# Open cervix at 19+5 weeks no cerclage



## rebecca9016

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone can share any info/experience with me as im sooooooooo worried.

my sister is currently 19+5 and her cervix was open as of wedsnesday night when she was taken into hospital. They said that she was more than likely going to go into premature labour and lose her baby over night. I came back from the hospital crying wondering how she was ever going to get over another loss (she lost her baby girl back in june at 22+3). My mum and her partner stayed with her and i spent the night awaiting a devistating call, that thank the heavens didnt come. I went up to see her the next morning and she was in no pain, no bleeding etc, the dr said that he would put in an emergency cerclage as labour hadnt started. She went to have the cerclage that afternoon and it all looked well initially, they managed to put the sac back up and get her cervix stitched, however unfortunately when the procedure was complete the sac had begun bulging from the stitches so the dr removed the stitch.

The dr kept her in hospital on bed rest with her legs elevated and told her to rest and prey for a miracle. She had bleeding that night with moderate cramping which i know is not uncommon after the cerclage but she was convinced she was in labour. Fortunately the pain and bleeding has stopped now (24hours later) and she is still laid with her legs elevated and only getting up to go to the toilet.

The general opinion from the dr seems to be that its very unlikely her baby is going to survive but that its worth a try. I am just wondering if anyone has been in this situation at 19 weeks with no cerclage and managed to hold on to their baby until a viable date?

Im going to visit for the day again tomorrow and i know any happy stories will be like music to my sisters ears, She is 100% committed to the bed rest and will literally do anything she possibly can. I have read several threads re this and am making sure she drinks lots of water and only gets up for the toilet but any other tips or stories would be brilliant :)


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## Bump1

Hi Hun

I'm sorry i was further along when i was put on bed rest but i was very dilated.

I just hope and pray your sisters little one stays put for longer and she dosn't have to go through another loss.
I will keep everything crossed for her xxx


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## JadeyB

Ah hon, I am so sorry that your sister is going through this. There was an article in the papers recently when a lady was put on bed rest in a very slanted position and on orders not to move and she got to full term.

I'm not sure how many weeks she was when it first happened. I will try to find out for you. I also have a friend through another forum who had the exact treatment.

I know it doesn't look good, but there is still hope, try to hold on to that.

I know this is not going to help but I'm really cross that she wasn't offered a cerclage after she lost her baby at 22 weeks. I'm not doctor but it sounds like IC to me.

Keep us posted, praying for a happy outcome for her. 

Xxx


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## rebecca9016

Thank u so much hun, im just hoping that the bed rest will buy her the valuable time that she needs. Thanks for your reply, its so nice to speak to people on here and the doctors only seem to give us the minimal amount of information and its nice to speak to people who have been in the same/similar situation :) thanks again x


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## rebecca9016

Thanks jadey, I too am livid that they didnt giver her the cerclage at 13 weeks, i feel like asking her dr exaclty how many babies he thinks its acceptable for her to lose before they start taking this seriously. I know they for the most part try and do their best but i really feel that this situation could have been avoided if it wasnt for pure neglegence. She has a cervical length scan at 16 weeks (just over 3 weeks ago) and was supposed to then be having cervical length scans every 2 weeks throughout the 2nd trimester. The consultant said that her cervix was really long and that there was no was that it would open and that she didnt need any further scans other than her routine 20 wk. My mum asked him if despite the fact that the cervix was fine at the time of scan could it open to which she was told no. My sister as a precaution following her previous loss booked a private cervial length scan which she would have had this coming tuesday. Im so angry there are no words, if she had the stitch at 13 weeks it would have stopped this but at the very least a scan a week ago would have at least given the emergency cerclage more of a chance. 

Im just preying now that the bed rest will hold things off, her baby is moving around lots which i take to be a good sign and the dr seems happy to keep her in hospital on bed rest for as long as it take, just hope so bad that she is one of the lucky ones.

Thanks so much for your reply hun, to know that it has worked out for just 1 person means that it is definitely worth trying with the bed rest :)


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## kateqpr

Hi Rebecca, 

Can you sister get internet access in the hospital? I've just spent this week in hospital on bed rest, as finding ways to distract her and pass the time will be invaluable. I had my lap top and bought internet access for a few days. Then she can join us on the forum all day every day if she wants!!

Here's a link below to the bliss messageboard - a great place to meet women who have had their babies very early on, or been in similar situations. The woman on the link i've left lost her waters at 19 weeks, but had her baby at 34, so a great bit of inspiration. 

https://www.blissmessageboard.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=14058&sid=243cdb279dcb38fb3efed6874c3a9cae

The fact that your sisters waters are still intact is great news. If she can do full on bed rest, perhaps even having her bed slightly raised at the end, then hopefully her baby can remain safely in its amniotic sac. The doctors can give her steroids from around 23 weeks,which would speed up the babies lung development to give them a much higher chance of survival if born very early. 

With bed rest, there is also a chance that the cervix could close again, and even lengthen. I guess if that happens, they could attempt a cerclage again if the cervical length seemed long enough. 

I suspect the toughest bit will be the mental worry and anxiety over the coming weeks. She's very lucky to have such a proactive and caring sister 

Good luck, and see if she can get in touch with us too...

xx


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## rebecca9016

Thanks for your reply kate, i have offered to take a lap top up for her but she said at the moment that she doesnt want it. I think if she manages to hold on and is in hospital for the next few weeks then she may let me take her 1 in so she can come online but i will be passing on all of the responses to this feed as She knows that im doing loads of reading about it for her. I have read a lot about people who have managed to hold on to their babies in the same/similar circumstances and it really does help to know that it can happen. 

She is pretty much upside down at the moment and we have her drinking around the clock as according to a lot of posts this can help prevent contractions. This is slightly worrying as she then has to urinate more frequently and its nerve wracking when she is up, but i have also read that she needs to keep her bladder empty as it adds pressure etc. 

I really do have sympathy for all of you ladies who are, or have been in this situation, it is something that so many people know little about and so have no understanding. Before my sister went through this i had no idea about these kids of problems, (i have only ever been pregnant twice, the results of which are eating my fridge as i type lol) and i know now, more than i ever did before how extreamely lucky i am and how i shouldnt ever take anything for granted. 

Good luck and i hope your bed rest doesnt drag too much, it will all be worth it in the end :)


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## emilyjade

Just popped in to say good luck to your sister and i hope everything goes okay, please keep us updated xx


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## rebecca9016

Thank you emily, il try and update and hopefully with good news, my biggest wish is that i can update when shes got to 40 weeks and has a health baby, for now we are focusing on getting to 24 weeks, which i know isnt ideal but its a goal that seems so far at the moment. 

In relation to my last post, i meant kinds of problems not kids of problems, i missed the 'n' out and it sounds awful.

Good luck to everyone, il keep u all up to date, thanks for all your help :)


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## HellBunny

I've no advice sweetie but i just want to say my thoughts are with you all, really hope your sisters baby can hang in there for as long as possible xxxx :hugs:


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## lizziedripping

Hi Rebecca, I am so sorry to hear your sister is going thought this nightmare, and like you, so angry that she was denied a stitch at 12wks and they stopped scanning at 16wks! IC only becomes a problem from 16wks onwards, before which point the baby isn't large enough to cause a problem for a weak cervix. It is a problem I see so often - Doctors refusing to place a stitch and babies being needlessly lost! I'm not sure if it's due to inexperience, and there is a genuine ignorance as to just how often IC is the cause of mid term loss and PTD. I just wish the medical profession would 'wake up' to the threat of IC because it is so easily prevented in most women.

The main problem your sister has is that her cervix has already opened, and the membranes bulged. It is less likely that her cervix will close up again, but there is a chance that it might, or at the very least it could remain open but with rest the baby could theoretically stay put for several more weeks. The main risk once the cervix is open however is infection - but again, this isn't a foregone conclusion.

I was in a similar position with my second child and was dilated with membranes bulging at 23wks. An emergency stitch was placed, and I made it another week before my waters went and my daughter poked her foot through the stitch!!! By that point I too had dilated right thru the stitch because I had gone into PTL probably as a result of the surgery and/or infection. I was lucky that by then my baby was 'viable' at 24wks and so atleast had a chance. 

Once your sister is past 25wks, the baby is larger and will not just slip out through a slightly dilated cervix (an incompetent cervix only dilates to around 3cms and needs contractions to dilate it further). After this point the IC threat is all but gone, but the threat of infection unfortunately remains. If she can just hold on til then however, there is more hope that she can go to 30wks and beyond.

Unfortunately, There are so many unknowns Hun and I wish I could be more reassuring. Some ladies do make it to near term with a dilated cervix, and a baby can quite happily 'plug the gap' for several weeks once it has reached a certain size. There are no guarantees once dilation has occurred, but I have genuinely seen women beat the odds in the most dire circumstances.

I'm sorry not to be able to offer any more help than this, but please keep us posted and if there's anything you need please ask. It sounds like your sister has a wonderful family, ready to support and help her unconditionally, I will keep you all in my thoughts tonight, and pray for a positive outcome :hugs:


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## JadeyB

Hey hon,

I hope that your sister is holding on.

I havent got much to add to what has already been said. I asked the lady that had to spend 3 months on hospital bed rest for the link to the article and she also gave this advice. She is based in australia, not sure where you are based. So not sure about the medication that she refers too.

The lady in the article is based in the uk.

Here is the link to the article. I personally would feel better about the girl on another forum having feet up bedrest and no cerclage if she is already bulging. I think when you are so far along its often the cerlage that causes rupture or infection. Without a cerclage she could rupture and last as long as 6 weeks without delivery. Just make sure she is on complete bedrest - bedpans. Stool softeners so no straining and absolutly no sitting up. Preventative nifedipine to prevent PTL. She should be on a big angle with her feet up. My doc put my bed on an angle and I got my husband to make it even more aggressive of an angle. It can only help. Its so important she stays as positive but realistic as possible. Realistic as in - this is serious so stay in bed!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/...10-weeks-lying-upside-avoid-miscarriage.htmlq

Xx


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## rebecca9016

Hi everyone,

I am just back from another day at the hospital and at the moment she is still there and baby is still inside. We have had a bit of a struggle with the nurses, she is on a gynalogical ward and the nurses just dont seem to realise how important it is that she stays in bed with her legs elevated. Its almost as if the nurses think that we are wasting our time and just prolonging the inevitable. We know that the situation doesnt look good as we arnt completly stupid but while my sister is laid feeling her baby kick around inside her there is no way that she can just walk around and let the worse happen without trying. One nurse actually said to her the best thing to do would be to "sit on a commode and wait for her baby to fall out", i think its repulsive to suggest that, and while we only have a slim chance, their attitudes are really not helping my sister any. Her consultant has said to her that she will almost definitely miscarry but he must think we have a tiny chance to have ordered her on bed rest, he actually told us to make the hospital room as comfy as possible as we are in for the long run and he also said that with some women who have had their membrains exposed as my sisters are, their membrains have hardened up due to being outside the womb, he said in some cases they have had trouble breaking the membrains when the lady went into labour. Im taking this as a good sign and despite the nurses we are trying to stay positive and focused and ensure that she is laid, legs elevated unless she absolutly has to get up.

We always makes sure that one of us is with her 24 hours a day and we have getting from the bed for her to use her bed pan and back to being with her legs in the air down to 90 seconds so the time she is up is limited. She is being given stool softeners and opened her bowels today, which is good as she was understandably so worried about going. Today the nurse said she needed to sit in a chair while they changed the bedding so to get the best use of the precious time she was up, we put the chair under the shower and washed her hair which has made her feel much better.

We are trying not to think about the risk of infection as we dont have much control over that, just keeping everything crossed that she doesnt get an infection and putting all of our efforts into keeping her laid with her legs elevated. I know she is struggling a bit as she is suffering from really bad heart burn but we have bought so gaviscon today so hoping that helps. 

She has also said that the baby has been less active today and im just preying that it isnt a sign that contractions are going to start. the dr came and heard the heart beat and so far she has no bleeding and no pain so just hoping that all is going to stay as it is. My sister is really worried that her waters are slowly leaking and that today is going to be the last day, im really hoping that is not the case and we know its to be expected that she is going to get down moments laid as she is, just hoping that everything will remain the same.

Anyway, another day has gone and now only 27 days until our 24 week milestone that we are so desperately trying to reach. Thanks everyone for the posts, it really does help :)


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## kateqpr

Rebecca, 

you're being brilliant - really doing everything you can for your sister. I think the trouble is most hospitals won't put her in a maternity ward until she's nearer 24 weeks, but maybe the consultant can see if this can be changed? 

It must be so mentally exhausting for your sister - i really feel for her. It must be the worst mental torture, not knowing how things will turn out. I send you all my love and good luck - it can be done, with a combination of hard work (which you're all doing) and a bit of luck.


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## rebecca9016

Thanks hun, they are hoping to move her to a maternity ward tomorrow as she is 20 weeks tomorrow which is when the mat ward will take her so hopefully they will have more understanding of the situation. I know that she is going through hell mentally and everytime i feel tired i try and remind myself how much worse it is for her. Im turning into a bit of a hitler with the bed situation, i had an argument with the nurse after asking for a bed pan which she can use while in bed and im ordering everyone who comes into the room to hand wash and to make sure they are washing them properly, but hey it really doesnt matter what they think of me. My mum and her partner are in with her overnight tonight and im relieving them in the morning, the nurses are getting funny about us staying but she needs us. If they understood how important her bed rest is then maybe we would have the confidence to let them do her toilet trips, but as it is we are staying put.

I hope you are doing ok hun and not too fed up with your bedrest, every day is 1 day less the baby will spend in intensive care. I have never been on bedrest so i know its easy for me to say but from what ive read it is so valuable in most cases and i continue to prey that it will save my sister and everyone else who uses the forum while on bed rest xx


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## JadeyB

Ah hon, you are amazing. Your sister is so lucky to have you fighting in her corner.

Praying that she gets through at least another 4 weeks. Hopefully another 8. 

Xx


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## Bump1

Hi Rebecca

So glad youve posted an update, great news that your sister is still staying strong and its so lovely that she has a sister as strong as you, it really helps, you sound like my sister xx

Make sure you take no notice of those nurses they absolutley no idea, she will be much better down on the maternity ward.

Send her my love i am thinking of her and little one xxx


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## emilyjade

That nurse should be ashamed of herself what a disgusting thing to say. Your sister sounds like she is doing amazing, hope baby can stay up for as long as possible. Thanks for the update :) Fingers crossed she gets on mat ward tomorrow GL x


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## Bride2b

Rebecca you sound amazing & I'm sure everything your doing is helping your sister. I have no words of advice,but think so of the others on here have given great advice from their experiences. I just want to send loads of love and luck to you all,I hope everything turns out ok. Don't let the stupid nurses get you down. I found most of the midwives in maternity fabulous when I was in there and I hope your sister gets looked after properly,don't let her get bullied into anything by doctors who think they know best,her body will make the decisions about when the baby needs to come into this world.

Loads of love xxx


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## rebecca9016

I have just come on to say thank you to everyone who has posted advice and support. My sister had her baby this morning and is now quite poorly with an infection, i dont want to go into too much detail as later when the time is right i am going to see if she will come on this forum and write her story herself, as it is her story to tell and i know how beneficial it can be in the grieving process. 

I wish everyone soo much luck and thank you all so much for your kind words, i am totally devastated for my sister and her partner but i took so much positivity from everyone who has posted and felt that it was the right thing for me to come on and update you all.


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## emilyjade

rebecca9016 said:


> I have just come on to say thank you to everyone who has posted advice and support. My sister had her baby this morning and is now quite poorly with an infection, i dont want to go into too much detail as later when the time is right i am going to see if she will come on this forum and write her story herself, as it is her story to tell and i know how beneficial it can be in the grieving process.
> 
> I wish everyone soo much luck and thank you all so much for your kind words, i am totally devastated for my sister and her partner but i took so much positivity from everyone who has posted and felt that it was the right thing for me to come on and update you all.


Im so sorry for all you family Rebecca, im thinking of you all at such a hard time. Hopefully you sister will one day join the forum there is many of people here what could support her whos been through similar things. I wish you all well. :hugs:


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## JadeyB

Ah honey, I'm so sorry. 

That really is the news I didn't want to read.

You are so right, it really does help the greiving process. I hope that when the time is right for your sister that she comes to speak to us.

I also got a nasty infrection after my waters had broken and my baby had died. My thoughts are with your sister, you and all of your family.

xx


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## Bride2b

I'm so sorry :hugs:. I hate reading on here that this has happened to someone else. You are right, this place is AMAZING support for those of us who have been in the same situation as your sister. I frequent the Second Trimester Losses section as I have recently lost a baby (6 weeks tomorrow) and I believe its due to an incompetent cervix - which is why I come here to try and read up ready for my results (which I get tomorrow). I really hope your sister finds her way here - I know its not for everyone, but it really does help talking to others & getting advice for the next time. I know she is probably not thinking about next time yet, but this is a scary thing to happen & wanting to try to avoid it in the future is terribly scary! There are MANY people on here who have gone on to have future successful pregnancies. This doesnt replace the babies she has lost, but it proves that there can be a happy ending. I hope she finds her happy ending soon. I wish you :hugs: too as you have been amazing support for here.xx


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## olga2424

Hi Rebecca, I am in tears as I type this message....Am so sorry for what your sister has been through as this is exactly what I went through my self at 19 + 5 days. I read your story yesterday and was really routing and hoping for a positive out come for her:hugs:.

Your sisters story really touched my heart as it was very identical to what exactly i went through this time last year @ exactly the same gestation as her + being pressured by the Dr.s to terminate my baby when she still had a heart beat.

Again I don't even know what to say as i really do feel her pain, I will pray for her and her husband. you are such a wonderful sister to her and hopefully if she's well and strong enough to come on here we can give her all the love and support....we will be here for her!
Olga


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## siidear

I will try to find out for you. I also have a friend through another forum who had the exact treatment.


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