Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[katyb1982]

Kitty Kat, I know that at my hospital that if your measurement is over 2.5cm it is normal and they just keep monitoring every 2-3 weeks, if it is between 1.5 and 2.5 then they monitor more closely and start talking about stitches and progesterone and if it goes below 1.5 then it's action stations.

You seem to be shortening at a similar rate to me and mine just got faster it didn't slow down. It night be that you don't need a stitch but maybe ask to be monitored more closely? Stitches work better the earlier they put them in. Mine didn't go in until 23+3 and they stop doing them at 24+ where I live anyway. However it was still not classed as an emergency as the membranes were still out of the way and I hadn't dilated.

It also depends on your history as well. With me things started to go wrong at the same time as they must have done last time. I see from your ticker that you lost a little one? Is that why they are monitoring you this time?

 

[shanny]

Jadey my date is 29th july but I a still convinced it will happen before - due date not til aug 17th --- its all getting close isn't it.....so not ready.........

Kitty KAt - welcome you will find all sorts of experiences advice here
My history -- Lost first one at 32 weeks waters went and got an infection
next pregnancy given emergency stitch at 19 weeks having had scans of cervix, baby came at 33 weeks now a monstrous 7 year old
subsequent 2 pregnancies stitch put in at 16 ish weeks-- all planned-- no cervix measurements
boy born at 40 + 5 now 5 years old
girl born at 40 now 3 years
latest and final pregnancy stitch in at 17 weeks ---------now 34 weeks and still going despite baby bashing away at cervix and stitch

There are some US mums too so hopefully thay can also give you some insight

 

[sunnylove]

Hi ladies - I'm new to this thread. I might be having the stitch put in if my cervix keeps shrinking. I shortened 1 cm in a month and then another 1/2 cm in 2 days. The high risk drs. put me back on progesterone and are re-measuring me in a week and a few days. Can anyone shed some light on when you got your stitch put in (ie., how short was your cervix)? What week were you? My cervix went from 4 to 3 cm. and now it's down to 2.4 cm. I'm almost 18 weeks.

Thanks for any info you can give me. Best of luck to each of you!

Because you've had shortening so early, I would definitely consider getting the stitch. I am pretty convinced the stitch and prayer are the only reasons my son is alive today!

I was only given one cervical exam before going directly to labor and delivery and getting the stitch placed. I was 19 weeks pregnant and only measuring at .9 centimeter. I had no risk factors, and no signs, and I believe at most hospitals in the US they do the first cervical exams at the 20 week ultrasound, so they kind of caught it late. Every week after that I measured shorter and shorter until week 22 when my cervix was basically at 0. I also had severe funneling and the baby was double footling breach. I held him in until 26+3 and now he is over 3 weeks old and in the NICU but doing wonderfully!

 

[monro84]

Got stitch out..not gonna lie it was kinda painful....he putt the speculum in (that was a little painful but nit to bad...he screwed it open then he went to clip the stitch I think he clipped 3 or 4 times but 2 of the time hurt but it was more of a pinching cramp that got intense a few seconds...at one point it felt like the pain you get when you have to pee really bad. I took two tylonal about 1hr before he started so not sure if it helped any...on a scale of 1 to 10 I would say most of they time it was a 3 but for about 30 seconds itvwas around a 6 or 7. It took about 5 minutes maybe 8 but that's pushing it. He checked my cervix and said it was closed and I asked about him being engaged he said he was not full in the birth canal but no worry about him turning so I would assume that I was 2/5ths engaged or half engaged...he said I might spot some which I am but not bad and have had slight cramps since having it done.

 

[TLM21]

Hello everyone
So excited about babies born, happy everything is going well. Love the tickers moving, twinkle and jadey keeping an eye on yours, you both have done great.
Chocolate and sunny congratulations
Chocolate how is your cat taking the arrival of a new baby? Monro.congrats on stitch removal, very fits description, soon you will have your baby with you.
Cw glad to hear baby is doing great.
Welcome to the new ladies, you will be surprised how strong you all are!
We are doing good, Diego is such a good boy. Sorry I haven't posted.anything, I'm a breastfeeding machine currently.
So happy for everyone, can't wait to hear more!
hugs to all

 

[shanny]

monro v good description of removal sounds about right.............................should all be downhill from now when is due date??

 

[Agiboma]

@tlm congrats on Diego
@sunnylove congrats on your LO my son was a 25 weeker he is turning 3 in a few days the NICU road is a rollar coaster check out the preemie section on this sight those ladies saved me from loosing my mind when i had my son so early
@ afm very busy but feeling somewhat broady again

 

[monro84]

I am 37 wks and 3 days today and due on the 27th. The braxton hicks became more frequent and alot stronger yesterday but they seem to have settled down today.

 

[DAYDAY24]

Hey ladiea hope everyone is doing well. Sorry haven't post been extra bust with my two lol. Tomorrow my kinga will be 6 weeks !!!

 

[Radiance]

Hello everyone, I just learned today at 15 weeks pregnant that my external cevix is opened but my internal seems closed. I'm terrified, I have never had an issue with my cervix being very low or opening, but I do have a history of preterm labor and pprom.

I need advice and success stories from some of you.

I've been waiting for two weeks already to receive a call from a high risk specialist, before today this pregnancy had no problems and was going perfectly. I'm hoping they will call me sooner now.

 

[TLM21]

Hi radiance, welcome to the thread. Laddies here will be very informative, very nice people.
I can tell you that after I had miscarriage in 2011 I discovered I had incompetent cervix, interesting that my mom also had it. I got a cerclage at 13.5 weeks and carried my baby until 40 weeks exactly, my baby its 1 month and 5 days today. Some of the dies here had premature babies, which are doing very well, the others have gone past 37 weeks.
Keep checking with the Dr and if the specialist doesn't call , call them. Sometimes drd have do many patients it may be hard to keep up. I didn't have an ob specialist but he was knowledgeable enough to guille up appropriately and do the cerclage .
Just wanted you to know.there are a lot of success stories, discuss the stitch with your Dr.
Pls keep us posted

 

[Radiance]

Hi radiance, welcome to the thread. Laddies here will be very informative, very nice people.
I can tell you that after I had miscarriage in 2011 I discovered I had incompetent cervix, interesting that my mom also had it. I got a cerclage at 13.5 weeks and carried my baby until 40 weeks exactly, my baby its 1 month and 5 days today. Some of the dies here had premature babies, which are doing very well, the others have gone past 37 weeks.
Keep checking with the Dr and if the specialist doesn't call , call them. Sometimes drd have do many patients it may be hard to keep up. I didn't have an ob specialist but he was knowledgeable enough to guille up appropriately and do the cerclage .
Just wanted you to know.there are a lot of success stories, discuss the stitch with your Dr.
Pls keep us posted

Thank you, I see my normal OB on the 18th and will definitely talk with him. I live in a very tiny town and they don't have the supplies and technology, that is why I have to travel and see a specialist. I will give them a call Monday, if I haven't heard anything by then. I'm much more positive now than I was when I first learned but I'm also very shocked. It's an unbelievable unexplained feeling, hearing that you may lose your baby once you are already in 2nd trimester and it's your fault, nothing wrong with the baby. I know that sounds negative but that's how I feel right now.

 

[jadey_fae]

Hi Radiance, Welcome :flower
Do u know where u are being referred to? Could u ring them and hassle them for an earlier appointment?
Pls try not to worry. We understand how u feel and have all been there. Pls asks lots of questions. Like TLM said, the ladies here are very knowledgeable and lovely

 

[TLM21]

@radiance feeling scared is completely normal, taking easy pon yourself for now don't lift anything heavy or do strenous activities, like jadey said harass them so they can get you in sooner, it will give you some reassurance and peace of mind

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi Radiance - I know that feeling of shock and fear hun. Discovering an IC problem suddenly in pregnancy is horrific, especially when you feel responsible (although ofcourse you're not and this can't be helped ) It would seem with your history of prom that you might have always had a cervical issue - prom is commonly caused by a silently dilating cervix though is seldom acknowledged by doctors.

This being your third pregnancy with relatively short gaps between each, this issue might be showing up earlier than in the past which is not altogether a bad thing because you atleast now have a chance to do something proactive to prevent any further changes. With early intervention you might actually get to term this time around honey. I'd urge you to press for an earlier appointment and stitch, arguing that these observed cervical chnages confirm a probable IC diagnosis, especially given your previous preterm history.

If you need help putting your case then please ask, there are ways and means of persuading the medics sweetie

 

[LoveSeel]

Here's a very late update on my situation. (I bet a lot of the ladies who were on this thread back when I was have since moved on and had their babies...)

Anyway, I was never able to get the stitch because I was already too far along (24 weeks) when it was discovered that I was already dilating. I just wanted to let everyone know that I survived 7 weeks of hospital bedrest and 2 weeks of home bedrest before delivering my twins naturally at 34 weeks.

They spent 20 days in the NICU gaining enough weight to come home, and they are now 16 weeks old and perfectly healthy!

Attached is a photo of them from a few days ago.

Best of luck to all you pregnant ladies. And congratulations to all you new mommies!

 

[sunnylove]

Hello everyone, I just learned today at 15 weeks pregnant that my external cevix is opened but my internal seems closed. I'm terrified, I have never had an issue with my cervix being very low or opening, but I do have a history of preterm labor and pprom.

I need advice and success stories from some of you.

I've been waiting for two weeks already to receive a call from a high risk specialist, before today this pregnancy had no problems and was going perfectly. I'm hoping they will call me sooner now.

Hi Radiance! It sounds like you may have always had a cervical issue considering your history of PTL and PPROM. I would definitely talk to a specialist right away about getting the cerclage sooner than later. It bought be 7 extra weeks with my little one! (It probably could have bought me extra time had it been placed sooner. It was a rescue cerclage put in at 19 weeks when there was basically no cervix left!)

Before I found out that my cervix was terribly short, my pregnancy was completely uneventful. So I know what it's like to be completely shocked to go along with your life and pregnancy normally, only to have your world turned upside down one day when you find out that your baby is perfectly healthy, but he may come way too early!! I felt like my body had betrayed me. Best wishes to you, I'm positive everything will turn out fine!

 

[Radiance]

Thank you all for being so supporting! I recently joined this pregnancy forum and everyone seems so rude and not understanding, I'm getting things like "why are you losing so much weight..." or "doesn't sound like anything because after your first you're suppose to be opened some.. you shouldn't be worried" ... the best was "while it's low because all your muscle are weak so it isn't surprising that that is happening"

Maybe I'm being overly sensitive

To be seen where I'm going to be seen, you must be referred there, so I'm not sure if they have even processed my stuff yet since it's only been (almost) two weeks, I will call my midwife and ask about it though, she can go in and look and make it urgent. Before it wasn't urgent because I wasn't consider high risk nor did we know anything was going on, up until now everything was pretty much "perfect"

I wouldn't be surprised if I have had this issue with my other pregnancies, plus with my first I didn't know I was pregnant until I was 20 weeks along. The OBs I had seen with my previous children, weren't that good, they had no experience with high risk and they candy coated everything. They aren't suppose to deliver you at that hospital unless you are 37 weeks at least, and delivered my son at 35w5d, I just learned that he put down that I was 39 weeks! Oh and they "forgot" to put in my files when I tested positive for leaking and gushing amniotic fluid. Now I look like that crazy chick!! And it was almost impossible to even get pregnant that early, since mine are 13 months apart and I wasn't doing the dirty deed a ton because the healing process.

Question: Did you ladies notice that you cramped more often? I do get tense because I feel these cramps, not too intense but it does worry me. I also have severe back pain but that could be because I have back issues and right before getting pregnant I had a back sprain that just healed.

 

[jadey_fae]

My only symptom of IC was pressure. Lots of pressure if I stood and this was early on from about 14 weeks. I also had a load of yellow snot like discharge with blood daily. Think this was bits of my plug. They kept scanning me bcos of the spotting but couldn't find a reason for it. Until I had an internal cervical length scan- which I had to beg for. Even though I have a cervical history of LLetz, dilatations and biopsies!
They then found my cervix was shortening and funnelling. I had the stitched placed at 20 weeks and I am still here now
They employed a watch and wait approach with me. I had cervical scans every other week from 16 weeks and saw my cervix getting shorter and shorter at every appointment.
I would insist with your history that they make your appointment urgent and keep on at them - It's the only way they would take me seriously. Before they discovered my IC they told me that I was being paranoid and needed to be treated for anxiety!
I didn't have any more cramps this pregnancy than my last. I didn't have cervical issues with my daughter. For me cramping has been a normal part of both my pregnancies esp early on!

 

[sunnylove]

I had no symptoms whatsoever except I did have a good amount of discharge my entire pregnancy. I didn't think anything of it though because discharge is normal in pregnancy. But it is also a symptom of IC. One symptom of IC that is pretty tell-tale is a lot of pressure.