What changes occur to the cervix during early pregnancy?
Dr. Abraham-Hebert: Many changes happen to the cervix during pregnancy. Early on, the cells on the outside of the cervix become hypertrophied or more prominent. During the first exam, very early in pregnancy, sometimes you can actually see a blue cervix, due to increased blood vessel changes. Sometimes a little bit of bleeding can occur after normal activity or sex. Usually this is not dangerous, but it’s very alarming to a newly pregnant woman. Another change that can happen due to hormonal changes is that the cervical opening can become a little more relaxed. There are several other changes that happen to the pelvis. The pelvic ligaments relax quite a bit. The pelvic bone structure changes. The hips change in their diameter, and actually the hollow of the sacrum flattens with different positions in pregnancy. As labor approaches, the pelvic opening actually widens a little bit. The pelvic bones separate ever so slightly, which can cause a lot of discomfort. In late pregnancy, there c
