Hi JJE- I would definitely recommend the Lizzie rest plan! It worked for us. Welcome aboard the stitch bus! I have every confidence this will all work out brilliantly. X

Happy EAster everyone! (another week to go here in greece!) enjoy your holidays and your bundles of joy wherever they are (in or out!!)xo

Happy Easter to all!

I've been coming to this board and reading every once in awhile recently and reading a lot of inspiring stories!

My own story begins with having to have two LEEP procedures in the past year - both for severe dysplasia. The first time, the doctor took as little as she thought she possibly could, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough; the dysplasia was either much worse than we knew, or it just completely took off after my first surgery. But I ended up going to a new doctor in a new practice after I found out that the dysplasia was still severe and had a second LEEP in October which was successful and I had a normal follow-up Pap right after I became pregnant!

Of course, now that I am pregnant, my cervical length is being monitored and I have a follow-up plan of every two weeks. My doctor told me that she had to remove a lot of my cervix when she did the LEEP, but that there's an outer os and an inner os and the inner os is the one that we need to be worried about so she tried very hard not to take anything out of the inner os.

Still, when I went for my first cervical length measurement at the beginning of this week, my cervix was only measuring a little over 3cm. I've read that I'm supposed to have at least 3cm of cervix in order to maintain my pregnancy although I've also read that I could have as little as 2.5cm. Either way, the perinatologist said that my cervix is looking good and is an excellent length right now. But I'm worried anyway. My cervix was only 3cm at 16 weeks, so is it likely to become even shorter? Or does that not always happen?

Hello everyone, thanks for all your kind messages, feeling much better nearly 2 weeks after stitch. Sorry im not on much.. only just seen your replys and thanked you all.

im not doing bedrest, though i did with my daughter but am seeing how it goes, my consultant refuses to scan my cervix as he says i have had the stitch early so no need unless i have any symtoms that means i should, i found this wierd as i was scanned every 2 weeks with my daughter to make sure she was ok?? and the cervix.

any way i think im doing well lol..

can i ask a question, my last pregnancy i had the stitch at 18 weeks due to funelling, also lost my first son due to ic 23w6d... well when i was pregnant with daughter i refrained from sex lol... is this the same this time having it in early with no funelling... i feel embarresed to ask but am scared of doing it and something going wrong so wondered what you all do with sticth and ic lol

xx

Hello Ladies!

Hope you have all had a lovely Easter!

Thankyou all so much for all of your helpful advice!

Lizzie..wow, your knowledge is incredible! I have been really good at pretty much resting the whole time, i have to admit i am hoping when i have my CS on Weds that she will hand me back at least a glimmer of life pre stitch! I feel fine, but i need to keep reminding myself that i also felt fine pre stitch too! I am also reassured that you carried HUGE twins with a cerclage, so my fear of it not being able to hold a baby in has reduced hugely!

Kate..Thankyou for your reply, i go back to the hospital Weds! I am actually South West London..we live in Clapham..where abouts are you? It is amazing that so much time is spent trying to keep the babies safely inside, then when they are able to come out..they just hang on in there! I was under the impression that once the stitch is removed, labour would be imminent..i guess not..hopefully your little one will be in your arms soon!

Helen and Christiana..Thankyou also for your helpful replies, it has been a great help to me finding this site and being able to speak to other people who are sharing or have been through the same thing!

I am learning so much from people sharing their stories here, it is really helping me! Unfortunately i can't contribute much to other peoples queries as it is all so new to me..but i am definitely gaining a wealth of info along the way!

xx

Hey selina! Firstly i m so glad everything is fine and you re feelung good. I m not 100% sure but i do believe pelvic rest is necessary after the stitch (so that means no sex). I for sure have been forbiden any sexual activity for the whole 9 months (poor hubs is going crazy). I m sure someone in here will give you a more definite answer but i suggest you also do ask your doc. X

Hi everyone.

Well i don't know where to start! so I've been sat reading a lot of the posts on here and i'm amazed how supportive all the ladies are towards each other which is just what you need when finding out you have complications its a very lonely and frightening feeling no matter how much support you have from partners/family or friends.

Not sure if i totally belong in this thread but i cant find any that are specially about uterus didelphys with possible shortening of the cervix,

I basically had no idea i had this uterus malformation till i fell pregnant and had a accident at my horses stables which ended with a trip to hospital for an emergency scan due to pain and bleeding at 6 weeks, during the scan i was told had a didelphic uterus with possibly two cervix and a double vagina and its pretty rare? and also why it had taken me and my husband over two years to conceive.

since then i'm now 18 weeks and I've seen a specialist which to his and my relief has confirmed after in internal investigation that i don't have two cervix and a double vagina which makes what were dealing with a little less complicated
but I've been told I'm highly likely to have shortening of my cervix and spontaneous premature labour think the statistics are that about 86% premature births due to uterus didelphys.

So far I've been told that they don't want to put a stitch in as they want to wait and see what happens due it it being my first pregnancy which frightens me being told that they are just going to wait and see and let nature take its course

I have an appointment this Thursday for another internal to measure my cervix to see where to go from there so fingers crossed it hasn't shortened as I'm pretty frightened about the whole situation

Hi smile! Welcome to the thread hun and congratulations on your pregnancy! Our stories are not so different hun. I have a bicornuate uterus, similar to uterus didelphys only instead of 2 complitely seperate uterus i have one separated in the middle making two smaller ones. I cant tell you your chances of premature labour but i can tell you wih ds i was told i had extremelly high chances of delivering at 5-6 months...i delivered at 38+4! I have now put in a preventative stitch but only because i ve had two early mcs followed by d&c. Even though i have the stitch there is no signs of my cervix shortening (3.7 cm at 28 weeks). So even though the risks are there it doesnt necessarily mean it s going to happen. Is your doc checking your cervix regularly? Do you have any signs it might be shortening? Really hope you have an easy and uneventful pregnancy hun, and stick around this thread is awsome!

Hello everyone.

Jimmy - I keep reading your updates with much enthusiasm! Can't wait to read more good news and see a few pix hopefully.

kcmb0886 - 3cm is a great cervical length. The average cervix is between 2.5-5cm. Doctors will monitor you for IC if you actually have less than 2.5, and many women reach the end with less than 1cm cervix. Don't worry hon, you're cervical length is just fine. Plus, cervices are dynamic: they may gain or lose length throughout your pregnancy depending on pressure, cramps etc. Lizzie will be able to tell you more. Monitoring the cervix at this stage is the right thing to do, and I'd also say, rest as much as you can just in case. Can you avoid house chores? I'd also stay on pelvic rest, just in case.

Selina- while it's true that with elective cerclages it's somewhat easier, I refrained from sex for the whole of the second trimester and then on the third, when I finally saw that I kept measuring 48mm at 27 weeks, I...erm... starting orgasming myself, leaving my vagina well alone. So I'd suggest you do stay on pelvic rest until you have a clearer idea of your cervical length.

Smile- typical NHS handling. Every time I'd go in, people would ask me 'why do I have a cerclage since it's my first pregnancy'. They didn't like the fact that Greek doctors were overcautious. My - very, very strong- suggestion is to try and monitor your cervix with private TVU scans. Can you afford it? It's really worth cutting from somewhere else. Or else, make a fuss and demand they keep checking you regularly. Many wonderful women here had their hearts broken due to NHS negligence and complacency, and it makes me absolutely mad. I'm not trying to scare you- perhaps it'll all be fine- but why risk it? Go privately. Honestly. Do it.

Lizzie, Helen, Christiana, bookfish, and everyone else- lots and lots of love.

Hi Everybody,

Just wondered if anybody can help? I am now 18weeks, yesterday and all of today i have been experiencing groin pain, mainly on the right side..has anybody else had this? Could it be in any way connected to the stitch? I would of thought 18weeks is too early to be a symptom from the weight of the baby??

xx