Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[lizziedripping]

Indomethicin is normal treatment during and after a stitch btw MA. It is powerful but brilliant stuff. Good luck hun x

 

[rensben]

Oh dear...doctor's make me so mad sometimes!! Good luck for tomorrow MA. I'm sure everything will go well. So happy they are finally doing something! I go in for my weekly scan tomorrow. I've been stable at 2.5 for the last 2 weeks. I haven't funnelled to the stitch yet but we'll see how it goes tomorrow morning. I'm not worried about IC as much as I am worried about PTL. contractions have lessened now that I'm not picking up my son anymore. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

 

[HelenGee]

MA- tried to post yesterday but my laptop crashed
Anyway, I am so pleased they're doing the stitch. About time. Maybe now they'll take your concerns more seriously. It makes me so cross that they haven't trusted your instinct so far, I've been there and it still troubles me a little. However, it is important now that you have some trust in your docs or you will drive yourself crazy.

I have every faith that you'll make it to term and I'm sending you prayers and best wishes. My stitch was done at 20+5 cervix 13mm and funneling. Bed rest and progesterone added in we did just fine.

 

[Mommy's Angel]

MA- tried to post yesterday but my laptop crashed
Anyway, I am so pleased they're doing the stitch. About time. Maybe now they'll take your concerns more seriously. It makes me so cross that they haven't trusted your instinct so far, I've been there and it still troubles me a little. However, it is important now that you have some trust in your docs or you will drive yourself crazy.

I have every faith that you'll make it to term and I'm sending you prayers and best wishes. My stitch was done at 20+5 cervix 13mm and funneling. Bed rest and progesterone added in we did just fine.

Thank you! Looks like I'm similar. You are right. It's time to trust them. They are well known here, just more conservative as many of us know with many of the Dr.'s.

I needed to hear all your words and I thank you for your lovely words of encouragement everyone as well as your prayers. Thank you all dearly

I'm here now and waiting for tomorrow. nervous but anxious to get it over with and breathe a bit.

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Hi ladies,

haven't slept a wink as my roomate lost her baby when the heartbeat stopped. She just came out from a cerclage and was 14-16wks. They had to move me as I was too emotional to deal with it having lost my son and now trying to save Amelia with the same darn procedure. My Dr. is from a different practice so we had different phycisians, but it really brings to reality how serious this can be. She lost fluid and that's why the baby died. I know that's a "risk" associated with cerclaging. Needless to say I've been a bit edgey but this morning felt the peace of God and feel like He was telling me everything would be okay.

surgery is scheduled for noon, hopefully I'll feel well enough to update everyone. Looking forward to this stitch to keep our daughter in safe...also praying God would put a barrier around her and protect her from what the other mother went through.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi MA - what a nightmare hun

What happened is thankfully a rare complication, and sometimes women have a myriad of other issues as well as IC to deal with that you aren't aware of. It is possible that this lady had exposed membranes so had a dilated cervix when they were trying to put the stitch in, hence reason they were ruptured. Your cervix, tho shorter, is closed and the chances are excellent my sweet. Take care, and will be watching the clock today xxx

 

[lynz85]

all the best MA been following your story for a while now. Hope all goes well for you with this stitch x

 

[nkbapbt]

MA - I am so sorry about your roommate, what an incredibly hard thing for you (and her clearly).

I hope your stitch placement goes in without a hiccup. Sending you lots of healing and positive thoughts!

 

[lizziedripping]

Any news MA? x

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Any news MA? x

Hi there!

Went in for the cerclage around 1. I was doing well until the anesthesiologist mentioned there was a woman whose sac was buldging. The Dr. Hollard at her to STOP. Knowing that had been my roomate and that with Jackson my own sac was found buldging. After that, I hadn't heard any of them and started to worry as they were working behind the scenes. That moment I felt I was going to be sick and they gave me anti nausea meds through the IV and I tried to keep myself calm. The Dr. shortly said she was almost done and that everything looked just fine and went as planned. She said cervix was STILL closed and I believe she mentioned the closed length was 2cm's.

They mentioned modified bedrest for home. We all know I'll be on bedrest.

I was surprised to find that I was barely bleeding at all, had "slight" cramping but nothing too bad and the worst was a headache and slight stinging when I pee. Other than that, I seem to be doing well and have a more positive attitude about our future. Amelia seems to be doing fine with a heart rate in the 150's. She did almost give me a heart attack when we couldn't find her heartbeat. After what happened with my roomate, I was on the verge of tears when they finally found her beautiful beating heart.

So all is well. My heart still aches for my roomate though. I know so well what it's like to lose a child.

I'll be back on next week to chat with you all as I have another scan to make sure everything looks good and Dr. appointment.

Saw the perinatologist I argued with for an hour to get the cerclage at 14wks and he looked like "oh no, not this one again" and I had a look like "told ya so" I kept hearing the old time western showdown theme in my head and giggled after he left.

My first time with an epidural type anesthesia. I told the med staff in surgery it felt like I was walking naked in the snow and had them all laughing.

So, that's it for today! All is well and I couldn't have gotten this far without you all. I'm just so thankful that God led me to this thread. Your all a blessing! Now I'm looking forward to making it and holding my little Amelia come October.

Keep you posted as things progress!

 

[lizziedripping]

Phew, thank goodness all went ok MA - have been thinking about for the last 36hrs

I hardly bled after my stitch too - a few days of "barely there' bleeding that's all. I must warn you that after both my emergency and elective stitches I had tightenings, and cramps which made me think the stitching would fail This is an apparently normal sensation tho because I got to 38wks with twins despite it I said on many occasions that I wouldn't make it based purely on the constant "contraction-like feelings, so take heart from my story hun.

Rest well, and keep positive xxx

 

[HelenGee]

What a relief MA, I've been on pins waiting to hear. Now keep taking it steady. I hurt when I peed for a few days after my stitch, everything sounds really normal.

Well done for getting through the trauma of the surgery, so glad it's all done.

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Thank you both so much!

Lizzie, that's good to know for future reference. I'm still on the drug indomethocin for the next couple of days and I read you said it helped a great deal. I also took my 17P injection today and will take that weekly until week 36 along with drinking water. I wonder if continuing on the 17P injections, if that will keep those feelings away because 17P is supposed to calm the uterus from PTL?? I'm sure we'll find out in the upcoming months.

I say this with a sound of relief. I was SO on edge up until now when I finally have that stitch. I at least feel like we have a chance now. Hearing all the positive stories, I'm starting to relax quite a bit and to spite the ongoing bedrest during the fun summer months, I find it will be worth it when she comes and is healthy!

Thanks again!

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Hi ladies,

I have a quick question for you. I seem to be peeing a lot. Maybe twice every half hour or so. Will this affect this issue as I know I'm supposed to be bed rest?

I'm not sure if I'm getting myself all worked up about getting up to pee and going back to bed for nothing. Just wondering if you all got up so much to pee so much. Just trying to monitor myself.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi MA - you might have a UTI hun, or it might be irritation caused by the catheter. I had awful bladder trouble after the stitch, and had to have the catheter removed early as a result i.e. before the statutory 24hrs were up. Getting up to pee is not a problem stitch/cervix-wise, but a UTI needs addressing. Call your doc hun, it's easy to treat and worth nipping in the bud asap xxx

 

[MikaylasMummy]

so happy to hear your cerclage went well ma.xx

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Thanks Lizzie.

We have a load of appointments this week so I'll have them do a culture and send it out. Tomorrow we have the fetal echocardiogram which I'm told is typical for babies of moms with Type II diabetes. I'm looking forward to hearing Amelia's heartbeat again.

Tuesday the Doula is bringing a backup Doula for me to meet in case she's not in town. They figured since I'm high risk and with cerclage actual due date isn't specific, they'd be prepared so I would NEVER be alone. They'll come and sit beside my bedside. Feels kinda weird!

Friday I have another scan to check the cerclage and make sure everything is okay. By the way, how often after the cerclage do they check measurements now? Will it still be weekly or biweekly or less than that?

Yesterday I was bored so I looked up blogs of women who've had a cerclage. I found an older one of a woman who had her son after losing twins at 19wks. This was 2006. I had to laugh at some of her entries about bedrest, about her snoring husband. I just totally understand right now where she was coming from back then. I think it kinda helps to read her story. She has since had another child in 2009 and then stopped blogging, but it's fun to read her story. Today I'm going to start blogging again myself and jotting down my own journey so I can go back and read it.

Have a lovely day ladies! Looking forward to the next scan and I'll share the results when I find out.

 

[lizziedripping]

Scanning after a stitch varies MA. I had a scan every 3wks, but much of that was because I was carrying twins. Some centres stop altogether figuring that once the stitch is in, all that can be done is being done, so it's a waste of time (not my view ). Others do a fortnightly/3 weekly scan, and if all is ok, stop after 27wks. x

 

[Sherri81]

MA, I'm so glad your stitch went well. I bet your bladder is just sort of irritated right now after they've been up there messing around. I really hope your cervix stops shortening and that things stabalize for you.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi MA, you doing ok?

Good to see you here Sherri - wow, bet you can't quite believe you're at 32wks already? The elective stitch was so the right thing for you darlin Hope your other health issues aren't giving you too much grief/anxiety. Take care everyone xxx