Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[ChovieGirl]

So I have been taking Nexium for about a week now, which has really helped my heartburn; however, now I am being plagued with the worst constipation ever!!! I am trying to eat lots of fiber, drink lots of water and even at times take a stool softener, but it is not helping much. Any other advice? Do you think the Nexium is causing me to become more constipated? I am concerned about the straining while having a cerclage, but nothing I have tried is working so far to help.

 

[LindyB]

I find I don't go regularly if I don't have my all bran in the morning. It's just a high fibre cereal - a bit bland tasting. I have just started to get a bit more heartburn but haven't needed to take anything yet. I had it terribly in my last pregnancy and its awful when it stops you sleeping etc. I was being nosey and googled nexium and it says one of the side effects is diahrrohea so it probably isn't that. It sounds like you are doing everything you can! You'll have to check with your doctor or midwife. I have mentioned straining with a stitch to my midwife and she says it won't cause a problem. I had a look on a diagram online and your bowel and stuff is quite far away from your cervix so it will be ok.

 

[Alisa F]

I saw this pic up on the toilet wall when I was in hospital after my stitch and since ive been using this sitting on the toilet position I haven't been constipated since (knock on wood don't want to jinx it). https://www.mstrust.org.uk/interactive/chatrooms/images/sitting.jpg

 

[LindyB]

I've never seen that before!

 

[Alisa F]

Sorry this is the actual pic from hospital https://www.fuzzyleftovers.com/blog/images/bowelmovement.jpg

I have a permanent little foot stool next to the loo

 

[ChovieGirl]

That is too funny! I might just have to try it.

It is crazy...so many women make pregnancy look so easy. In my opinion...I don't think so. Of course, being considered "high risk" and having a low pain/discomfort tolerance does not help.

Hopefully we will be laughing about some of this stuff afterwards.

 

[Emerald87]

Yeh, Nexium slows gut motility contributing to increased water absorption and thus constipation. It's sometimes given for diarrhea off label.

 

[yellowyamyam]

Hello everyone,

Just a general question to all of you. Anyone had a 2nd TVC in following pregnancy after having a failed #1? My consultant isn't keen on me having a transabdominal cerclage. He suggested to try another TVC should I fall pregnant again... but only when it is absolutely necessary. I had the stitch when I was 12+5 but MC 5 days after. So in my next one, he suggested to take antibiotics + progesterone and weekly cervix monitoring and only stitch me up if I really need it.

What do you think? Should I go for it?

*sigh*

 

[LaRockera]

ChovieGirl- I've been constipated pretty much throughout my whole pregnancy, and found out that figs and kiwi fruit do the trick. Kiwis are notorious for sending you to the loo, give them a shot. They work far better than anything you'll get from the chemist's.

yellowyamyam-hi, hon. I know nothing of transabdominal cerclages, Lizzie may know more, but here are my thoughts on this. In my understanding, elective cerclages are usually placed between week 13 and 17. Before week 13, the chance of m/c is still higher compared to the other trimesters, and so they will not stitch you up in case it causes more problems than it solves. Sounds like that was the case for you, and I'm really sorry for your loss, hon.

Without being an expert, and without knowing much about your case, sounds like a normal TVC can help you. Monitoring your cervix is a great idea, but I would push for an elective cerclage early on if your consultant is resistant, before 16 weeks. Lizzie will be able to help you a lot more than me on this one though. My layman suggestion is to listen to him and stick to the scans but push for a cerclage before 16 weeks if there's the slightest worry. It's far better to have an elective cerclage than an emergency one, and he should not take any chances.

 

[Alisa F]

Yellow – I’m so sorry for your loss. This is only my first stitch so I can’t offer any advice. Although I wonder why you had the stitch in the first place – were you diagnosed with cervical weakness?

I noticed you’re in London so I can only suggest to you what I already did before I had my stitch which was to seek out a few experts and talk to them to get their opinion.

I saw the following people on NHS who after a bit of research I found were the most experienced in TVC in London (*most of them will speak to you on the phone for free, so if you can’t get appointments with them, email them your history in say point form to make it easier and follow up with a call);

Mr Nick Wales at Chelsea and Westminster:He is very experienced at TVC and especially TAC. He wanted to do a TAC on me but I always hoped that if it was possible to have vaginal delivery I could have the option, whereas with TAC its obviously guaranteed c-section (I’ve got a uterine malformation which means 95% probability my baby will be breech so rules out vaginal delivery but I’m holding on to that little chance of vag delivery).

Prof Shennan at Guys St Thomas:He is also considered a stitch boffin. He spoke to me on the phone for about 30 mins or more without an appointment, after he read my history which I emailed him. He is more conservative and suggested I have TVC rather than TAC. He might have a similar opinion to your doc but worth maybe a chat with him.

Prof Phillip Bennett at Queen Charlotte’s:I only spoke to him after my stitch, now that I’m having my antenatal care at QC’s. He is LOVELY and very respected and does TACs and TVCs all the time. I wanted to have my stitch with him but couldn’t get into his clinic before 12 weeks when I needed my stitch hence why I had it at St Mary’s where I was already an existing patient.

Good luck xxx

 

[Hopeful 4 #1]

Hi girls. Just wondering if any of u had increased discharge after cerclage?! Mine was done on the 7th of this month, for past few days I have had more diacharge than normal. Just wondering if that is the norm or not.

 

[LaRockera]

Hi girls. Just wondering if any of u had increased discharge after cerclage?! Mine was done on the 7th of this month, for past few days I have had more diacharge than normal. Just wondering if that is the norm or not.

Ha. Lizzie's gonna laugh big time with this. Because for the six months following my cerclage, my constant obsession here was that I was leaking amniotic fluid-the discharge was that bad.

You can get litmus ph test from ebay to check if it's amniotic fluid or simple discharge (however litmus tests can't tell the difference between urine and af).

If you're in any doubt bug your mw for tests, but to answer your question, yes, increased discharge is absolutely the case with a cerclage on.

 

[Hopeful 4 #1]

Ah thanks. I think I may need to go hosp for a swab. TMI but I have smelt the discharge n it stinks! Seems to be tinged a lil yellow too. Ughhhh

 

[LaRockera]

Yellow discharge can be normal, but stinky discharge my be a sign of trouble. So do get checked out asap and in the meantime eat a lot of yogurt, and cut the sugar out. You can also try probiotic tablets, I was told they were safe and was taking them (ask your doc anyway).

Let us know the results.

 

[Hopeful 4 #1]

Thanks I will do! Not getting to hosp till 9pm as I need to wait for hubby to stay with LO. Dont fancy dragging him there. Will let u know what they say. I am so scared of anything going up there tho.

 

[Hopeful 4 #1]

Oh n i have currently got oral thrush from the antibiotics they gave me after cerclage. Doubt that could do anything though.

 

[yellowyamyam]

LaRockera - I lost baby #1 at 16 + 5. I was told it was due to bacteria infection from IC. Hence the TVC, antibiotics & progesterone suppositories with baby #2. As I've lost baby #1 at such early stage, my consultant stitched me up right after my NT scan confirming everything was on track. He has no doubt that it was again due to bacteria infection that caused my 2nd miscarriage. My cervix was only 1.5cm and signs of funneling when I was stitched up. It is these 2 words - BACTERIA INFECTION that made my consultant isn't keen on me having TAC. He wants me to try out with just the medications and hope they would work for me without the stitch as any surgeries down there will intro more bacteria. When I had my stitch at 12+5, I had only started week 1/6 of Progesterone. *sigh* Sorry for not explaining my story in earlier post.

Alisa F - I've been in touched with Prof Bennett and currently waiting for my referral to go through to him. He briefly explained that TAC and (again) BACTERIA INFECTION aren't as straight forward as plain IC. But thank you so much for the list of doctors. I've heard of Dr Wales from another forum... plenty of good feedback.

For now, I think I will just go curl up in a hole and rot. Thanks for reading, everyone. Appreciate it... as always, this forum with you ladies are awesome.

 

[LaRockera]

yellowyamyam- I'm so, so, so very sorry to hear about all this. I am clueless as to what is right at this point, but Lizzie may be able to help. Maybe you can scan through the thread from the beginning? Have you tried going privately, can you afford it? Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right specialist for you. Hope it all goes well with this pregnancy and life gives you a break, sweetheart.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hello everyone,

Just a general question to all of you. Anyone had a 2nd TVC in following pregnancy after having a failed #1? My consultant isn't keen on me having a transabdominal cerclage. He suggested to try another TVC should I fall pregnant again... but only when it is absolutely necessary. I had the stitch when I was 12+5 but MC 5 days after. So in my next one, he suggested to take antibiotics + progesterone and weekly cervix monitoring and only stitch me up if I really need it.

What do you think? Should I go for it?

*sigh*

Hi yellow Did you get a reason for your miscarriage? Am I right in thinking your cervix dilated silently and implied very early cervical incompetence or have I got that completely wrong? There is a very small, theoretical risk of miscarriage after cerclage, but it's rare and not likely to happen again.

Is your doc suggesting that for you the stitch is now too high risk, caused the mc and so he want to wait and see? It's fair enough for him to take that line, but if they do need to stitch again in response to an already changing cervix, this will likely increase the risk of mc further, if indeed you are prone to stitch-related infection.

I'm with LR when she advises pushing for a stitch sooner rather than later. It might be advisable to have a chat with the brilliant list of 'experts' providedby Alisa regarding the possible causes of your latest loss and from there make a more informed choice asto the best course of action. If you did miscarry because your cervix exhibited very early changes due to weakness, then it might be better for you to co sider a TAC - which has a brilliant success rate for women in whom a TVC has failed.

Refresh me on exactly the pattern of your last pregnancy, with as much detail as possible Hun, and I'll be able to comment more specifically

 

[lizziedripping]

Howdid you get on last night Hope? I didn't have increased discharge after stitch, but yours doesn't sound like af to me. Hope all is ok xx