We women spend very little of our lives thinking about our cervix. We are reminded of its existence every two years when we go in for a pap smear, but that's about it.

Until we get pregnant.

Pregnancy brings this tiny organ to the forefront of our minds, as the cervix softens, lengthens, elongates, dilates, thins and does all sorts of interesting things. So just what is the cervix and exactly what is its role in pregnancy? The following questions and answers will tell you what you need to know about this very important piece of our anatomy.

The cervix is the opening to the womb. It's located between the vagina and the uterus and plays a crucial role in pregnancy and labor. During pregnancy, it remains closed and the opening is blocked with a mucus plug.

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