Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[ChovieGirl]

I've been a little strange in this pregnancy as I've not spent too much time thinking about the baby - if that makes sense. Because my cervix length had remained the same for a couple of readings and my consultant said not too worry I did start to think about names etc. The day before my 20 week scan I came up with my list of name and allowed myself to get excited. The next day in the scan we had the bad news about funnelling and reduced cervix length. I change the subject when people try to talk to me about the sex or names etc. I think I'm just too scared!

Anyway only 7 days til my cervical scan.

This baby feels a lot lower than my two boys. It kicks really low - I can't remember Leo and Arthur kicking this low but then again I wasn't so terrified in those pregnancies. Does anyone know when the baby should move further up?

LindyB-
I can totally relate on trying not to let myself get too excited; however the further along I get, the harder it is not too. We are still undecided on names, nursery decor, etc. I haven't even announced on Facebook that I am pregnant. I might actually do that tomorrow since I will be 24 weeks! I say allow yourself to be excited with the reality that things can go wrong in life, anything can, but we cannot worry about tomorrow. (I try to tell myself this, but at times easier said than done lol). I know my worries make me feel miserable at times and just makes pregnancy seem really hard. I want instant results! I am afraid that if I buy stuff too early or let myself get completely excited that i will somehow jinks things. I know in the back of my head this is not true and that things will happen one way or the other no matter what I do. Take baby steps. I believe you/we will know and feel comfortable to do these things when the time is right.

Yay for cervical scan!!! I hate the waiting time in between appointments.

I have felt my baby kick pretty low at times. I think this is normal. I have noticed that since I hit about 23 weeks, he has moved up some, but before that he still felt pretty low. In fact, now I feel sometimes as if he is all over the place...real low and sometimes more near my belly button.

 

[LindyB]

Congratulations on 24 weeks tomorrow! You are just one day ahead of me!

 

[DMJ]

Thank you ladies for your replies xx

 

[LaRockera]

LaRockera-
I guess I was just given them as a preventative measure. It seems like my doctor really seems to want to take every precaution possible since my cervix seems to fluctuate and is funneling some.

That's brilliant- my doctor in Greece was like that, too. He took every precaution to the point of exaggeration, but better be safe than sorry, right?

I also had a very good private doc in the UK, too.

I'm sure it will all be fine, hon!

 

[sunkiss]

hello ladies

just wanted to give a quick update n let u know i am back home from the hospital since last friday on the 13th !! spent 8 long weeks there on strict hospital bedrest but thank God we made it !! even with a crappy cervix my stitch held my baby n still holding, im so happy to have made it to 32 weeks, now i know my little girl will make it, we r not completely out the woods but moving closer to ditching the stitch @ 36 gives me so much relief whew!! i never got a cervix length check in the hospital cause they didnt want to disturb anything since i was funneled slightly pass my stitch at .08 n 1 cm dilated, i know i loss my mucus plug there too but i feel like it came back, i tell u i dont feel pressure on my stitch the way i did when i was admitted, i wouldnt be surprised if my cervix grew in length, i have a f/u tomorrow so we will see if they even bother checking...at 34 weeks i can go on modified bedrest n at 36 completely off, so close n cant wait to meet those milestones, i still would luv her to stay in at least til 37 which is term but i feel so much better knowing she has a great chance if born now!! ladies i never thought i would see 32 weeks so please hold on cause it can really happen, i know how nerve wrecking this whole thing can be n u will worry no matter what but dont give up hope n keep praying, wish u all well n will update again soon

hope all is well with u millie, please update soon

i included a pic of me at my baby shower this past sat, the day after i got out the hospital, it was so nice to be around ppl again n enjoy my pregnancy without all the worry !!

 

[Natalie_3]

sunkiss, really great news! i look forward to the day i can breathe easier knowing the baby is 32 weeks! you're an inspiration to me as i lay here in bed at only 21+5 weeks.

 

[chistiana]

Sunkiss- that s great news hun!!! Well done!! Only five weeks to term! I think you can start enjoying this pg now! Congratulations again and cant wait to hear from you again, especially after stitch removal!

 

[LaRockera]

Sunkiss - I'm so very happy for you, hon.

 

[ChovieGirl]

Sunkiss-
Great picture! I am glad things are working out well for you.

 

[JJEE]

Sunkiss!

Yay, so great to hear from you! So pleased your bubba has stayed put! You look fab! xxx

 

[LindyB]

Excellent news Sunkiss! I am so pleased for you! You look lovely! I'm so glad you can relax and enjoy your pregnancy now - you really deserve it.

 

[Natalie_3]

Even before I got pregnant, I was already planning my baby shower. I had visions of having a really fun gender reveal party so that all our friends and family could find out the sex of the baby at the same time. My plans sort of fizzled ever since I've been put on strict bed rest when the threat of IC and pre-term labor became evident. So now I'm torn between wanting a baby shower to celebrate this new baby (by the way, this isn't my first baby) and making sure this baby stays safe. I love planning parties so this is such a bummer. I'm now considering waiting until at least 34 weeks to have the party (yikes I'll be HUGE!), or having a Sip and See (an idea that's completely new to me, but apparently they do this in the South a lot.)

Wondering what every else has planned, or not planned?

 

[ChovieGirl]

Even before I got pregnant, I was already planning my baby shower. I had visions of having a really fun gender reveal party so that all our friends and family could find out the sex of the baby at the same time. My plans sort of fizzled ever since I've been put on strict bed rest when the threat of IC and pre-term labor became evident. So now I'm torn between wanting a baby shower to celebrate this new baby (by the way, this isn't my first baby) and making sure this baby stays safe. I love planning parties so this is such a bummer. I'm now considering waiting until at least 34 weeks to have the party (yikes I'll be HUGE!), or having a Sip and See (an idea that's completely new to me, but apparently they do this in the South a lot.)

Wondering what every else has planned, or not planned?

I have not planned a shower yet; however, I have been told I might have a couple - One with work and one with close friends and family. I am thinking somewhere between 28 and 32 weeks. Maybe 30? Right in the middle. I am excited to have a baby shower! I have been to sooo many others from work and they always end up with tons of cute stuff!

I think around 30 or 32 weeks my doctor might allow me to go to a baby shower as long as I do not get up much or lift heavy things. I also thought about having both or at least one of the showers at my house to save me from going anywhere.

I have never heard of the Sip and See idea (I am from the south minus the heavy southern accent...at least I think...hehe) but it sounds like a good idea...especially depending on how early baby comes.

Either way - - Super exciting!

 

[Natalie_3]

I'm right behind you at 22 weeks! I agree, you'll get some really cute stuff at your shower. And lucky you, you'll have two showers. That's something to look forward to! =)

 

[LindyB]

Today was supposed to be my last day at work and my colleagues were planning one. Even before the funnelling etc I was going to ask them to wait as I'm not quite 24 weeks. I'm a teacher and the 6 weeks summer holidays start today so I might go in after the holidays - maybe 32 weeks? They have been very generous with my other baby showers. Saying that though this will be my third shower so they might be a bit fed up with me!

I have to say thank you to you Americans for the baby shower idea - just brilliant!

Whats sip and see?

 

[Emerald87]

Hi ladies. I'm a long-term stalker of this thread. I've only posted once and haven't again since because everything has still been in limbo for many weeks. I've been wishing everyone the best and crossing fingers that everyone's pregnancies turn out perfectly.

I'm just reaching out for some advice if I may? I cannot seem to find the answers anywhere (my textbooks, online, paper etc.) so I'm hoping those with practical experience will help.
I had a TVU to investigate cervical changes secondary to frequent BHs and some recent bleeding. My cervix appears to be between 3.02cm and 3.3 cm, with and without fundal pressure, respectively. However the scan appears to show some internal OS funnelling (U-shaped) approximately 7.5mm wide and about 10mm deep (I can upload a picture if requested).
The sonnographer said it appeared to be funnelling to her but the OB (who wasn't very helpful and laughed at me when I cried; I vow never to be a doctor like that) said it isn't - yet he would not provide an explanation as to why this anomaly, which looks like funnelling, is not actually funnelling?

So... my question is, can you have funnelling with a still-normal length cervix, thus rendering this a "pseudofunnelling"? Or is this, in fact, funnelling regardless of my cervix being still sufficiently long? Am I at a risk of PTL?

Thanks ladies, muchly appreciated.

 

[JJEE]

Hi Emerald,

Welcome to the thread

This is all still pretty new to me so I don't really know the answers to your questions, but I am pretty sure you can have funneling with a normal length cervix, my first cervical scan at 14weeks, I measured 2.9cm, I was asked to come back the following week and it was measuring 2.8cm with funneling. My cervix was slightly shorter than normal then, I was prescribed Progesterone and basically told to rest as much as possible.

How many weeks are you now?

I am sure some of the more knowledgeable ladies will answer your questions in more detail!

xx

 

[LaRockera]

Emerald - I had a stitch due to a v-shaped funneling at 12 weeks(stitch placed at 13+3) without a previous loss. My cervix was 3.75cm approximately post-cerclage, but reached 48mm at 20-27 weeks, and started to shorten again afterwards, as it should have normal have done. (I ended up having a c-section due to low levels of amniotic fluid, with bubba still high in there). So, not sure if this is similar to your case, but it turned out that my funneling didn't cause my cervix to shorten.

However, I would still demand regular TVUs. My doc thought the chances of anything going wrong were minimal, but did place the stitch in anyway, to avoid any nasty surprises.

As for the doctor laughing at your phase, I'm pretty well-known round here for my great antipathy towards doctors that are inconsiderate, complacent and bad professionals, so I would recommend you filed a complain and demand change of doctor- or if you're in private healthcare, simply change docs.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi Lindy, I am fairly certain that resting will not make your vv any better or worse necessarily. I didn't get them at all, but if your sister has had them then it might be that the women in your family are prone, and as such there is little you can do to avoid it. It is true that they disappear soon after pregnancy in most cases, your sisters' case being unusual and probably rare. I didn't have support tights on bed rest, but I did try to elevate my legs as much as possible - this might help you to keep vv at bay

Emerald, welcome back

Glad to see that your cervix is still holding strong at 26wks despite the changes. In theory 'pseudo funneling' is possible in the sense that some women have funneling/dilation but manage to carry to term perfectly well with no further changes as you are currently proving. It does increase your risks of ptl on paper, BUT in reality there are likely hundreds of women in a similar position who are completely unaware they have funneling and sail blissfully unaware all the way to term.

Your consultant is being typically non-committal on the subject probably because she ultimately cannot predict the outcome, and can only 'wait and see'. this is an infuriatingly common reaction in my experience mainly because there is nothing else that can be done except to let things unfold (unless of course clinicians are prepared to place a stitch before 24wks).

I would say that if your cervix is funneled but still a good length, and it has remained like that for several weeks then it's likely you'll stay that way for a good while longer. Are you still experiencing bh and bleeding? There is evidence which says that funneling and/or cervical shortening can predict ptl, but I and many other ladies had funneling from early on but this didn't trigger labour necessarily - albeit I did have stitch, but stitching does no prevent ptl only 'silent' cervical dilation.

Yours may well be a dynamic cervix which is has 'given way' as your uterus has stretched, but because of its apparent stability over several weeks this bodes well for the future. Having increasingly strong, regular contractions however is a seperate issue which is less predictable.

I'd recommend resting because your cervix is obviously exhibiting some weakness under pressure, but as I say if all women were internally scanned throughout pregnancy, I am sure there would be many more so called 'pseudo funneling' which is unexplained and essentially harmless. Hope that helps xx

Sunkiss - You look so radiant and happy in your photo, well done you xxx

 

[Emerald87]

Thanks ladies.

Lizzie - thank you and, as usual, you are very knowledgeable - are you in the field? I actually have had another bleed again tonight; I did have a spec and swab done today (repeat as they mislabelled my first - no worries) so that may be the source but it was pink blood suggesting it was a bit more fresh than from early today; I suppose I might just be a bit damaged and it's currently bleeding. I have an irritable uterus so the BHs aren't unusual and they're a bit more calm today which is very nice
I also loathe the "wait and see" approach because it's not appropriate when you're dealing with a life however in this circumstance I wouldn't mind "waiting" if he'd just frikkin explain what was seen. If I simply got a "sure, it's funnelling, but you'll likely be ok" I'd be more relieved because I'd know to take it easy and keep an eye on myself. The fact nothing was explained has just frustrated and confused me to no end. Where do I go from here? What do I do? Who do I call if I'm unsure?
I actually went back into the centre today to ask to speak to someone (including, if I had to, the specialist himself) just to get things straight. I'm in a better frame of mind than I was yesterday (utter panic) so I could have asked straightforward questions. Unfortunately for me they were in their specialists meeting all afternoon - I did manage to convince the receptionist to print some of my cervix photos (I was only given a report) so I could ask some other doctors. I'd prefer to ask an OB but seriously, anyone who will listen will do right now.

LaRockera, I was planning to seek a second opinion on Monday but due to the extra bleeding tonight I'm going to seek someone tomorrow (a Saturday; I don't like my chances). Either way I'm going to try and find someone. Problem is he's one of the specialists for the Maternal Foetal Medicine at my hospital and the leader of my "Group C care team" - another issue is if I choose to do my internship at the Mater Hospital he's also potentially my future boss and could make my professional life hell. Monday is his day off so I'm guaranteed to avoid him on Monday when I go back in.
DH and I have agreed in any case that I will be going back to get another TVU in 2 weeks. My GP is amazing and will happily give me a request form for it; I just have to find a good sonnographer. I also have a regular growth scan scheduled for 30 weeks and I will ask the sonnographer (who is a friend) to check it via TVU then also. I would ordinarily just get a request form to go to that place but unfortunately it's private and costs me $375 per scan - something which I can fork out on occasion but not regularly.

JJEE - I'm 26 weeks. I will be taking it easy as much as possible; problem is, as you would all know here, the "practicalities" of taking it easy - washing still must be done, food must be made and we're trying to work in the nursery which involves light lifting, cleaning and painting etc. If I can make another 6 weeks I'll feel more relieved.

I seem to get the impression though that even if it is funnelling, I'll likely be OK for at least another a couple of weeks. As others have expressed on here it is the fear of the uncertain and the possibility of huge changes in small amounts of time. I illogically panic that I'm going to go into PTL within hours rather than weeks and it's something I try to overcome but it keeps creeping back. The part that scares me is I had a scan around 23-24 weeks; merely 2-3 weeks ago which, although was transabdominal, appeared fine. I don't like sudden changes...