Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[Radiance]

Hey ladies, I haven't posted in awhile. I see the high risk doctor for the first time Thursday. I called my midwife this morning for the concern of pain I've been experiencing. Just wanted to ask if you would keep baby and me in your thoughts, I've had constant severe/cramping lower abdominal pain, low back pain and vaginal pressure for 3 days now. Pain sometimes eases (hardly any) but is always there and I told my husband that I thought I might have had some contractions/bh. I have an appointment Wednesday morning with her. I'm very worried it's preterm labor and baby boy has been head down in position for a month now. I'm putting myself back on bed rest until I get more information and updates.

 

[geordiemammy]

You sure he hasn't moved positions in that time cause its unusual for them to stay head down so early on mine has been head down quite a bit at scans and appointments but turned loads between them!! Fingers crossed its not pre term labour I haven't got ic but sometimes it feels like baby is doing jazz hands in my cervix :/ x

 

[Radiance]

You sure he hasn't moved positions in that time cause its unusual for them to stay head down so early on mine has been head down quite a bit at scans and appointments but turned loads between them!! Fingers crossed its not pre term labour I haven't got ic but sometimes it feels like baby is doing jazz hands in my cervix :/ x

No, he's already engaged. I've had two ultrasounds this week and a lot of OB appointments. I have a history of preterm labor (several times) with my other two pregnancies and pprom at 29w1d with my 1st and 19 weeks with my 2nd. I have every sign of preterm labor and have been leaking amniotic fluid but ultrasound showed a good amount of fluid around baby.

 

[geordiemammy]

I know its easier said than done but try to relax and as long as he is only partially engaged he could still go in and out my 3rd was bobbing in and out while I was in labour!! Have you lost anymore fluid?? Rest as much as possible and like I say try not to stress xx

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi Lizzie, can I pick your brains? You always give amazing advice.

I am basically pooing my self about the previous stenosis I had on my cervix after my LLETZ 3 years ago.

My cervix was blocked from the external os and my periods couldn't come at all. I had ultrasound scans that showed a build up of fluid in my uterus so I was booked for a cervical dilation under GA.

A week before my scheduled op I had contraction like pains for a day or so (definitely wasn't pregnant) Then one night woke up in a pool of blood. I had basically exploded. The doc compared it to a champagne bottle cork! The pressure just built up and I exploded. lol

My periods then returned into a regular pattern but were extremely painful the day before and the 1st day of. Colposcopy showed that my external os was still very small, that they couldn't get an adequate sample for my smear test. So the doc recommended that she try to dilate me slightly there and then with rods. She managed a little but said it prob wouldn't last.

After this I got pregnant and really wasn't expecting to have the weak cervix that my transvaginal scan showed. If anything I was expecting to have problems with dilation.

My understanding is that the stenosis or narrowing was at the bottom of my cervix but the transvaginal scans showed shortening and funnelling from the internal os. I am scared of not dilating properly during labour. Do u think this will be a problem for me? Or do u thing that if my body was able to contract my cervix enough under the pressure of fluid build up in my uterus then it will be able to dilate me to 10 with contractions? Or does the fact I had shortening and funnelling mean that if anything the whole cervix will be weak? Sorry for rambling and thanks for reading

Hey jadey Has the suggestion ever been made that the forced rod dilation might have led to a weak cervix? I don't know that it has, but it is possible, particularly because before that point you had a narrow, immovable external os, but now it is showing weakness in pregnancy. Even though the funneling happened from the top down (as it usually does), the rods might have created a generalised weakness which would mean a 'giving way' as your uterus stretches. Presumabley this action would eventually have affected the whole cervix of you hadn't been stitched.

Often, multiple forced cervical dilatations can cause a weak cervix, even in a previously strong, long or in your case narrowed one. I would be tempted to disregard e previous issues with failure to dilate, and go on how your cervix has behaved recently. I would be surprised if it fails to dilate under the influence of strong contractions (which are much stronger than those during a period). Rememebr also that hormones soften the cervix weeks in advance of labour, again something which is absent in non pregnant women. Occasionally cervical scarring can prolong labour, and this might be an issue for you given your history, BUT my gut tells me your cervical weakness might be a consequence of the rod treatment, and means labour will progress normally (tho I am no expert in your case honey).

As your history has proven, everybody and cervix is uniquely different and so impossible to predict exactly. However, I see no reason why you shouldnt experience a normal delivery if there are no additional factors we don't know about. Hope that helps

 

[lizziedripping]

Of course our thoughts and prayers are with you Radiance I am hoping that these symptoms are 'something and nothing' sweet, it would be very unusual to be experiencing IC issues at this early stage, but not impossible. Love and hugs xxxxx

 

[jadey_fae]

Thank u so much Lizzie I hadn't thought of that because she only did the dilation ever so slightly bcos it hurt me so much :/ I think u could be right though. Thank u, u always manage to make me feel better!

 

[Twinkle 3]

Radiance, my baby was head down from 18weeks. he was engaged from very early on and never came back out. i had tons of braxton hicks where i went to hospital a few times thibking i was in labour but mothing ever come of them. my cervix was always long and closed. in the end i just learny to live with the constant braxton hicks. i also experienced extreamly bad pressure un my lady bits. at times i farnt move and just layed down in fear of going into labour. if the pressure dissapears when you lay down then i was told that its ok. try to elevate your pelvis so the baby weight is off your cervix. i also had stomach pains and back ache plus aches in my pelvis. the fear and worry i went through was horrible as each day i was conviced i was in labour. i didnt relax until i reached 24weeks.

Anyways fast forward a few months down the line and i gave birth at 38weeks to a healthy baby boy.
i had my stitch out at 36weeks and still carried on weeks after.

please dont stress and keep positive. i wish you a long healthy pregnancy.

Im not sure if you have a stitch or not.

I suggest if you have a stitch in place then relax as the stitch is unbeleiveable and will get your baby to term but if you dont have a stitch then id push for one.

I hope my experience has given you a little comfort xx

 

[Twinkle 3]

Sorry about all the spelling mistakes. its the touch screen phone. it writes what it wants to x

 

[geordiemammy]

Twinkle have you uploaded a pic of your little prince yet xx

 

[shanny]

Jadey - best of luck tomorrow will be thinking of you xx

No holiday baby yet hurrah!!

Mission to get out begins on Saturday!!

 

[Twinkle 3]

Shanny ill try and add one today i have plenty of photos pf him, im always taking them. he will be fed up of me taking photos and kissing him soon lol xx

 

[fluffyone]

Have been reading through all the posts on this thread and cant find any suggestions that ic would cause a 1st tri loss.
I lost my baby on 29/06/13 perfect pregnancy up till 5 days before miscarriage started bleeding brown blood on the monday (no cramping but did have wind/constipation pain) went to epu on tuesday told everything was fine miscarried on the saturday at home.
got up to use bathroom and heard/felt a pop and caught the baby in my hands the baby was still attached to the cord but the cord wasn't attached to anything else the baby came away about 10 min before everything else left me.
I was just short of 13 weeks. I had a cone biopsy in january but was NOT told that this procedure could cause anything, I WAS told that it would not affect any future pregnancy. should my dr/gyn checked more closely when i had told them about this procedure

 

[geordiemammy]

I'm so sorry for your loss I'm sure someone will be along with answers soon but as far as I'm aware and this is what my doc told me too ic doesn't get looked into until 14-16 weeks then when they generally start looking at the cervix in detail!!

Did they tell you to wait after the cone biopsy to conceive as after a loop they advised 6 months wait to heal fully x

 

[sunnylove]

Have been reading through all the posts on this thread and cant find any suggestions that ic would cause a 1st tri loss.
I lost my baby on 29/06/13 perfect pregnancy up till 5 days before miscarriage started bleeding brown blood on the monday (no cramping but did have wind/constipation pain) went to epu on tuesday told everything was fine miscarried on the saturday at home.
got up to use bathroom and heard/felt a pop and caught the baby in my hands the baby was still attached to the cord but the cord wasn't attached to anything else the baby came away about 10 min before everything else left me.
I was just short of 13 weeks. I had a cone biopsy in january but was NOT told that this procedure could cause anything, I WAS told that it would not affect any future pregnancy. should my dr/gyn checked more closely when i had told them about this procedure

I can almost assuredly tell you that wasn't caused by incompetent cervix. It sounds like perhaps you had placental problems? Or perhaps it was just a late miscarriage. IC doesn't cause bleeding and it doesn't usually present itself until between 15 and 22 weeks. Babies aren't usually lost to IC until the 2nd trimester due to the baby's weight. At 13 weeks, your baby probably wasn't big enough to weaken your cervix enough to cause your baby to "fall out." I'm so sorry for your loss, by the way.

 

[katyb1982]

Just a little update from me. 30w+3 now and babies measuring 3lb13oz at growth scan The chunky monkeys! Stitch removal set for 34w so finally feel like I'm getting there. Even if they made an appearance before then it would be very different from 24w. Have had another 2 visits to MAU with my irritable uterus and BH but both times they have stopped and the stitch stayed totally fine. An other few weeks of this would be fab. Hope everyone is well.
Kx

 

[geordiemammy]

So pleased your babies are hanging in there for now and I bet its a massive weight off your mind now you have for this far after losing your other twins hopefully they will stay put a while longer!! Has anyone herd from faibel on how her little ones are doing x

 

[shanny]

Looking forward to seeing the baby Twinkle - you can never kiss them enough or have enough photos..............

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi ladies. Radiance, been thinking about you, worried we've not heard from you in a while. How are things?

 

[lizziedripping]

Fluffy, welcome and so sorry for your loss, particularly howit happened - that must have been so traumatic Like the others have said, it is extremely unlikely that you lost your baby due to IC. Whilst I did experience IC symptoms as early as 11wks with my twins, that was because their combined size was equivalent to that of a singleton at 16wks. It is only when the uterus is stretched to a particular point (usually from 16wks, 14wks occasionally) that it begins to strain the cervix, and a weak one potentially gives way.

That said, there are still so many unknowns in an IC pregnancy that it can't hurt to keep a closer eye on you and your cervix next time. It would be rare for even the weakest cervix to give out at 13wks with one baby but why not have them check at your 12wk scan just eliminate it as a possibility. In your position, I wouldn't be leaving anything to chance my lovely xxx