Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[vaali]

Truthbtold jan 10th

Susanah C-sec scheduled on jan 16th (? please correct me sussie if im wrong with the date!)

Vaali(me..)jan 29th

Garrickbaby c-sec scheduled on feb 1st

Heychickie c-sec scheduled on feb 10th

Am i missing out anybody else's in these two months?

Other buddies please feel free to update urs too..

 

[vaali]

Larock yay!! you made it to 30w!!!, im sure the f/u & scan are gonna be pretty awesome!!..

Heychickie yay!! 34w today!

Kate so glad everything is under control! sure the scan & consultation will give you more hopes to carry the LO till term..

Olga awesome, now the stitch is in & its a breather for sure.. my 2 cents, i dint have much bleeding or discomfort to be true right after the Sx.. though the urinary catheter in situ for 24 following the cerclage was the thingy i found most irritating! well, i have a good pain tolerance (lol, atleast i would like to boast so.. moment of truth isn't far away already & i would know how may hospital staffs are ready to be facing my wrath.. if not just hub & mom..lol..) & i dint feel any pain or take any analgesics after the cerclage. So physically dint feel anything much diff other than some tightness (?) along my private parts.

They did one swab right before the surgery in the theatre which came out clear & no swab tests after that. oh & constipation! gosh..! i hate that..!! which i had for a week following the stitch, probably i would relate it to me immobility. The worst feeling in my life is being constipated i would say.. i use to get restless, bloated, depressed only ending up eating more food & the cycle will worsen again. I would roam around the house all day constantly complaining everyone (hub & mom) that im constipated & that they arent trying to help me anyway..rofl. Lactulose was my life saver but it gave me too much flatus (sorry TMI), so i discontinued & totally avoided any kind white flour stuff. No cookies, no pastas, no pizzas.. & started gulping down more pulpy juice. That helped me a lot & dint have to go back to lactulose till date (touch wood!)

Had Cervical lengths followed up once every 2 weeks as you see in my signature & no steroids so far. Oh, btw im still on progesterone 200mg once a daily orally & an uterine relaxant, isoxsuprine hydrochloride 10mg twice daily both started after the stitch to prevent any PTL.

Believe me, though we tried a lot to pull words off my OBGy's mouth regarding bed rest, she gave us a very vague reply. So i just listened to my instincts & few my friend's advice on the bead rest. Near complete bed rest other than restroom visits & a quick shower from 22 to 28w. Foot end of the bed raised upto 5 inches ( with 2 solid bricks) till 29ishw & 2.5 inches (one brick) till 32 weeks.

Anymore questions? feel free to shoot at..

 

[lizziedripping]

Kate, you ok sweet? Bit concerned that you didn't write yesterday x

Hi Olga, and welcome Hun So pleased you are getting a stitch, and glad to hear stitch placement went well, the pains you describe are absolutely normal afterwards. I had quite minimal bleeding which lasted only a few days, and it wasn't painful as such, but I did have lots of bladder discomfort. Peeing was agony throughout the whole pregnancy, and for 3 wks after stitch placement I felt ill, as if recovering from major surgery. Mine was a shirodkar stitch which involves dissecting the bladder away from the vaginal wall, so that explains my troubles, but I'm sure that the less invasive Macdonald stitch also causes some aches and pains, and the mere presence of this tape-like structure wreaks havoc with your body Expect to feel uncomfortable for a while yet, and if you're anything
Like I was, there will be some uterine cramping and tightening which feel like early labour, but are in fact just due to the surgery irritating everything down there Bleeding typically tapers off within a week or so, and in theory all should be back to normal within the month.

As for bed rest, I advise moderate rest as and when you can, no heavy lifting or housework, and plenty of fluids. Docs are reluctant to advise complete bed rest because the jury is out as to it's benefits, but I definitely advocate it in combination with the stitch. It certainly can't hurt to take things easy, and I am sure it's what got me to term with twins.

Take care Hun, and let us know how you get on xxx

HC - well done on 34wks, bet you can't wait now? So pleased you're headed for your much deserved healthy baby

Susie, can't believe your section is imminent, and after such auneventful pregnancy compared with last time. Your story gives us all hope here, especially since you barely adapted your lifestyle at all this time, and you had a small baby to take care of. Good luck, looking forward to your BA

Love to all xxx

 

[apsara.m]

olga... take care mine was also followed with light bleeding for 2 days and as vaali said my doc also didn't recommend complete bedrest but a moderate one but i choose to limit my activity as to go to restroom and getting to eat food and ofcouse taking bath upto 28 weeks. my doc scolded me it will cause blood clot if i didn't move at all. i also placed one brick eat below the cot at foot side iam still using it.
vaali add my due date also its Feb 10 .. i will update it after my scan on 10th
larock.. 30weeks
sussie.. can'tr wait to see the pics of bubba
garrickbaby we are all so close ..........

 

[LaRockera]

Back from scan, ladies!

Cervix measuring 30mm at 30+2. Doctor said it's excellent for my gestational age. Three weeks ago it measured 48mm but I'm not really worried, as I know this baby needs to get out eventually. The doctor even said my shirodkar doesn't really do much anymore. Cervix was nicely shut.

Also, it appears that my LO had a massive growth spurt the last three weeks as she's now on the 75th percentile, with an EFW of 1,705! My AFI levels were 9, which apparently is between the lowest and the perfect range of 'average'. He said there's enough fluid in there for bubba to develop and move normally.

He also gave me two Vision pads as my discharge has been out of control lately, but said he doubted I ever leaked. He said the stitch can affect the quality and amount of discharge- much like what our very own Helen had said to me quite a few times.

Hope everyone else is okay.

Olga - hope you're doing well hon. Listen to Lizzie's advice, she's a wise woman.

Vaali - my EDD is 13/03/2012.

Kate - sweetie, I hope you're doing great.

And Helen- once again, thank you for sending me to those awesome doctors!

 

[kateqpr]

Hi everyone!

Well, the good news is i'm back home. Yay!!

The consultant came to see me first thing and said i could go home. My stomach all felt soft and fine,and she didn't see the point in doing another FFN swab as got a negative one only last week.

She arranged for a scan for me, which showed baby growing well (a big tummy!), cervix is still as it was a month ago - 2.5cm, closed, stitch all fine. No sign of where bleeding could be coming from, as placenta is nice and high.

So the consensus seems to be that the spotting i'm getting is most probably local to the cervix, and that my cervix is just a bit irritable (like myself...) and prone to spotting or the tissues being aggravated. She reassured me that it's nothing that i'm doing - my activities are so limited that she said there's no way i'm over doing it, and that i should continue to potter at home and try to keep busy. she also said that yes, i may well spot again, and will just have to accept that and come to hospital each time, so they can always monitor me well.

I got home this afternoon and just collapsed into a sobbing mess. I am so so exhausted, both mentally and physically, by the last couple of days, with no sleep and surrounded by labouring women and worrying i was going to lose my baby. I now feel a bit more cautiously optimistic that generally the pregnancy is working as it should - and that hopefully the spotting is just one of those things which will be stressful when it happens, but hopefully not an indicator of anything major going on.

I have another consultant appointment in a week, for a new FFN test, and growth scans booked for every four weeks for the rest of the pregnancy. Pheweeee.

Anyhoo - enough about me...

Larock - excellent scan news! You are officially normal and pregnant. Hurrah.
Lizzie - thanks for your kind messages....i look forward to hearing your wise words of wisdom!
Sussanah - you're exactly right about how i felt being in hospital. Being feet away from women in labour, and hearing all the dramas going on around is so isolating. I spent so much time just staring at my hospital curtains, wide awake at all hours, not able to sleep. The care was great, but hospital is a lonely place.
Olga - great news the stitch is now in place. It took about three days for my bleeding to stop, and about a month before i felt vaguely 'normal' down below, although i still get odd sensations and pinching in my girl bits and think i will for the rest of the pregnancy!
Vaali - my due date is 18 April - which seems like SUCH a long long way away.....

Love to you all..

xx

 

[LaRockera]

Kate sweetie, it's only normal you feel that way. This is emotionally exhausting. Take comfort in the fact that in a couple of weeks you'll be third trimester, and every week your baby will be safer. Eventually time will pass and you'll have your baby safe and sound in your arms, and all this will be behind you.

We're always here for you, remember that.

 

[helsurf]

Hi all!

hope ur all well, It's exciting to see so many of you so close to your due dates!

Kate..glad you are home from hospital and baby is doing well, hang in there hun x x x

I was hoping for a little advice, i always read this thread but don't post very often but am so glad to have found it! I am now 21 weeks and found out yesterday I am expecting a baby girl! we are so excited as we have a beautifull little boy already, now we'll have one of each!

When i went to bed last night baby was kicking down really low in my cervix (almost felt like in my girly bits!) and it was quite uncomfortable causing shooting pains in cervix/stitch area, anyway i woke up this morning, went to the toilet and when i wiped i had quite a bit of bloodstained discharge, kind of browny-red in colour, put a pad on and nothing went on it just when i was wiping and lasted most of the morning. I called in sick to work (as I work in a nursing home and am on my feet for most of a 7 hour shift) and bleeding subsided, then came back this evening, just when i wipe and is brownish, but now seems to have stopped again.

has anyone experienced this? could it be irritation on stitch from baby kicking cervix? I am of course worried that my cervix is trying to dilate against the stitch causing baby to be so low and causing bleeding....but am also very reassured by Kate's recent posts and experience (Thankyou Kate!...which is why i love this thread!)

I don't want to rush to the hospital as i have had bleeding in the past and with my last pregnancy which has come to nothing (except having my son at 30 weeks of course) but i will go tomorrow if it hasn't stopped.

is it normal for baby to be so low down? i'm probably noticing more as stitch is tender!

sorry for the long post, i am just so excited at finding out I am having a little girl and so scared of losing her

sending lots of positive thoughts to everyone and they're little bubbas x x x

 

[LaRockera]

Helsurf - I'd go anyway just to make sure all is okay, hon. It may be the case of some sort of cervical erosion, but go check it out anyway, even if it stops.

I think it's normal to feel movement down there, babies wriggle and turn all over the place, especially at you GA.

Let's see what the other, more experienced ladies have to say.

 

[lizziedripping]

Phew again Kate! So glad everything is ok again, you had me worried for a while there Hun In some ways though, I'm glad you're seeing that you can have untold amounts of symptoms, bleeding, aches and pains, but that the stitch still remains steadfast and it can all be normal pregnancy/IC/stitch stuff without necessarily being sinister. Such a shame that it leaves you so traumatised in the process tho

It's such a roller coaster ride, one moment you're convinced this is it, your baby will be born extremely prem at any moment, then the next euphoria and relief when you're told your cervix is still closed and all looks good. Those intense extremes of emotion are utterly draining. Rest well tonight Hun, and try to unwind at least for the time being

Helsurf - kicking down low is normal, especially in subsequent pregnancies Hun. It may or may not cause some slight bleeding, but what you describe sounds like old blood to me which might be coming from your uterus - again very common and usually harmless. If you imagine how vascular the whole area is, and how your blood volume has increased, the fact that there is occasional blood loss in pregnancy is hardly surprising.

I had lots of kicking low down on my bladder with the twins - one was squished way down low and kept me awake with it every night!! It never caused an issue with my stitch and is unlikely to for you. The stitch is so strong that even full blown contractions fail to affect it! If you were dilating against it then you would have LOTS of bleeding, intense pain and there would be little doubt what was happening hun.

I am sure all is well with you sweet, but I'd still recommend a check up tomorrow just to be certain, and also to reassure you. It never hurts and L&D don't mind at all, especially when you are dealing with pregnancy complications too

LA - great news!! 3 at 30wks is very normal chick. You can actually be a cm or two dilated from 30ish wks and remain that way til 40 with no cause for concern. Enjoy these last few weeks of rest sweetie because once lo arrives things will be very different lol. I'm certain you're gonna be a fabulous Mum who can more than meet the challenge tho

Love to everyone xxx

 

[vaali]

Truthbtold jan 10th

Susanah C-sec scheduled on jan 16th (? please correct me susie if im wrong with the date!)

Vaali jan 29th

Garrickbaby c-sec scheduled on feb 1st

Heychickie c-sec scheduled on feb 10th

Apsara.m feb 10th

LaRockera March 13th

Kate Apr 18th

Anybody left out?

 

[Bump1]

Hello Ladies

Do you mind if i join you all

I could really do with your help, this is my 4th pregnancy, my first ended with my little boy being born at 25+5 he fought for 26 days until he became our very special angel

My next pregnancy ended in MMC at 11wks and then a natural miscarriage at 9wks.

I am currently 14+4 days and had a cevical stitch inserted 3 days ago, my bleeding had stopped the day after and apart from a little soreness i was recovering great, then last night (warning TMI) whilst asleep i had a spontaneous orgasm after dreaming about my hiusband (we haven't had sex at all this pregnancy ) i got up to go to the bathroom and i was bleeding, it has now slowed down and i don't have any pain or cramps but i am so scared of going to sleep and this happening again, has anyone else suffered this after there cerclage was placed?

Thanks In Advance
Sarah

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi Sarah and welcome Hun Sorry for your losses, it is so understandable how nervous you are feeling. It is promising that you have an elective stitch in place, and highly likely that you will get to term with this baby, so keep sight of that fact

It is only 3 days since your cerclage, so the bleeding is fine and probably related to that. Having an orgasm is unlikely to cause any problems, except to dislodge any small clots which have formed around the stitch as part of the healing process. This in itself is nothing to worry about sweet . I'd allow bleeding up to a week or two after stitch, and so long as you are taking things easy, there is very little now which could cause the stitch to open especially at this early stage. If the bleeding gets heavier, or lasts for more than a week then it is always worth having it checked, just to be on the safe side.

Pregnancy increases the chances of having a spontaneous orgasm hun, due to increased blood flow in your pelvis - its normal and essentially harmless. I had the night time o's in the twin pregnancy, and had no control over them. It never affected my stitch or cervix. Take care xxx

 

[Bump1]

Thanks Lizzie for replying.

I've read on line that this normally happens during the REM stage of sleep (first 1.5hrs) so i've just said to my husband i'm going to set the alarm for every hour during the night so i never get to that stage.

He told me not to be silly and everything will be fine, i so hope so

Sarah

 

[LaRockera]

Hi Sarah,

although I don't have Lizzie's experience, I doubt that a night orgasm could cause the bleeding. I'd also think is due the your cerclage being still fresh in there, and you may keep experiencing it for a few more days. The bleeding could also be left-over blood from the operation that the orgasm/wetness in there helped flash out, but I doubt the orgasm is the cause of it.

Of course, always ask your consultant.

 

[kateqpr]

Hi Sarah!

I live in fear of night orgasms!! I had a few with my last stitch (9 months of NOsex is hard....) and always woke up feeling a bit uncomfortable and sore, but never bled.

This time round i've had one sleepy orgasm which again, scared the life out of me, as it really doesn't feel pleasureable! Plus the fear outweighs any pleasure anyway. I didn't bleed, but i do have an irritable cervix which seems to spot at everything else.

I suspect, 3 days after your stitch, the bleeding is totally normal, and as said before, just wiggled the stitch area around while it's still healing (which it will be for a couple of weeks). If the bleeding has stopped (and it was old blood) then really don't worry. If it starts up again then maybe give your doctor a call, but i'd have thought unless the bleeding gets heavier and persistent, it's normal for the next couple of days.

I just try and think really ugly non sexy thoughts before i go to bed to stop it happening. Plus won't allow myself to watch anything 'naughty' on television, as my brain just seems to store it and uses it against me during the night!

 

[kateqpr]

Helsurf - How are you getting on? Have the spotting settled down? I'm sure you're read about my last few days, where i thought the worst, but it seems some people are just prone to have an irritable cervix that will spot or bleed.

I've been to the hospital three times in the last few weeks with this. Each time they've said it is worth paying them a visit, as with a stitch in place they do just like to check whats happening, even if its being overly cautious. So if you're still worried or its carrying on, it might be worth just having them confirm all is ok and the stitch is all still working, even if its just for your own peace of mind, and you'll worry a bit less if it happens again

x

 

[rebecca9016]

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone can share any info/experience with me as im sooooooooo worried.

my sister is currently 19+5 and her cervix was open as of wedsnesday night when she was taken into hospital. They said that she was more than likely going to go into premature labour and lose her baby over night. I came back from the hospital crying wondering how she was ever going to get over another loss (she lost her baby girl back in june at 22+3). My mum and her partner stayed with her and i spent the night awaiting a devistating call, that thank the heavens didnt come. I went up to see her the next morning and she was in no pain, no bleeding etc, the dr said that he would put in an emergency cerclage as labour hadnt started. She went to have the cerclage that afternoon and it all looked well initially, they managed to put the sac back up and get her cervix stitched, however unfortunately when the procedure was complete the sac had begun bulging from the stitches so the dr removed the stitch.

The dr kept her in hospital on bed rest with her legs elevated and told her to rest and prey for a miracle. She had bleeding that night with moderate cramping which i know is not uncommon after the cerclage but she was convinced she was in labour. Fortunately the pain and bleeding has stopped now (24hours later) and she is still laid with her legs elevated and only getting up to go to the toilet.

The general opinion from the dr seems to be that its very unlikely her baby is going to survive but that its worth a try. I am just wondering if anyone has been in this situation at 19 weeks with no cerclage and managed to hold on to their baby until a viable date?

Im going to visit for the day again tomorrow and i know any happy stories will be like music to my sisters ears, She is 100% committed to the bed rest and will literally do anything she possibly can. I have read several threads re this and am making sure she drinks lots of water and only gets up for the toilet but any other tips or stories would be brilliant

 

[kateqpr]

Hi Rebecca,

Can you sister get internet access in the hospital? I've just spent this week in hospital on bed rest, as finding ways to distract her and pass the time will be invaluable. I had my lap top and bought internet access for a few days. Then she can join us on the forum all day every day if she wants!!

Here's a link below to the bliss messageboard - a great place to meet women who have had their babies very early on, or been in similar situations. The woman on the link i've left lost her waters at 19 weeks, but had her baby at 34, so a great bit of inspiration.

https://www.blissmessageboard.org.uk/...fed6874c3a9cae

The fact that your sisters waters are still intact is great news. If she can do full on bed rest, perhaps even having her bed slightly raised at the end, then hopefully her baby can remain safely in its amniotic sac. The doctors can give her steroids from around 23 weeks,which would speed up the babies lung development to give them a much higher chance of survival if born very early.

With bed rest, there is also a chance that the cervix could close again, and even lengthen. I guess if that happens, they could attempt a cerclage again if the cervical length seemed long enough.

I suspect the toughest bit will be the mental worry and anxiety over the coming weeks. She's very lucky to have such a proactive and caring sister

Good luck, and see if she can get in touch with us too...

 

[apsara.m]

sarah welcome to our club honey. hopefully as lizzie and kate says the bleeding will be stopped within a week.
rebecca iam so sorry your sister is going through this. my prayers are there for her to hold her lo to full term as i don't have any advice to offer. please update us dear