Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[baby_maybe]

Hi Twinkle I haven't posted on this thread for a long while, but I have had 4 stitches now and obviously had other children to look after throughout my pregnancies. I carried on with a relatively normal amount of activity in the daytime and just made sure I put my feet up once they were in bed. My last 3 pregnancies went to 39 weeks+ so it didn't have any detrimental effects for me.

Having said that everyone is different, so listen to your body and if you feel like you're doing too much or you have any worrying symptoms, ease up a bit and get some advise from your consultant. Most consultants though will probably tell you theres no need to sit down any more than you would normally do once you've had the stitch put in xx

 

[xMissxZoiex]

Hi everyone I have an incompetent cervix, I had my first baby preterm then my second was born extra early and passed away. With my 3rd I had a stitch placed in and made it to 37 weeks.. During my third pregnancy the one with the stitch, I was terrified to move and I darnt get up and do usual activities, I laid in bed or on the sofa until I reached 28weeks.then I slowly increased activities until I was basically back to usual level of activity. I'm thinking now if I have another baby I will most certainly need another stitch but I won't be able to rest in bed at all as I have a child to take to and from school and also a toddler that is extreamly active to look after...

My question is, is there anyone that has had a stitch and carried on with normal level of activity and the stitch has worked ? I got so much pressure and pain in my pregnancy with the stitch and that is what led me to bed rest as I darnt move.

Thankyou for reading

Hey!, I'm currently almost 30 weeks pregnant stitch put in at 14 weeks. My consultant said there was no need for bed rest unless problems happen. I'm doing a lot of things I would have done if I were having a "normal" pregnancy. I've found i can tell if I'm doing too much as I get a slight pinching sensation (nothing a little sit down with my feet up doesn't cure)

I do have to say I've been super lucky that DH cooks all the evening meals and does dishes after so I get the entire evening to stick my feet up. He also does all then heavier house work such as hoovering, I just do light cleaning and the laundry . There are ways around it without being bed bound.

Remember house work can wait and kids can live of easy to make meals for a while you can make it work.

 

[40isnotold]

I'm having twins and I had an emergency stitch put in at 20 weeks when I was measuring 8mm. I was on strict bed rest for almost two weeks, then put on modified. Since the surgery, I've measured 2 cm up until my appointment 2 days ago, when I was measuring 2.2 cm. I've been off work since the surgery and I've been taking it pretty easy with lots of breaks through out the day. I haven't been lifting heavy items and I have someone come in and clean my house every other week but I've been doing things like getting the nursery ready and doing some light shopping for the babies as long as I know I won't be walking a lot. Like someone else mentioned, I know when I'm overdoing it and I stop and relax for the rest of the day.

 

[shanny]

Hi everyone I have an incompetent cervix, I had my first baby preterm then my second was born extra early and passed away. With my 3rd I had a stitch placed in and made it to 37 weeks.. During my third pregnancy the one with the stitch, I was terrified to move and I darnt get up and do usual activities, I laid in bed or on the sofa until I reached 28weeks.then I slowly increased activities until I was basically back to usual level of activity. I'm thinking now if I have another baby I will most certainly need another stitch but I won't be able to rest in bed at all as I have a child to take to and from school and also a toddler that is extreamly active to look after...

My question is, is there anyone that has had a stitch and carried on with normal level of activity and the stitch has worked ? I got so much pressure and pain in my pregnancy with the stitch and that is what led me to bed rest as I darnt move.

Hi Twinkle long time -

As you know I had 4 stitches .

I was super paranoid with the first one and did far less but still worked (I teach primary) and rested a lot. Not bed rest - This stitch was emergency at 18 weeks - my others were planned at 16 weeks

Like you say with number 2 you have less options to rest.

My doctor was always super confident that I carried on as normal and I had no restrictions on me.

But the worry never went. I guess the closer to 35 weeks I was more active but the more pregnacies I had the more confident I felt.


xxxxx

 

[shanny]

Hi there

I wondered if you ladies can give me some advice ... I had a cervlage placed last Thursday at 13 weeks - however for the last few days I have been feeling quite uncomfortable /tender ? I am also getting the odd stabbing pain. Is this normal a week on?
I have had the cerclage following 2 late miscarriages at 22 weeks and had begun to funnel in this pregnancy. The consultant doesn't quite understand why I have IC, as we also have 3 girls who are 10, 9 and 6.

Yes I had this, not all the time, but occasionally depending on baby and my positiond - but ask midwife if you are not sure......

 

[Amyface]

I've just carried on as normal, including walking 2 hours a day, 3 times a week taking my eldest to and from pre-school. Just over a month to go now, I'm having it taken out at 39 at the same time as my section.

 

[chistiana]

Hi ladies can I can if anyone's had a similar thing happen? I am 26 w and some days, cerclage put in at around 15weeks. Last night I got up for a pee and had so,e red spotting. Really freaked out. Went to hospital today..doc said baby looks fine, there is no blood in the uterus, cervix under the stitch is closed and 2.5cm but he did see what looks like blood over the stitch. He said that either while she was turning head down (sometime in the last two day as on Thursday she was footling) she caused this or I ve been contracting. What I don't understand is how would that cause blood in the cervix? Did the stitch scratch me or something? Also today I noticed that I have having quite a few contractions but they're painless for the most part. This is normal right?

 

[xMissxZoiex]

Sounds like regular braxton hicks chistiana it's not something that would effect your cervix totally normal pregnancy thing I've been getting them too. As for the bleed I suppose it's possible for the stitch to have moved slightly when baby has moved and just pinched the skin? But I've not experienced anything like that, it's good that your doctor doesn't seem to be to concerned about it. Is he going to do a repeat cervical length check to see is your maintaining the 2.5cm

All the best xxx

 

[chistiana]

Missx thank you for replying. Well my doc does see me every 4 weeks anyway so no he didn't say he ll check earlier than that. But he did tell me to let him know if I keep contracting regularly or if I see any more blood. Bleeding has completely stopped and although I am feeling contractions they re really not painful so I m guessing they are indeed bh. The only thing that worries me with this is that when I was in labor with my dd at 35 weeks the contractions were so painless I never understood what was going on...by the time I decided to go to the hospital just for the heck of it I was having them two minutes apart and my daughter was trying to rip through the stitch...we barely had time for an emcs.

 

[Laney26]

Hi there im on my 3rd McDonald cerclage (my 1st was put in at 25 wks my 2nd at 16 wks both worked) I'm now 24 weeks with my 3rd which is my most difficult. I had a bleed last sat it was less than a teaspoon with a small piece of tissue in it I had intense stinging with it but then it all stopped. Drs think it is to do with stitch. I keep getting g a sensation like there's something in my vagina it scares the life out of me then goes away I have no idea what it is but it's awful. Had my cervix measured on tues it is 2.8mm and I'm 24 weeks no idea if this is good or bad. Lovely to meet u all xxx

 

[chistiana]

Hi laney, I keep getting that pinchy feeling too and although I haven't seen any blood for a week now it s really still very scary! The cl is pretty good, mine was 2.5 under the stitch n the doc was very happy with it!

 

[Amyface]

Hi there im on my 3rd McDonald cerclage (my 1st was put in at 25 wks my 2nd at 16 wks both worked) I'm now 24 weeks with my 3rd which is my most difficult. I had a bleed last sat it was less than a teaspoon with a small piece of tissue in it I had intense stinging with it but then it all stopped. Drs think it is to do with stitch. I keep getting g a sensation like there's something in my vagina it scares the life out of me then goes away I have no idea what it is but it's awful. Had my cervix measured on tues it is 2.8mm and I'm 24 weeks no idea if this is good or bad. Lovely to meet u all xxx

The average cervical length at 24 weeks is 3.5mm. Although you're under that, a cervical length of 2.5mm at 24 weeks gives an average gestation of 36.5 weeks, and as you're above that I don't see any need to worry too much

 

[Laney26]

Oh wow I didn't know there was any way to work it out. I hope that is right Id be over the moon with that gestation. Been asking my dr for progesterone but he's having none of it. Xxx

 

[Laney26]

So are you ladies still working or doing modified rest etc. There seems to be such a variation doesn't there. I worked with my 2nd stitch them started to funnel so got signed off at about 24 wks. This one I'm not working but have to take my children to and from school and of course look after them. My dr is totally against resting but I'm not convinced what do U ladies think. I've also started using a support belt it may make no difference but who know its worth a shot eh?

 

[visionofmine]

I had a preventative cerclage placed at 14 weeks, I did 3 days strict bedrest, followed by 2 days modified bedrest, then back to my normal activity level. My doctor suggested the support belt as she thought it would be helpful, but I never tried it. I am currently 35 weeks. My doctor stopped checking my cervix after 24 weeks because she was satisfied with the length.

 

[Laney26]

Visionofmine what was your length at 24wks if you don't mind me asking. You must have been so pleased when they said you didn't need scanning anymore and now your almost there. Fantastic news xxx

 

[d_b]

I had a short(ish) cervix on my first 2 kids (no stitch, and had them at 39.5w). It measured between 2.4-2.9 for DS1 and started at 2.5 going down to 2.2 on DS2.

Now for this pregnancy I measured 2.6 at 19w, 3 at 23w, 2 at 27w (dr put me on 1 week of bedrest) . I just got an ultrasound at 28w and it measured 3.4? Is that even possible? It's never been that long! I get checked again in 2 weeks and have no idea what to expect.

 

[Laney26]

That's an awesome length go you. Are they doing internal scans or abdominal? I've also heard different ultrasound machines can give variations in measurements but u wouldn't think that much. Maybe the bedrest has done its job very very well also at some point your pelvis takes on some of the baby weight releasing a bit of pressure of the cervix. On my 1st preg (emergency stitch was dilated) so I had no length at all when they measured it at 33 weeks it was measuring 5cm which no one cud believe (wish I had that length now). Whatever has happened that's an awesome length so go you well done xxx

 

[d_b]

That's an awesome length go you. Are they doing internal scans or abdominal? I've also heard different ultrasound machines can give variations in measurements but u wouldn't think that much. Maybe the bedrest has done its job very very well also at some point your pelvis takes on some of the baby weight releasing a bit of pressure of the cervix. On my 1st preg (emergency stitch was dilated) so I had no length at all when they measured it at 33 weeks it was measuring 5cm which no one cud believe (wish I had that length now). Whatever has happened that's an awesome length so go you well done xxx

Wow, 0 to 5cm? I guess it is possible! They were all interal u/s.

 

[Laney26]

That was over 6wks but that's what the measurements were as I say I wud kill for that length now. Internal are the most reliable so that's awesome it. When is your next measurement. I bet you feel like u can breathe a bit easier xxx