Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[CIM]

Torsie, so for your news. I was 17w4d when I went to my OB, and my cervix was 2cm dilated with bulging membranes, dilated without contractions, but been having cervical checks every 2 weeks due to me losing 3 angels babies in the second trimester (21w,18w, 15w). I just had increased discharge, I thought might be losing my plug, so my cervix went from a respectable 4.2 cm to dilated to 2 cm, in six days, and I had been probably 80% bedrest. My OB said I was 3-4 cm dilated by the time they got the emergency cerclage placed, which was only about 2 hours later. I am 2 weeks out from cerclage doing well, Glory be to God. Just keep counting down the days, I am about 98% bedrest now, drink anywhere from 3-5 litres of water a day. I am terbutaline 2.5 mg every 4 hours, procardia 10 mg every 6 hours, hydrocortisone 200 mg daily, prometrium 200 mg every 8 hours, HCG shots twice weekly, Progesterone shots 200 mg twice weekly. I sound like a very sick pregnant woman, but I feel great, hate not being able to go grocery shopping, or only taking a shower 2-3 days, a really good day for me is when I put a bra on. Lol. So hang in there, they always say preventative cerclage works better.

 

[Craigswife]

Hi torsie, just to say I agree with what everyone else is saying. It's great they are thinking of putting a stitch in, I've also read so many success stories. In my first pregnancy I began funnelling at 23wks and wasn't offered a stitch but just put on immediate bed rest in hospital, this alone bought me 5 extra weeks before my son was born. I agree with twinkle, the fact the dr sent you home is reassuring, if he thought you were in danger of going into preterm labour he would have admitted you straight away. The fact you are only 18wks is good, I had my stitch as a preventative measure at 14wks, so the earlier you get it in the better.
I'm sure jadey on here was funnelling and shes had a rescue stitch, she's coming up to 24wks now.
I know it's a scary time for you, but all is not lost, hang on in there and keep smiling x

 

[torsie93]

Thank you so much for all of your promising words ladies! It has definitely made me feel a lot better about it all and I now have a bit more hope.

I'm so grateful for all of your support, and will keep you posted on any progress.

Hope everyone is well! xx

 

[jadey_fae]

Hi Torsie93. My cervix were 4.5 at 16 weeks and by 20 weeks I was 2cm with 9mm of funnelling. They put a stitch in the next day. I am 24 weeks on Thursday - when I get steroid injections.

Did they say how long your cervix were and how much funnelling you had?

 

[Twinkle 3]

Jadey not long now! two more days to go how are you feeling your so close to 24 weeks ? You have done so well

 

[wunderful78]

Just checking in I gave t figured out how to add pictures anyone know ? How's everyone doing ?
My little man is 5 weeks old and doing really well

If you want to add me on face book add me [email protected]

 

[torsie93]

Hi Torsie93. My cervix were 4.5 at 16 weeks and by 20 weeks I was 2cm with 9mm of funnelling. They put a stitch in the next day. I am 24 weeks on Thursday - when I get steroid injections.

Did they say how long your cervix were and how much funnelling you had?

Hi, they did mention a few measurements and that kind of thing but I was too emotional to take it all in. I will make sure I pay more attention when I go in tomorrow!

Thank you all again for your kind and helpful words

 

[jadey_fae]

Thanks Twinkle. I am feeling scared. I have been doing a bit more recently so loads more discharge which I don't like!
I hope I feel relieved when I actually get to 24 weeks. I remember when u got to 24. I had just been stitched. I can't believe that was 4 weeks ago nearly!
Going for the steroids on Thurs. I am scared of needles - so hope it's not too bad!
How are u??

 

[jadey_fae]

Hi Torsie93. My cervix were 4.5 at 16 weeks and by 20 weeks I was 2cm with 9mm of funnelling. They put a stitch in the next day. I am 24 weeks on Thursday - when I get steroid injections.

Did they say how long your cervix were and how much funnelling you had?

Hi, they did mention a few measurements and that kind of thing but I was too emotional to take it all in. I will make sure I pay more attention when I go in tomorrow!

Thank you all again for your kind and helpful words

Good luck for tomorrow, do let us know how it goes

 

[jadey_fae]

Freaking out! Just got bk from the midwife. She listened to the boy for a minute and a half and we heard good strong heart beat but twice the heartbeat slowed right down for about 5 beats each time. She put it down to him being tangled in his cord and said when I go to the hosp on Thurs for steroids I should ask them to put me on the monitor for half an hour to check hb over a longer period. Now I am scared.

 

[ShelbyLC]

Freaking out! Just got bk from the midwife. She listened to the boy for a minute and a half and we heard good strong heart beat but twice the heartbeat slowed right down for about 5 beats each time. She put it down to him being tangled in his cord and said when I go to the hosp on Thurs for steroids I should ask them to put me on the monitor for half an hour to check hb over a longer period. Now I am scared.

I was on and off the monitor for 2 weeks before my girls were born and that thing did some CRAZY stuff. It's entirely possible that it was just your LO moving around and the monitor lost him for a few seconds. But, if you're worried and you feel like something may be wrong, go to the hospital (the ER or A&E) and tell them what your MW said and that you want to be monitored.

 

[Twinkle 3]

Jadey try not to feel too scared, I get a lot of discharge, sometimes I worry wether it's my water or not. I'm sure you will feel relieved when you reach 24weeks and with steroids in your system you will be well away your doing so well. Don't worry about the needles, just think about it's all for your babies benefit

What was the heartbeat going down to? I was worried about my baby other week as his heart is always 150+ but just lately it's been 130 so I had to ring my midwife and ask her, she reassured me that babies heart rates go up and down and as long as its 120+ then It's fine but she said that Depending on what they are doing then it will go up and down. I was also told they won't monitor you continuously until your over 26weeks. I'm always paranoid over my babies heartbeat, I wish I had my own Doppler. Try not to worry too much and just keep an eye on his movements. She also said when they are growing there heartrates are slower and when they are ready to be born it goes down a lot. She said she would be more worried if the heart rate stayed the same all the time and if you was to be continuously monitored you would see that the babies heart rate goes up and down all the time

 

[Twinkle 3]

As for me ladies is it normal for your stomach to go hard along the bottom when your walking? I'm thinking it's Braxton hicks but just lately it's happening more and more, I'm starting to feel heavier aswel in my stomach

 

[TLM21]

Jadey I got a nst yesterday cause I told the Dr I did not feel the baby moving that much in the morning, so for about 40 minutes he was tracking the movement and hb, mostly 140 to 160 but anywhere from 128 to 170, he was told me baby was probably sleeping, he did get about 9 movements, he always wants me to count kicks after meals and at night, which of course when I got home the baby was moving lots. check out Baby's act level, but if you feel you should be checked pls do.
Twinkle it may be BH I still get all confused with them and baby movement.
Torsie welcome, keep us posted with your progress.
Day how are you feeling now? When is stitch removal?
I hope everyone else is ok
Hugs

 

[Craigswife]

Twinkle, I'm feeling the same today, my bump is getting heavy now and if I walk for a bit or do too much i get braxton hicks. I just took my little one to the library and really struggled to bend down to look at books with him. Back home now and laid on the sofa reading him his stories, which is lovely and get to rest! This is new territory for me now, last time I'd delivered by now so don't know how pregnancy feels from this point on.

I slept badly last night, between waking for a wee, then waking coz I couldn't get comfy, my aching hips waking me up, heartburn and then my little one needing a wee in the middle of the night I hardly got any decent sleep and then left for work at 8.30, luckily only worked the morning. hubbie is working late tonight, so gonna go back to my old routine after my stitch which involves me doing as little as possible and crawling into bed once I've got my son tucked up in bed.

Jadey, that's fab you're so close to 24wks, once you get those steroids on board you'll feel so much more happier. Each week from now the statistics go up considerably, so hang on in there.
I'm sorry you've got a new worry, hopefully they'll pop you on the monitor and be able to put your mind at rest. Could you not see if they'll do it tomorrow rather than leave it till Thursday. Don't worry about the needle when you have your steroids, it's quick and also you don't see it as it goes in your bottom!!

Twinkle, it's milestone week for you too! How do you feel approaching 28wks. Are you starting to prepare more now? Also did you decide on a c section? I've made up my mind now I'm going for one and will tell my ob when I see her at 32wks, that's if I get that far, fingers crossed.

Wunderful, it's great to hear from you. How's you're little man getting on, i dont know how to put pictures on but id love to see him. I bet all the stress of IC feels like a distant memory now! I can't wait to be on your side of the fence! I'll look you up on Facebook


Sorry for such a long one!!

 

[jadey_fae]

Thanks ladies It was a constant 140 ish and in the 2 mins that she listened in it went down to 100 for 5 seconds twice?
It's hard for me to track movements as my placenta is at the front so I often don't feel much at all. Is it normal for baby to have decelerations? I know its norm to have accelerations

 

[Twinkle 3]

CW my hips Hurt so much when I'm in bed, they even click! I feel achier when I'm in bed. My oh gets up for work at 5am each morning and he talks to me every morning!! He thinks I am happy to have a full blown convo at 5 about the weather or what we are having for tea that night, so I can sympathise on the lack of sleep as I also get out of bed a few times for the toilet then I can't even get back to sleep

I feel more content about making 28weeks but really hoping I get to atleast 30weeks. I can't actually believe I have made 28weeks I have started preparing everything now I have chose a name, got the Moses basket ready, his little wardrobes ready and i have bought some clothes even though I really don't know what size to buy yet, I bought tiny baby size but can see me having to return those if he is born at full term. How are you getting along with preparing for your little one ?

I am going to have a talk with my consultant on Friday about the c section, he's going to do a risk assesment and decide what to do for the best. I would love a section as its controlled and I dont want to have to worry about the baby getting stressed through the birth or running into any unexpected complications especially with my last birth not being very straight forward. My midwife thinks a section is for the best but its in the consultants hands. So pretty nervous as to what he decides!

He seems to think that a natural birth would be better for the baby as coming through the Birth canal squeezes fluid from thier lungs allowing them to breathe better when they are born, where as a c section they are more likely to suffer breathing difficulties. He also said if I go into preterm labour and have a section then my uterus will be tougher to cut through and it's not ideal. He mentioned about all the risks and recovery time aswel, also said I would have to ave blood thinning injections etc.

So I really don't know what the best option would be.. Im just scared of trying for a vaginal birth and somthing going wrong and the baby getting in distress but vaginal birth would be better for the shorter recovery period.

How far do you think you will get? I must try to guess everyday, somedays I think Im going to term then others I'm nt so confident

 

[Twinkle 3]

Thanks ladies It was a constant 140 ish and in the 2 mins that she listened in it went down to 100 for 5 seconds twice?
It's hard for me to track movements as my placenta is at the front so I often don't feel much at all. Is it normal for baby to have decelerations? I know its norm to have accelerations

I know dropping below 110 is know as a Brady in the womb bt I'm not so sure if that's a problem, I'm sure if it was something serious then the midwife would have sent you to hospital but then it's not very reassuring of her to tell you to ask for them to monitor you on thurs is it! I'm sure your baby will be fine though so try not to worry. Is there anywhere you could ring like triage? Just to ask them for a little advice about it, explain your worried as the midwife told you to ask for monitoring on thurs?

It might just offer a little reassurance phoning and asking so you don't have to keep worrying until thurs

 

[Craigswife]

Gosh twinkle you sound like you're really getting organised! We've decorated babys room and I bought some bottles on offer and 1 pack if nappies, but that's it, lol!
We've bought my little one a new bed this weekend gone so we can have the cot bed back to reassemble into the cot again, but haven't put his new bed up yet! I've got 2 weeks left at work, so thinking I'll try to get more organised then. I'm excited about preparing but still eager to get a few more weeks yet.
Like you I often wonder how far I'll go, some days I think I'll make it to term and other days I worry about delivering soon. Today I don't think I'll make term, but I'm sure that's just down to feeling tired.

I hope my ob doesn't try to talk me out of a c section. After the trauma of my sons birth which ended as a section I just want a calm organised and uneventful birth this time, this will be the last so I want happy memories.

Jadey, maybe track the movements you do feel and then perhaps ring in the morning. I would have thought constant 140 was ok, even if it did dip to 100 perhaps baby was snoozing. I'm sorry I can't offer much advice, but don't let them fob you off, if you feel worried I'd get it checked xx

 

[sunnylove]

Sorry you're going through some scary stuff Jadey.

I have been feeling GREAT the last 3 days. It has been almost 3 weeks since I got my stitch and I am finally feeling great (minus the occasional back/hip pain). I also haven't gotten any full blown Braxton Hicks in the last 3 days either! Doc says it's good sign if there are days I'm not getting BHs at all. Yay! Stomach doesn't HURT anymore. When I feel good I am way more optimistic about this pregnancy. 22 weeks today! Making some head way!

The only thing I'm worried about is the baby's movements (she/he is SO active!). It's either kicking me or head butting me SO LOW. Maybe this is because my anterior placenta? So I can only feel the baby really low? I don't know, but sometimes it hits my cervix and it's kinda scary. Next appointment is in 3 days which I'm nervous about because it will be my first appt in 10 days, so I'm anxious. My measurements so far have been:

19 weeks: .9cm
20 weeks: .4 - .7cm
21 weeks: .5 - .7cm