Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[klabro]

Ask4joy-That is VERY good news. Just rely on your instincts and if you feel like something is wrong then demand to be seen. I don't know how to explain it, but I had a feeling in the pregnancy with my twins and I acted on it and I was always right. Mother's intuition is a real thing.

Cinderella-I think you would have a very tough time finding a doctor who agrees to do a preventative cerclage in a first pregnancy. Most of the time that is a procedure performed by a high risk doctor after being referred by a regular OB. It is my understanding that the cerclage itself will not help with PPROM unless you PPROM due to cervical shortening, you can still PPROM with a cerclage in place. You would definitely want to be put on progesterone injections though and that would be easier to get a doctor to agree to. Progesterone is thought to decrease your chances of PPROM by quite a bit (as explained to me by my high risk doctors) I was denied a cerclage in a subsequent pregnancy after losing my twins at 21 weeks because "it could have just been a twin thing and we just need to wait and see".

 

[Cinderella]

Cinderella-I think you would have a very tough time finding a doctor who agrees to do a preventative cerclage in a first pregnancy. Most of the time that is a procedure performed by a high risk doctor after being referred by a regular OB. It is my understanding that the cerclage itself will not help with PPROM unless you PPROM due to cervical shortening, you can still PPROM with a cerclage in place. You would definitely want to be put on progesterone injections though and that would be easier to get a doctor to agree to. Progesterone is thought to decrease your chances of PPROM by quite a bit (as explained to me by my high risk doctors) I was denied a cerclage in a subsequent pregnancy after losing my twins at 21 weeks because "it could have just been a twin thing and we just need to wait and see".

Thank you! I suspected I might come across some resistance. A research paper was released just yesterday for my condition that indicated that it was a good consideration to prevent PPROM. I hadn't heard of the progesterone thing though so I'll definitely ask for that! I have to see my midwife to get the referral to the high risk doctors, Ive been told by my GP that I'll be doctor lead due to my condition, I intend to give them the research paper (the first of its kind for my condition) and ask that they take it into consideration!

 

[Hd712]

Hi all - I’ve been browsing through this thread and it seems like there’s a lot of good info here. I’m so sorry for everyone who’s suffered losses because of IC and who’s having to deal with all this anxiety and worry. I’ve only been dealing with it 4 days and it’s so rough!

I am almost 18 weeks pregnant with mono/do twin girls. I came in last Thursday to have an ultrasound because I was having spotting and minor cramping, and they found my cervix had essentially disappeared and was 4cm dilated, with Twin A’s sac coming out. Sucks because they had been monitoring me so closely because of the mono/di twins and everything had seemed fine up till that moment!

They told me I’d likely lose both because they don’t do a stitch with twins and the progesterone hasn’t really worked before with twins - then within two hours of being in the hospital Twin A’s sac ruptured. There’s been a lot of info and stats thrown at us, none of it optimistic, but then everyone follows it up with “but it may not happen that way!” So hard to make decisions and know what’s the right thing to do, especially when I feel pretty good and I can still feel them moving / they have good heart beats. Everyone keeps telling me just to wait and my body may take care of the decision for me.

Anyone had this kind of experience with twins, or know anything I should be asking for / doing? I’m just hanging tight at the moment.

 

[xMissxZoiex]

Hi all - I’ve been browsing through this thread and it seems like there’s a lot of good info here. I’m so sorry for everyone who’s suffered losses because of IC and who’s having to deal with all this anxiety and worry. I’ve only been dealing with it 4 days and it’s so rough!

I am almost 18 weeks pregnant with mono/do twin girls. I came in last Thursday to have an ultrasound because I was having spotting and minor cramping, and they found my cervix had essentially disappeared and was 4cm dilated, with Twin A’s sac coming out. Sucks because they had been monitoring me so closely because of the mono/di twins and everything had seemed fine up till that moment!

They told me I’d likely lose both because they don’t do a stitch with twins and the progesterone hasn’t really worked before with twins - then within two hours of being in the hospital Twin A’s sac ruptured. There’s been a lot of info and stats thrown at us, none of it optimistic, but then everyone follows it up with “but it may not happen that way!” So hard to make decisions and know what’s the right thing to do, especially when I feel pretty good and I can still feel them moving / they have good heart beats. Everyone keeps telling me just to wait and my body may take care of the decision for me.

Anyone had this kind of experience with twins, or know anything I should be asking for / doing? I’m just hanging tight at the moment.

Hi there!, I had a stitch with my twin pregnancy. Although it wasn't a rescue stitch it was a preventative and I'd already had 2 IC pregnancies previous to my twin pregnancy. I was in hospital bed rest from 17 weeks until they were born at 18+2 when Owen's (Twin A) placenta failed and so did the stitch. For me it didn't take very long after Owen's waters broke for him to be born and Milo followed not long after born in his waters both were born with my stitch still in.

The best thing you can do is keep on strict bed rest, only get up to pee and 5 minute showers every few days. Every day is a day closer to viability and once you get there if labour seems like its coming they will give you steroid injections to help the babies lungs.

All the best!.

 

[tankel]

Hi, I'm sorry to bust in here with a possible stupid question. Anyway, I was wondering if any of you check your cervix before being diagnosed with IC and what if felt like? I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately, so I checked and my cervix felt squishy and it also feels lopsided, like one side is a lot shorter than the other. Its is causing a opening that is about a finger widths wide that I can fit my finger into and deep. Do you all think this is IC or and I just getting the second trimester jitters?

For the record, this is my 3rd pregnancy. I had a MC at 12 wks, and my daughter was born in jan 2016. I know that birth changes your cervix and it always has a open feel, but I was TTC for this pregnancy and checked my cervix daily and feel like I have a good idea on what my post VD cervix feels like, and it isn't anything like this.

I'd appreciate any insight advise

 

[klabro]

Hd712-I had a similar thing happen with a twin pregnancy. I was being followed somewhat closely but not too closely because my twins were di-di and I had a healthy singleton that was born at full term previously. I had 4cm of cervix and then was checked 2 weeks later and my cervix was paper thin but still closed. I had a pessary placed because like you they would not do a rescue stitch because of the twins. I made it a week with the pessary before I dilated to a 3 and was advised I was going to lose the pregnancy. I was sent to the hospital and basically induced because of the "risk of infection" and a bunch of other things that they threw at me when I had little knowledge of the situation. Knowing what I know now, I would say just hold on to the bed rest as long as you can. There is always a chance. I know they wont stitch now that your waters have gone so I would personally insist on hospital bed rest. I went on to have a healthy singleton pregnancy after my twin pregnancy with no stitch. In that pregnancy I was dilated to a 4 for weeks before delivery, you can be dilated and not in active labor. Just make sure they are watching you closely for any signs of infection. If you need someone to talk to feel free to send me a message. Thinking of you

 

[klabro]

Tankel-I'd say the only way that you will know if you have IC is if you have an ultrasound done to measure cervical length. Honestly, if your daughter was born at term without any sort of cervical trauma from birth it is unlikely that you developed IC. I have no advice based on what your cervix should feel like right now, I never checked my cervix prior to pregnancy and once I was diagnosed with IC I was put on strict pelvic rest so that nothing would cause irritation. That being said, if you just feel like something isn't right, trust your intuition and ask to be checked. I genuinely felt like something was not right in my twin pregnancy and asked to be checked and it turned out I was right so my advice is always to trust your mommy instincts. Normal to have jitters of course, but if something is nagging at you, get checked.

 

[loves_cookies]

Hey ladies, i'm in need of some support. A bit of background, in 2012 Ihad a emergency c section with my first pregnancy at 39 weeks, no signs of cervical problems and uneventful pregnancy. Last March I had a partial molar pregnancy removed via d&c. I then lost my son in November at 19 weeks after PPROM and spontaneous labour. The official cause was found to be chorioamnionitis, but I always had a question mark over how infection got in.

Anyway, i'm now pregnant again. I was being monitored weekly because of my history and anxiety over the new pregnancy. So i had my routine appointment yesterday at 14+6 and a scan found my cervix was funnelled and only measured 1cm. The measurement last week was 4cm. Everyone seems very shocked that this has happened
A) At all as I've previously had a full term pregnancy.
B) As early in pregnancy as it has
C) How quickly it's developed.

They sent me straight to labour ward to have a stitch put in and 4 hours later I was in theatre and they've placed a Shirodkar cerclage in. The surgeon did comment that my cervix was very thin, particularly at the front. They discharged me this morning, i'm a little sore which I think is to be expected but, everytime I feel a twinge or discomfort in my abdomen I panic that i'm going into labour. How to I cope with this? The Dr's are all talking about getting to 24 weeks, but honestly that feels like a lifetime away and a unachievable goal.

 

[klabro]

Loves_cookies-I am SO sorry you are going through this. Like you I had a full term pregnancy first in 2012 and then my cervical shortening happened after a previous 4cm measurement and was non existet. I was not eligible for a cerclage because of twins, but I have met many ladies who got a stitch with less cercical length than you that went on to full term! I made it through my last pregnancy without a stitch and my cervix shortened at 24 weeks and ended up induced at 36 weeks for a completely different complication. High risk pregnancy is so stressful, the only advice I have is to relax and keep your feet up as much as you possibly can. Have they been giving you progesterone? I would request it if not as it can help keep your cervix strong. I used to be completely stressed each week up until my cercixal measurement, feel better that afternoon and then start the stress again until the next week. Unfortunately the only thing that helps is time. As the weeks passed I felt a tiny bit better after each week. Celebrate the milestones...20 weeks, 22 weeks, 24 weeks etc. I celebrated each milestone. After 24 weeks I passed the time by reading success stories of babies born at the gestation I was at. It helped me to know what to expect each week and also helped me feel better. I’m sorry you are going through this, but so glad you were able to get a stitch when you did.

 

[niks032]

Hello,

I hope it's okay that I am posting here because I don't have a cerclage at the moment but am just looking for some general advice for a potentially incompetent cervix.

I am currently 20 weeks pregnant with my second child. My first was delivered at 38 weeks after I was induced for IUGR. She was 5lbs 13 oz and healthy thankfully, but I had a very diseased placenta and she was getting tinier and tinier without getting proper nutrition.

After that pregnancy, I had a LEEP procedure to remove CIN3 cells and got pregnant again close to a year post-surgery.

Due to these 2 issues, I am going to a high risk doctor who has been great so far. She first checked my cervix at 16 weeks and said it was at 3.1 which she didn't seem alarmed by but which I know isn't bad but isn't great. She said not to change anything lifestyle-wise and that she would continue to check it at every appt.

Because of the holidays, I have my 20 week appointment and anatomy scan on January 3 - in 7 days. I am somewhat concerned though because the last three days I have felt a big shift in my body. I hadn't been nauseous since week 14 and I have been quite queasy with little to no appetite and threw up last night when I tried to have dinner. I was also experiencing braxton hicks 2 nights ago and have been SO extremely tired and lacking any energy that I have basically been lying in bed or on the couch for 3 days. When I try to walk around, I feel pressure in my pelvis and my legs feel heavy.

I was just wondering if anyone had this experience and if it meant their cervix was shortening. My doctor is away this week and I spoke to a nurse yesterday who basically said if my symptoms stayed the same that I should be ok to wait until my appointment, but to let them know if braxton hicks were happening again.

Thanks so much in advance to anyone who might have any advice or insight!!

 

[Demotivated]

hi ladies.. when did you realize that there is a risk of incompetent cervix? At my 12week scan, my cervix measured 3.2mm. Nobody said anything to me but i know its less than ideal.

Since then i am having persistent lower back ache and dull pressure in my abdomen.. Anything else i should be on lookout for? and any experience with a similar situation? TIA

 

[LeahLou]

Hey ladies! I'm back! Last cerclage was in 2015 and I successful carried our son until 38 weeks! I was on extreme bed rest because they didnt find the issue until it was almost too late.

I got surprised in January with what I thought was a severe flu (I did have the flu) but it was also a positive test! I just got my cerclage at 14 weeks last week and it was NOT smooth at all. Recovery hasn't been easy either. They had a hard time placing the spinal tap and I lost some spinal fluid, induced migraine-like headaches. I also felt the strings yesterday and I never had that happen the first time!
Hoping I'll make it as far as last time!