Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[mpg1502]

Well almost two years to the day I am back....!

I began this thread two years ago when I was pregnant with my first baby and went into threatened labour at 23 weeks, they did an emergency stitch at 24 weeks and all went well!

Well I am now 12 weeks pregnant with no.2 and I am going in on Friday to have a stitch. My cervix is already down to 2cm. But this time it will hopefully prevent all the dramas I had last time. They are going to put me under a general anaesthetic so they can get two stitches in this time (top of cervix and bottom) this should hold fast and give us a lot better chance (last time my cervix was down to 1cm at the front and 0cm at the back so they did what they could... but it still held to 37 weeks!!).

I am hopeful for a good outcome but dying to get it over and done with, ignorance was bliss last time and I find myself more nervous this time round.

Interestingly the consultant said that if I had come to him earlier he would have put in an abdominal stitch prior to pregnancy which apparently gives you a 95% better chance. If only I had known!

So any of you out there that know you may have a cervical problem and are thinking of getting pregnant, speak to your Gynae and see if they will do an abdominal TAC which is the best option.

So its fingers and legs crossed for Friday !!!

Good luck to all

xxx

 

[Alisa F]

mpg - congrats on your second preg, glad youre having the stitch ealier

I'm in London too, may i ask who is your consultant who has offered you TAC? I'm thinking of TAC in future preg and am making note of all the consultants confident in TAC, as there arent that many...

 

[HelenGee]

Hi Ladies,

Many apologies for my long absence, I have been keeping up-to-date with all of your situations and I've been rooting for you all, even though you haven't known it.

MPG - hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it. It's so fab that you are pregnant and at the 12 week mark, and a stitch (or 2!) will be a mark of relief for you as the circumstances are less distressing than the first time around. Your consultant sounds brilliant, I just wish we could call them up as soon as we get a positive test, instead of fighting through midwives and receptionists! Wishing you the very best of luck for Friday and a calm pregnancy. It's almost 2 years to the day that I had my stitch done and you and Lizzie were the only beacons of hope in the world for me. I sat reading your post on my phone in the hospital, post-stitch and in shock. I hope we can be the same support for you

Congrats to Sunkiss and Bookfish on the arrival of their babies (yes, it's been that long). Sending you lots of love and huge squeezes of the babies (OMG, I am getting broody!).

Millybert- how are you? I don't think you're far from me.....I hope you've got your stitch sorted....ahhh the NHS eh? I cried, stamped my feet, howled and then refused to leave until I was given a TVU at New Cross Hospital.

Thank God for Lizzie on this thread, I'm sorry that I've been unreliable recently. I'm hoping to rectify that from now on as I've missed you all so much.

Katece- I am lost for words and so struck by your heart ache. It is so very unfair that you lost your precious baby, but you must know that you did everything you humanly, possibly could to save her. IC is so cruel and is difficult to witness in action, it is sometimes just sheer luck and it is not fair that luck wasn't on your side. I am so very sorry and wish you strength and comfort. You could not have done anything better, differently or quicker. Much love

ICH - what an nightmare you are living through my sweet. Have you called maternity triage? Just for info, I lost my mucous plug gradually from week 8 onwards. I had a brown, bloody, snotty discharge which i also had at the same time in my first totally normal pregnancy. By week 15 it was creamy and thick, by week 20 I had my stitch in place and I'm assuming it had all gone. The stitch will hold, even if the cervix buckles a little and loses the plug. When the doctors ask about bleeding, they are really concerned about painful, persistent and heavy bleeding. However, it doesn't hurt to get it checked out. Good luck and please keep us posted.

I'm going to re-read posts tonight and see what I've missed and if I can help at all. Sorry again, please bear with me, normal service will be resumed soon xxxx

 

[lch28]

thank you hun. i think it scares me so much because before i lost Sophia i was losing my mucus plug. my doctors (old ones) said it wasn't bloody so they wouldnt check me even though i kept asking. then i went into ptl. my dr said if it doesnt stop by tomrow to come in. he also pointed out that the last time it happened it was after an internal exam and that maybe its the left overs of the lubricant he uses or something

 

[baby_maybe]

Hi mpg, good luck for your stitch on Friday.

Lch - I hope everything is well with you and that the mucus you are loosing isn't anything ominous, definitely take your docs advice and get checked out tomorrow if its still there. Like Helen said the suture will hold even if you funnel, it's only regular painful contractions that will dilate your cervix through the suture

AFM - I'm back from having my suture this morning and so far everything seems to be ok. I am sore in the lower tummy area and also have some spotting which I know is normal I just don't like it! Can anyone who's had a stitch done recently remind me how long it's normal to have the spotting for? I'm also keeping a close eye for leaking fluid, I know extra paranoid but I don't want to take any chances. I had a bit of fluid on my first pad after the surgery this afternoon and they couldn't identify what exactly it was, could of been from theatre or might have been urine as I couldn't feel my bladder until quite late on in the day, so that made me slightly worried about fluid leaking, but so far none of my pads have been wet and in fact the spotting hasn't made it on to any of them either, just when I wipe on the toilet. I'm hoping it eases off soon and I can't start enjoying being pg again, knowing that the suture should hold my cervix quite successfully as it has done in the past

 

[bluestarlight]

Awesome job with the triplets WTB!! Keep 'em cooking

 

[lch28]

baby_maybe glad your stitch went well hun. i really only spotted for 1 day but i have read people spotting for up to a week. it should go from red to pink to brown.

 

[baby_maybe]

I didn't spot very much last time I had one, just have a feeling this one will take a bit longer to settle down! It's already gone almost pinky so I'm hoping it is only 2-3 days, but I can handle a bit longer as long as it goes the right way! Also tmi but I'm really scared to poop right now, I don't want to keep it in cos obviously that will just make me constipated and make it worse, but I'm just too worried today to really make an effort to go!
Last pregnancy I used to just wait until I really needed to go, so I think I might have to employ the same tactic this time round. I'm sure once the spotting has settles down I won't be as worried about it!

 

[lch28]

thats what i do i wait until i have to go ASAP and then its uhh soft. lol.

 

[baby_maybe]

Sometimes when you get worried about the stitch I think it's the only way to be to be honest

 

[angel229]

Hi baby_maybe.
I spotted for about 4 days after my emergency 1 before it settled down x

 

[baby_maybe]

Well today I'm not as sore, which is great and the spotting has definitely started slowing down, also great. Hopefully in a couple of days time I'll be feeling more myself again

 

[lizziedripping]

Hey baby - spotting is very normal after stitch placement. I had spotting equivalent to a light period for a few days, then brown bleeding for up to a week. It was surprisingly light and I had expected more. Yours sounds fine - glad it went well sweet xx

Ich - I'd be surprised if you were losing mucus plug, but don't ignore your unease and demand that they take a look. Bear in mind tho that I had lots of symptoms after the elective cerclage which mimicked Evie's premature birth at 24wks after an emergency stitch, which is why I was so terrified! None of those symptoms meant anything sinister at all however, it was normal pregnancy aches and pains, stitch related discharge and the presence of the the cerclage which caused some uterine irritability. This is still more likely to be harmless than anything to do with another ptl honey xx

Helen - wonderful to have you back, and please don't apologise for being away I have just sat down now to reply to you pm, so give me a moment and you'll get to read my no doubt waffly reply lol xxx

Angel, if you feel ok to do the school run then Do it darlin'! I attempted it a few times at around 24/25wks but felt grim during and after it (my school run took an hour round trip tho), so I daren't do it any more. It was for me more about carrying large twins than my cervix however, and being upright for more than 10mins felt like they would fall out - literally. I was just too nervous to move. Had I been carrying one baby, and if moving had felt ok then I know I would have done more. Listen to your body lovely, if you try it and all is well then its probably fine. If your cervix feels under strain, pressure increases, and/or you just don't feel right, then it might be better to avoid it for a few weeks and then try again. Hope that helps xx

Mpg - yey, an elective stitch this time - makes the world of difference hun. Your doc might be right that a TAC would have been optimum for you, but with two elective stitches all bases are pretty much covered. TAC tends to be offered to women in whom emergency and elective stitches have previously failed (rare), and in your case the stitch did work despite your cervix having already shortened, so the signs are good that a Tvs will be adequate enough. Have they mentioned placing a shirodkar for you as an alternative to two Macdonald stitches? It is placed high and used for twins due to its increased strength. Might be worth asking about. Good luck

JJE wow, 40+ weeks! Such an ironic but common outcome in stitch ladies. Well done you

Kids fine now thanks, just draining and exhausting when a large family catches a bug! x

Maya - uterine tightenings were common in my twin pregnancy, and it could well be that your extra fluid is exerting more pressure on your womb and making them more frequent than normal, or it could just be that your body is super efficient and gearing up for labour at term.

Bh are frightening, but unless painful and regular they don't usually amount to anything. When actual labour starts, you'll know the difference - it builds in intensity, the tightenings become sore and regular as clockwork. Keep an eye on them, but the fact that they're triggered by specific activities etc is typical of bh. The real thing is pretty much ever present, and no matter what you do contractions during labour don't subside xx

Wtb - you are doing brilliantly! I know it's been such hard work keeping those girls baking, but every day is such an achievement. You'll probably stagger on til 30wks then find that things settle down and you have the potential then to go all the way!

I found that all my bizarre uterine activity and irritability up until 32wks suddenly ceased, and the doctor explained that the boys were so big my uterus became over stretched and 'tired', not being able to contract any more. This was a blessing in my case because despite their size (17Ibs total), they stayed put due to a marked lack of contractions in the late stages. You may find that the same thing happens as your babies reach a certain size. The fact that we all relax as we hit a better gestation might also help. Keep resting, and stay positive

Hope that's everyone, give me a nudge if not lol xxxxx

 

[lch28]

thanks lizzie. as of now it has stopped. it happened last Thursday as well.

 

[baby_maybe]

Thanks lizzie, spotting had definitely lessened already Did anyone's mucus change after suture? I'm only asking as the spotting I have appears to be mixed with cm which is thinner than usual. I'm almost certain it's not fluid as the pads I've had on remain dry, but just thought I'd ask! Also if say I were leaking any fluid would I definitely have a soggy pad? Sorry for all the questions, I'm sure its just paranoia again!

 

[mayaa]

Hey baby_maybe... my CM changed a lot after the stitch.. I spotted for about a week... it never got brown... it stopped when it kinda reached an pinkish yellowy tint... I have more discharge in the morning after I wake up than during the day... Its usually cream colored a bit watery in consistency sometimes or like petroleum jelly.. color is still cream for the past 2 months... they arent getting white at all... I stopped bothering since my doc said color and consistency of CM doesnt mean anything unless they cause burning or itching...

Thanks much Lizzie... always feels good to hear from you! How I wish these BHs stop at one stage and let me enjoy my pregnancy for a change!

 

[baby_maybe]

Thanks mayaa I'm sure I'm just being overly cautious and that it's fine. If I start getting anything on the pad when I stand up or after I've been laying in bed I'll go get checked out. I think it's just the spotting mixed with mucus. I've also normally had yellowish mucus throughout my previous pregnancies rather than white as well. Nothing was ever wrong like infection or anything, so I guess that might happen again this time round.

 

[mayaa]

Baby_maybe, are you on antibiotics? My doc gave me for 5 days after the stitch... I was also scared when I had a lot of watery discharge and rushed to her, but it turned out to be just extra discharge since the stitch is a foreign body... I got it at 20 weeks on emergency, so every small twinge scared the **** out of me!

 

[baby_maybe]

No not on antibiotics, I asked about them as I had them last time, but was told I didn't really need them and to contact them if I feel unwell or run a temperature. I think what I have is discharge, but there's still part of me that can't help thinking it might be fluid. Having never leaked fluid before I just don't know what it would feel like to, if you see what I mean!

 

[lch28]

just some questions. i had my first injection on Monday. I am doing it myself in my thigh. I am taking 1cc once a week. Is this the normal amount? Also, should i rub/massage the area and apply a warm compress after? i have read this makes it more effective but the nurse who taught me said there is not reason to do that.