# Please help, possible IC at 19 weeks? - UPDATE!



## WantingABubba

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## sunnylove

I had IC and my doctors never mentioned anything about a soft cervix. It's more about the cervical length and internal dilation or funneling. If your doctor feels that your cervix is long, then you don't have IC. But if you are really worried about it, ask to get a transvaginal ultrasound done (in my neck of the woods these are routinely done at the 20 week scan). I honestly would not diagnose yourself based on checking your cervix with your fingers.


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## Srrme

Your cervix goes through many changes, and you can't tell if you have IC by feeling your cervix alone. I have to admit I have had a feel a time or two during my pregnancy and my cervix has never felt hard. It feels soft and almost blends in and also has an indent in the middle (I would highly advise against ever putting your finger inside it though!). I have also had transvaginal scans done to check the length of my cervix and it's shorter than normal, but long and closed.

My Doctor during my last pregnancy did an internal exam with his hands and told me my cervix felt short, but the transvaginal ultrasound I had later on showed a very long cervix! 

I would relax if I were you, or request a transvaginal ultrasound to put your mind at ease.


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## justhoping

sunnylove said:


> I had IC and my doctors never mentioned anything about a soft cervix. It's more about the cervical length and internal dilation or funneling. If your doctor feels that your cervix is long, then you don't have IC. But if you are really worried about it, ask to get a transvaginal ultrasound done (in my neck of the woods these are routinely done at the 20 week scan). I honestly would not diagnose yourself based on checking your cervix with your fingers.

^^ agree with everything she said as well..i had started to open my last pregnancy from the inside and funneled. you really cannot tell from examining yourself..
xx


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## jandksmommy

I was on hospital bedrest with IC my first pregnancy. The only way to truly tell is by having the internal ultrasound done. I suggest that you ask your doctor to arrange for the test to be sure.


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## WantingABubba

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## Srrme

I don't think 20 weeks is too late. I might be wrong, but I do think they can insert a cerclage still if they needed to. 

Try to relax until your scan. At the scan the technician SHOULD measure your cervix while performing the ultrasound as procedure. If it looks short that way she might suggest a transvaginal ultrasound anyway, or your Doctor might once he or she receives the notes.


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## justhoping

the sonographer will measure ur cervix, its one of the firt thing they check out )


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## WantingABubba

Okay, thanks girls! Paro that the technician won't but I'll insist on it. Wish me luck, will update xx


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## justhoping

they can see it on the screen it happens to be the first thing they check when doing a sono...they do it fast so that maybe why you dont notice


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## WantingABubba

*All is well!​*

Hi girls! Had my 20 week/anomaly scan today :)

DD was perfect and healthy and I could see the four chambers of her beautiful, fully formed heart beating away. 

She was very wriggly and active as usual. Kept kicking me, haha. Was so weird seeing and feeling her kick at the same time. At one point, I saw her draw back her fist like a boxer and punch where the doppler was! :shock: :haha::blush:. It was also cute when she flipped so she was facing down and pushed off me like she was on a trampoline. She is feisty, haha, I can see her hurting me when she gets bigger.

The tech said they don't usually check the cervix but she had a quick look for me anyway. She had the screen turned towards me so I could see, and it was fully closed (and looked quite long to me). So I feel much, much, much, much better now :)

Here's my DD :cloud9:

(My scan pics always end up being fuzzy :growlmad: I don't know if it's because she's always moving or if my songrophers have been lazy. But still, look at her little ear and nice head shape :cloud9:)
https://s8.postimg.org/qnpteg2md/1459768_10202559173400979_1739474037_n.jpg


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## sbl

Ah thats great!
Did she give you a length of cervix in mm?
xx


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## WantingABubba

sbl said:


> Ah thats great!
> Did she give you a length of cervix in mm?
> xx

Thank you!

Unfortunately not, but it looked sufficiently long. Not that I'm a trained sonogropher or anything :blush:

xx


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## sbl

I only ask as I was high risk for IC with lo and they checked my cervical length and always gave me a an exact length it always really eased my mind. 
I'm sure they would've noted it if you asked again.
xx


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## WantingABubba

sbl said:


> I only ask as I was high risk for IC with lo and they checked my cervical length and always gave me a an exact length it always really eased my mind.
> I'm sure they would've noted it if you asked again.
> xx

I know :( I wish she did but she didn't seem that bothered about checking for me. They keep going on about it's not routine but surely it's better safe than sorry? Why should you have to suffer a second tri loss before they take it seriously? It seems the NHS has a 'lock the stable door after the horse has bolted' mentality. 

Xx


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## sbl

The HSE here in Ireland are the same. It's just I am high risk so they took no chances with me. 
It isnt routine but if your concerned they should check and any sonographer who knows their stuff would have taken it and measured it even if it is purely for mums peace of mind.
xx


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## justhoping

im high risk but non the less, in the practice i even worked for that was always the very first thing they checked....how weird they wouldnt :(


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## sunnylove

WantingABubba, where do you live? Here in the US transvaginal ultrasounds are routine at 20 weeks. Transabdominal ultrasounds (which it sounds like you got) are not as accurate. I'd ask for one next time, or make an appointment just to get one, to at least put your mind at ease.


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## justhoping

at 20 weeks they will quickly do a trans vag ultrasound to measure cervix and then if no problem is found they quickly switch to abdominal which at 20 weeks to measure a baby is more accurate then transvag, that is more for earlier on in pregnancy to measure the baby.


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## Srrme

I'm glad your mind has been put at ease. Did she measure it at all, or just take a look at it on the screen and that was it?


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## WantingABubba

They only do transvaginal when you're early on over here :( I haven't really worried about it lately but if I am, I will probably buy a scan at a private place. The NHS don't seem to take you seriously when it comes to testing, unfortunately..


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## WantingABubba

Srrme said:


> I'm glad your mind has been put at ease. Did she measure it at all, or just take a look at it on the screen and that was it?

She didn't measure it, barely looked! She just showed it to me and that was that!


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## Srrme

WantingABubba said:


> Srrme said:
> 
> 
> I'm glad your mind has been put at ease. Did she measure it at all, or just take a look at it on the screen and that was it?
> 
> She didn't measure it, barely looked! She just showed it to me and that was that!Click to expand...

I don't think you can tell how long it is just by looking. Even when my cervix looked long on the ultrasound, it didn't measure as long as I would have expected.


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## justhoping

everyone should remember that as your baby grows your cervix will shorten as the pregnancy moves on...Its simply gravity as well. As well if you had children you tend to shorten and dilate and can be that way for months on end. I was 80 effaced and 4 cm from month 5 I think. As of many women here, so as yes I would get this checked out of course if not only to ease your own fears. But also know its quit common and maybe whey they didnt do much or say much about it in the first place.,...xxxooo


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## sunnylove

That's true, justhoping, but your cervix really shouldn't dilate or shorten until you're well into the third trimester. It does start to shorten in the third trimester naturally, but it should be nice, long and closed until then. I was 100% effaced at 23 weeks and obviously that's why I had my son at just 26 weeks.


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## justhoping

sunnylove said:


> That's true, justhoping, but your cervix really shouldn't dilate or shorten until you're well into the third trimester. It does start to shorten in the third trimester naturally, but it should be nice, long and closed until then. I was 100% effaced at 23 weeks and obviously that's why I had my son at just 26 weeks.

oddly enough I have three preemies but the one I was dilated to 4. with help I made it to 36 plus 2 :). No ur not supposed to technically dilate but but some people do especially because this would be not there first..not always but it happens :)


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## WantingABubba

Feeling intense pressure down there, especially when I sit down. Triage sound exasperated with me but coming in anyway.


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## Srrme

WantingABubba said:


> Feeling intense pressure down there, especially when I sit down. Triage sound exasperated with me but coming in anyway.

I hope everything is okay. :hugs:


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## sunnylove

It's a good thing you are being proactive about this! Please insist on a transvaginal ultrasound. That is the *only* way to accurately measure the cervix!!


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