. Is there a limit to how long I should be in there for?

[@sandraghartey8775]

Hmmmm am a student midwife and yesterday was my first day of doing EV, it wasn't easy, I will be so happy the day I feel the cervix but with tips am going to try over again. Please I need more on VE and delivery. Thanks

[@tonibattiste2622]

Nice video I wish you could talk louder or use a better microphone it was really hard to heard you.

[@RachelZaleski]

Toni Battiste Thanks, I didn't realize how soft I was talking until after I edited and posted to youtube. I apologize for the inconvenience, I'm debated about filming another video using a mic.

[@RachelZaleski]

Rachel Anne I'm debating not debated

[@melissahall7009]

❤ thanks

[@Jesuschristiloveyou]

I was checking my cervix this afternoon I felt a hole because I’m checking if I’m pregnant please

[@RachelZaleski]

You should not be checking your own cervix to determine pregnancy. Please talk to your OB doctor and try taking a pregnancy test instead.

[@josephineoladipo2013]

Thank you so much

[@FamilySmith]

Gosh! I really wish you could be my preceptor! I enjoy and identify with your positivity and enthusiasm for this special kind of nursing! I think our bodies can do such miraculous things! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!! This share of yours is really GREAT! :)

[@RachelZaleski]

Shelly Smith thank you so much!

[@debbiemauro1671]

yes I would like to know this one

[@Whichofthefavors]

I am 40 weeks and 5 days. I thought I would try this myself. I tried everything you said but I felt no matter how far I went... I did not feel cervix. I did not feel any opening. Could it be that I did not go in far enough? However I went as far as my fingera could go. Any advice on this please?

[@RachelZaleski]

SERIES1 COUPE Truly this video is directed to the new Obstetric Nurse. I have no further advice on how a person would be able to feel/find their own cervix. Just the position the nurse has to stand and the leverage needed would be very challenging for someone to do on themselves. I would leave cervical checking up to the professionals. Best wishes on your labor day!

[@Whichofthefavors]

+Rachel Anne Thank You for your reply. Being pregnant is stressful enough and then baby doesn't want to pack her suitcase and come out :D

[@KittenKagome]

Had to pause at 5:16. so far this is the best video I have found for talk of this nature. The only difficulty I am having is, I am not trying to be a nurse. I am merely trying to figure out where the cervix is so I can attempt to find it on myself. I appreciate measurement talk, but again, im not going into nursing. I am ashamed to say that at my age I don't really know the inside of myself. I have recently heard of a product that's a menstral cup. My vaginal canal is small and I just don't know if I can even wear one. I plan to attempt it at least, but I just do not know if I could or should. I fail as a female. Thank you for posting this!

[@RachelZaleski]

Phoenix Awakened Thank you for watching, and trust me you don't fail as a female!! There are lots of women who don't know their own anatomy. I'm grateful you got some helpful information. I made my videos for the beginner OB nurse. When I first started as a nurse, there wasn't a lot of resources regarding this topic, so I created my own.

[@ChangedUpNowWhat]

How can you check your own? Seems impossible😞😞😞

[@RachelZaleski]

This video is not meant to teach you how to check your own cervical dilation and I wouldn't recommending you trying.

[@ChangedUpNowWhat]

Rachel Zaleski well excussssssse me lol! But I have known some women to say that they are really in tune with their bodies and they know exactly how to find it. I've tried but everything feels the same. Sometimes you just get tired of bugging the Doctors and nurses by thinking you've dilated when you have not. But oh well, I'll just leave it to the pros.

[@SuperCandykisses2010]

Teaira Eaton Curry I check mine every pregnancy. if you try always remember to wash your hands thoroughly and to be really careful not to fiddle much. if you don't feel it then don't mess around to much. It's ok to get on your gyn. nerves lol.

[@ChangedUpNowWhat]

Tyquilla Seright man hats off to you and everyone else that can find it! I've tried on at least 3 pregnancies (including this one) and cant find it. Then I went "fiddling" around too much I think, bc I started cramping so I don't know WHAT I touched lol! I forget what kind of cervix they say I have but it's tilted. Oh well, I'll just leave it alone but I think it's amazing for those that are in tune with their bodies like that.