Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[Twinkle 3]

Hi everyone

How are we all doing today?

Day and tlm not long until you both meet your babies, you both must be so excited

Sunny love thinking of you and hoping your ok

I am excited as today I have made my goal of 29weeks I had my daughter at 29 weeks and I have never got any further so be nice to see how far I can go. I feel I can relax a little as I know my daughter did well at 29weeks gestation. I just ray that everything still goes to plan and my little boy witll be born healthy, I'm so anxious and just want my happy ending which I'm sure we are all the same.

I'm still getting lots of Braxton hicks, had a ton of them today and they are starting to get all achey now. Deffiently not labour contractions but I'm just wondering now if they are just going to grow more frequent and painful as days go by and then turn into something? Not sure if my stitch will hold my cervix shut the more painful and frequent they get but all I know at the minute, is that the stitch must be amazingly strong and I have bags of confidence in it as its held in even though I have had a weeks worth of continuos BHs that are pretty strong. I have also upped my activity aswel and the baby is heavy now so the stitch is working wonders (I hope I havnt jinxed it now)

 

[Craigswife]

Hi all!
I do more now and try to lead a more normal life and enjoy my pregnancy, although still make sure I get rest when I can. I go with my body, if I feel well and have the energy I do things, including shopping etc, but nothing heavy or strenuous! It's funny though, I feel better for doing more, I find the evenings now I'm really uncomfortable sat or laid for long. Every week after 24wks get easier and easier and while I don't want my baby to come just yet, I know it's not too scary if it does.

Twinkle, my braxton hicks vary from day to day, some days I get loads and others not so many. Well done on getting to 29wks, every week now is a bonus! You must be starting to feel more relaxed about your pregnancy.

Sunny, hope everything is ok, thinking of you.

I saw my midwife yesterday, all was well, I mentioned that I think baby had flipped over and my muscle pain, she agreed, felt baby and it was laying how I thought. It made me chuckle because she said it was laying diagonally and legs all over the place, lol!
I've had loads of discharge today, it's horrible and I constantly feel like I need a shower. I can feel it leaking out and several times dashed to the loo thinking its my waters!
Last day at work tomorrow, can't believe how quickly it has come round.

 

[lizziedripping]

Back my lovelies How is everyone, what did I miss? Lots I expect Day, are you still baking those babies!? I thought as much - wonderful news sweetie

 

[Craigswife]

Hi Lizzie, hope you had a nice holiday!
I'm good and 2wks past my sons gestation, so that was a relief to get past that! My growth scan at 28wks estimated bubs was 3lb 3oz, have another one at 32wks. Not sure how accurate the growth scans are though?
Not much much to report with me thankfully! .....hope it remains so

 

[DAYDAY24]

Hi lizzie hope u had a great trip I'm 4cm dilated doc can feel head and sack

 

[lizziedripping]

Wow ladies, so far so good then? Lovely to come back and hear good news CW - from 28 to 38wks I do know that babies gain around 4Ibs so your lo is measuring an ideal weight hun, and congrats that you've got this far - its wonderful to watch the weeks steadily pass by, especially once you've gotten the 'right' side of 28wks. I always said that every week after 28 was a bonus, but of course secretly praying for atleast 37, I was never satisifed lol.

Day, you never in your wildest dreams imagined you'd make 36wks all those weeks ago but here you are chick! So so pleased for you and knew you could do it. Again, don't assume that 4cms means imminent babies. Twins especially can induce a 'mechanical' dilation which stays that way for some time. That said, it's obvious your time isn't too far away now.

Please don't worry if a section becomes inevitable - it was by far my best birth experience to date. Of course you have every right to request the birth experience you feel most comfortable with, so don't let anyone deter you - if all looks good for a vaginal delivery then there is no reason why you can't give it a shot

 

[DAYDAY24]

Lizzie when I got stitch removed I was 2-3 cm 2 days later 4 feeling contractions but no pattern lots of nasty discharge .I'm thinking of just going with section don't want to end up in an emergency situation

 

[Twinkle 3]

CW that's how if felt with discharge, I was convinced my water might have been trickling. Have fun on your last day at work

Can any ladies shed some light on irritable uterus? Chococat I know you suffer with this if I'm right?

My midwife seems to think that is why I have so many contractions throughout the day but it's only just started happening a week ago. I always thought you had irritable uterus from the start... Pregnancy is so complicated lol

Hope everyone's ok today

Karen I forgot to mention with spd there isn't really anything that has helped eased the pain personally for me. I was told codeine would but I wouldn't take it as it can make your baby addicted to it and also can make them sleepy when born. Paracetamol does nothing, the support belt did nothing and I didn't want to try physio so that might work for you. I just sleep with lots of pillows for support as its worse at night and I try not to walk around to much at one time as that's when it hurt the most. I can't lift my legs up to put any bottoms on I sort of have to lift my leg a little and throw socks on my feet lol. I try not to sit in funny positions and keep my legs together when I can. My hips pop and click and are getting worse the bigger I get. So all in all, spd isn't very nice to have lol

If you book in with your GP they can diagnose you and send you to physio

 

[sunnylove]

Will be in hospital until I give birth. Met a woman here yesterday who had almost all the same things I do and she just had her son at 32 weeks which makes me feel better. I'm stable, no pains, no pressure, no contractions but it's unlikely anything will get better. Getting steroids in 2 days. Sad I probably will never have a normal pregnancy and maybe not even a vaginal delivery since it's something I've always been passionate about but am glad my husband and I have always been very interested in adopting/fostering.

 

[Twinkle 3]

Sunny love, I'm happy to hear that your stable and your baby is still cooking each day counts and I wish you lots of luck for the rest of your pregnancy, the steroids will help so much when i had my steroids i was told about triplets who was birn at 24weeks and they did perfectly. have you been told about the trans abdominal stitch for future pregnancies?

 

[DAYDAY24]

Sunny happy that things are going better for you. Keep thinking positive I know how hard, it is.

 

[sunnylove]

Yeah, the trans abdominal cerclage is really invasive. Doc thinks if I get a preventative stitch early (I got my rescue cerclage at 19 weeks) that I'll do just fine with that. I just don't want to be on bed rest my whole pregnancy so we'll see. Maybe if I make it far in this pregnancy docs will be less strict next time?

 

[Twinkle 3]

Sunny the preventative stitches are more successfull that the emergency ones, which I'm sure you already know. Even though the Transabdominal ones are more invasive they don't really require Bedrest and have a brilliant sucess rate, I was told they can withstand the weight of an adult so they won't give way, so the TAC might be a good option so you won't require Bedrest and won't worry as much in your next pregnancies.

Here in the uk they tell you not to Bedrest with a trans vaginal preventative stitch as you don't need to. My OB has a lot of confidence in them without Bedrest, I was told to carry on my normal day to day life.

 

[faibel]

Sunny - So pleased you are still cooking and everything is stable! Keep it up x

 

[lizziedripping]

Sunny - the elective stitch is a whole different ball game to an emergency one hun. With it you shouldnt need to to go on full bed rest all other things being equal. I rested almost totally mainly because I was carrying two babies and felt so grim if I moved around. Usually singleton ladies with an elective stitch can continue as normal but being careful not to doing anything too physical or excessive. Glad you're settled at the moment hun, I have been where you are and know how frightening the whole thing is

 

[lizziedripping]

Twinkle, those bh still bothering you? IU is a bit of a vague term to describe inconsequential uterine contractions which aren't usually strong enough to affect the cervix. They're very common after stitch and if you've had them for this long without any further issues then you'll likely be fine - this is probably just a feature of pregnancy for you. Only If they get painful or more frequent are they worth checking xx

 

[sunnylove]

I'm just not sure about the elective stitch though. If I had a short cervix, like 2cm I'd be okay with one, but I haven't had a cervix above 1cm since they checked it almost 4 weeks ago so I'm afraid maybe it wouldn't hold up even if it was put in early? But I also know the TAC is really invasive too...

Lizzie, wow I can't believe you had a baby at 24 weeks and (am assuming) turned out good! That's encouraging. How did you make it to 38 weeks with twins in your next pregnancy?

 

[Twinkle 3]

Twinkle, those bh still bothering you? IU is a bit of a vague term to describe inconsequential uterine contractions which aren't usually strong enough to affect the cervix. They're very common after stitch and if you've had them for this long without any further issues then you'll likely be fine - this is probably just a feature of pregnancy for you. Only If they get painful or more frequent are they worth checking xx

Hi lizzie hope your ok

The BHs are still bothering me, they are pretty much constant all day long, I actually rang labour and delivery yesterday as they was getting crampy like trapped wind, I also had horrible pressure in my bum. I'm just scared they will stress out my little biy from being constantly squeezed but the midwife reassured me and said she only wants to see me when I'm in agony or have any other signs of labour.

I tried to stress to her that the contractions are continuous and spaced minutes apart but she pretty much said the same as you, I have had them that long now and it hasn't sent me into labour yet so looks like it could be normal.

The only other problem is I'm losing tiny bits of mucus plug aswel.

I really don't know what's happening with my body

 

[jadey_fae]

Morning everyone,

Sunny, glad things are stable with you. You are in the bes the place. Try to stay positive Pink had her boy AJ at 23 weeks and he is still doing well It's great your getting steroids and like the other ladies said an elective stitch is much better than a rescue and may not require bed rest.

Lizzie! Welcome bk. We all missed you. Did u have a good holiday?

Craigswife, how are you doing?

Dayday, I hope things are progressing? and TLM?

Twinkle, sorry you are still getting the constant bh. It's so scary when we have no idea what our bodies are doing bur rest assured if they haven't sent you in to labour yet then they are prob harmless. Are you still loosing mucus plug? Mine looks like stringy yellow snot?! Ewwww. You are at a good gestation now so what ever happens you will be fine

 

[Twinkle 3]

Morning jadey, yes im still losing bits of plug, mines pretty much the same as what you describe. its only ever little peices though, so dont know if its anything to worry about. im pribably just paranoid about every little symptom i have. i think because i havnt reached further than 29weeks before im waiting for something to happen now. i am having all the signs of pre labour and thats the scary part. hope your ok. your tickers moving fast now