Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[kateqpr]

Good luck Nhood. Try and be positive. I'm sure with bed rest and lots of care from your doctors you'll manage to get far enough in your pregnancy for your two little ones to be happy and healthy. Plenty of women on this thread have successfully had twins with a stitch - i'm sure you'll be one of them

X

 

[chistiana]

OMG! Kate i cant believe the update you just gave us. I was just talking with dh and he asked "how is that lady on the thread" and i said "stable i think" and then 1 minute later o read this. I m so glad the baby is fine, he sounds like a big boy which i guess is good in a way and at 28 weeks the chances are really on his side. But poor jimmy having had to go through this...please please please when you text or see her please give her all my love and all the best for her baby boy. I m sure but still will be praying he remains healthy and stable and they re both out in full health soon.

Nhood- good luck hun, 70% chances are not bad hun plus if you talk to lizzie i bet she was as scared as you are with the twins but she sure made it all the way! And bf also has twins and they re doing fine! Keep us updated hun, will be thinking of you!

Update from me-the coughing is still on but much better. On the down side i ve had some red spotting yesterday and today...it is like a tiny spot (like a needle head) when i wipe and then nothing for a good 4-5 hours...i dont know what to make of it but doc told me to stay put for now, i have an appointment on wednesday, hoping it s nothing serious, have been readig on placenta abruption and getting myself worried.

How s everyone else? Kate, how are you feel, you re very close yourself!

 

[kateqpr]

Hi Christiana,

I'm good thanks honey. Just feeling big and cumbersome, and still not quite believing i will be having another baby in the next few weeks. I really need to get my head round it!

Try not to worry about the very light spotting. Remember, i had spotting every few weeks for months, and it never amounted to anything serious. The doctors always thought if it wasn't in pain, then it wasn't something they equated with PTL. For me, it was a tiny polyp which just released a spurt of blood every so often. Also, having seen my stitch removed, i do think they can irritate inside of you and cause a tiny bit of friction spotting. My stitch looked huge when removed, with two big ends of the knot sticking out, and the material was really quite hard and tough (like a bendy metal). Its no wonder they can cause discomfort! But just try and relax, and try not to knicker watch too much. (I used to lie to my OH about how often i was going to the loo and wiping, I became so obsessed with looking for tiny amounts of blood).

It could also be related to your coughing - it may just be irritating the stitch slightly, and if it is that, then would stop as you're getting better.

Hope Wednesday comes soon for you!

XX

 

[lizziedripping]

Jimmy hun, if you're out there I'm hoping and praying that lo is ok and nothing more is wrong than an early delivery. Please remember (Kate, if you wouldn't mind passing this on via txt) that one of the twins was almost 4Ibs at 28wks too and he was a twin! He was perfectly healthy, just a big boy. Fingers crossed, and welcome baby JJ

Bf - don't worry about GD darlin'. I was diagnosed with it too in the twin pregnancy, but once I began the actual fasting blood tests each day, it was discovered that it wasn't genuine Gd. Having twins and two placentas means that sometimes the extra insulin and processing required by your body gives the 'impression' of GD when in fact it isn't. I stopped fasting bloods within a month and all was well in the end. Even if thisis genuine GD for you, please don't worry. It is easily controlled, rarely requires insulin and after delivery goes away again with no lasting effects. Hope that helps xxx

Nhood - good luck for tomorrow sweetie - try not to let their statistics worry you. As Kate says there are many women who have a stitch with twins and go on to term. Many docortrs don't believe in stitching in twin pregnancy because they think it is pointless only because twins have a tendency to be born early for other non-cervical reasons.

My consultant agreed with this and said that sorting out a weak cervix is only one part of remaining pregnant, BUT that it is a huge part and eliminates at least one of the risks. If you don't have any other known issues, then stitching works very well even in twin pregnancies. Many doctors just aren't confidant in its efficacy and dismiss its benefits as a result.

If all twin ladies were stitched, a good percentage of them would still deliver early, but they would have done anyway for other reasons, and a stitch wouldnt prevent it. When you have genuine IC however it does work hun as I proved in my own twin pregnancy xxx

PS Kate, thanks so much for giving us updates on JJ. You've got lots of worries and pressures of your own so it is doubly appreciated

 

[HelenGee]

JJ- sending you congratulations on the birth of little baby team blue, wishing him a speedy and uneventful journey to coming home with you. Sending you all the love, hugs and healthy wishes in the world. Thank you Kate for keeping us updated, please make sure she knows we're rooting for them. X

 

[sunkiss]

hello ladies,

i have been diagnosed with incompetent cervix last friday when my ob did a cervix check, she said my cervix was showing different lengths ranging betwn 2.99 - 1.95 cm and a very small opening and she was not comfortable with that this early in the pregnancy so she sched me for a cerclage this thursday. i am nervous but not scared, i know this will help save my baby's life. i would not be able to cope with another loss so i am excited there is a solution/prevention to this complication. she said i would be on bed rest until monday and then i should be able to return to work..i have a desk job so mostly sitting for me which is great. i'm just not sure what to expect after and my chances that this will be successful. i am prepared to go on complete bed rest if i have too, i will do anything to save my baby's life. in my heart i have a great feeling everything will be ok but i still have fears.

 

[nhood]

Thanks everyone, I will post the outcome tomorrow.

 

[book.fish2011]

Congratulations to JJ. I didn't expect she'd deliver yesterday but am glad the baby is stable. Pls pls get well soon baby and come to your loving momma. Kate, thanks for the message and pls pass on all our love to JJ. Pls tell her we've thinking of her constantly.

Nhoood, welcome to the thread. Am pg with twins too. Amidst all the chaos am still alive. Welcome to all new ppl to this thread.

Lizzie: by fasting blood sugar test do you mean the finger prick test 4 times a day? I got the kit yesterday and started that today. So far I've got a fasting reading - 67 mg/dl. Isn't that slightly hypoglycemic? I really didn't know one can get GD without putting on much weight. I mean without being overweight....Thanks Lizzie for all your support

Kate, how many weeks are you now? How's the bub doing?

Christiana, liven and Olga - hope you girls are all well.

 

[chistiana]

Kate-thanks hun, i really hope it is what yoy re describing...coughing irritating the stitch and cervix and nothing more...more more day of agony...i m fine with another 9 weeks of bed rest but come on..no spotting along with it...that is just a cruel joke! Anyway, i can imagine the feeling you re having, at almost 37 weeks you must be feelif a bit fed up now, wanting this baby girl out and about! I m sure you ll get your head round having a second baby when she s here, i never realised what it d be like before ds was here (in for a big surprise!!). But i m sure you ll manage everything perfectly, i guess i have a belief that even though it s not easier you know so much more when you have a 2nd baby you re less freaked out!!!cant wait for more news now, when do you see your doc again?

Sunkiss- welcome on the thread and congratulations on your pg!! It s a really good thing you caught the ic fairly early plus it can really do magic in keeping that baby in there! Try not to worry about the procedure, it is painless and once it s in the discomforts you ll feel are nothing major! You may have some bleeding so dont freak out, slight contractions are possible and the usual aches and pains of pg but you might notice them a little more. But all in all it s not bad. Good luck tomorrow and let us know how it goes, the ladies on this thread are so knowledgable and supportive they ll amaze you!!

 

[HelenGee]

Good luck nhood and welcome and good luck sunkiss-Christiana is right, the stitch is the best thing you can do to keep your babies baking. It's a little uncomfortable afterwards, but to be honest, the relief is more that it's in place and doing it's job, it certainly outweighs the minor discomfort.

Christiana- tiny bits of blood are to be expected I suppose, stitching a thick fabric around a vascular part of the body, which moves a little when you cough and laugh - there's going to be a slight irritation. When they said bleeding, my docs meant red and lots of it, or a constant stream of brown/red "snot" like blood, which may be the mucous plug. I think I lost my mucous plug at around 9 weeks, I'm sure my cervix was gradually giving under the growing weight by then, as every Monday for 4 weeks, I had a streak of brown snotty blood. I had numerous early abdominal scans which showed baby to be fine, and nothing of note in the cervix area. As it kept on happening, and it was a lot, lasting for a day at a time, I just knew something was amiss. What I'm trying to say, is that anything of note would not be a tiny amount, and then stop iykwim.

 

[chistiana]

Helen thank you so much, you ladies do put my mind at ease...it s nothing constant and the amount could go unnoticed if i wasnt as paranoid as i am...so i guess as you and kate say it is just caused by this horrible cough... Cant wait for the doc to confirm it tomorrow! Thanks again! How are you doing with school n all? Is it any better lately?

 

[liven1980]

JJ: Congratulations on you being a mum! I am sure your boy is beautiful
I am thinking about you both, and thanks for updating Kate, so she can update us. But think of youreself and the little one first of course!

Chris: i had some spotting once in a while to. Even people without cerclage have spotting sometimes, but in our case I believe its the cerclage irritating yes. I to guess that the spotting i had would go unnoticed to everyone else, but that we are somparanoid after everything that we see and feel everything.

Bf: I dont know much about GD, but I know a friend who developed it eraly in pg. Everything went very well with her, just additional controls at docs.

Lizzie or any of you kind ladies: I have a question... is it possible for the cerclage to open up by itself so that the cervix is open without me knowing? that is, without pain or blood? I am wondering about this bc of wet pantys today. Maybe two tablespoons... I know if my water broke, it would be much more, but my concern is if its leaking AF and its open all the way up, so I can get infection...
Do not have hospitalappointment before thursday and i am so tired of being anxious all the time...

hugs, Liv

 

[LaRockera]

Kate, thank you sweetie for giving us Jimmy's update- and what an update it is! At 28 weeks her baby has great chances of survival, so, like everyone else, I'm hoping and wishing this has a happy ending for her. I will be checking for more updates.

Nhood-good luck, hon. Don't worry about the statistics. Like my own doctor said, you do something to have 100% chances of success. It will either work, or it will not. Statistics mean nothing. You'll carry to term. Women without a cerclage with IC did.

Sunkiss - welcome, hon. I'm so very sorry to read about your loss. Do not worry about the cerclage. It's a painless enough procedure and a life-saver. You may experience some cramping after the operation, as well as some light bleeding, and you will need to be on bedrest for about a week, indeed. A sitting job is great. I wasn't on bed rest, just cautious, and had mine inserted at 13+3 due to funneling. Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat yogurt and take care of your personal hygiene to protect yourself from infections and the like. Don't be scared, it's all going to be fine.

Christiana- bleeding is always scary, but like Kate said, it could be so many things. If your doctor isn't alert, I wouldn't worry. Keep us updated, please.

 

[liven1980]

Also, another question... at my thursday appointment, do u think its a good or bad idea to check me with a speculum? To check if the cervix is closed i mean. I havent used the speculum since week 28 bc i think it hurts and i had a feeling it irritated me and gave me more BH. But now im thinking it can ease my worries to know that its closed...

 

[chistiana]

Liven & larockera thank you both so much... I hate these tiny spots, after birth i m buying multicoloured toilet paper (if it exists!!!) i will of course update you tomorrow asap.

Liven- i dont think the stitch could give way without any symptoms. Is it a constant flow of liquid what you re experiencing? I think your doc can check your cervix without a sPeculum, he can use a tvu or even with an abdominal u/s... I know mine checks like this everytime!

Larockera- how s xanthe hun? N how are you after your infection?

 

[sunkiss]

thank u so much ladies for ur kind words, welcomes and advice, i really appreciate it. trying to go back and read and learn as much as i can from ur experiences. i will come back and update u ladies on how everything went and i am sure to come back with questions n concerns lol. best wishes to all of u as well with ur pregnancies

 

[book.fish2011]

Liven, I'd like to know what's that water too. I see it sometimes myself. My doc checked the cervix length with her fingers few weeks ago. It took just a fraction of second and I mildly felt her..there was no discomfort afterwards. How many weeks are you now?

 

[LaRockera]

Liven - I had innumerable speculum exams during my pregnancy as I was constantly worried I was leaking fluid. Apart from the fact that the people that most of the time the people that used it shoved it in such a graceless way that it made me scream, I didn't have any problems, apart from the occasional cervical erosion. A TVU can tell you best if your cervix is open though.

Sunkiss - please keep posting here hon, giving us your updates.

Christiana - Thank you so much for asking hon, all is well here. Xanthe's gaining way and everything, she's just been a bit fussy and colicky this week. We're hoping it won't last and won't get worse. Thankfully I've got my mum here, and she's proven to be a HUGE help.

 

[sunkiss]

thank u LaRockera, i most certainly will!! i am a little scared of those speculum exams exams as well but i know its the best way to be sure my cervix is not opening. i didnt even let OH touch me since i found out i was preggo for fear my water would break early again but its a good thing i didnt. last time around we didnt know anything was wrong since i was having such a normal pregnancy...we were having sex regularly not realizing my cervix had an opening. it was my first pregnancy so i didnt know the warning signs, i was leaking for a few days but i thought it was discharge, had no pains at all..they did find infection in placenta n baby after which probably caused my waters to break, so that is why they are watching me so closely now which i am so grateful for, i have a really great maternal fetal specialist n she is not taking any chances with me. makes me confident that everything will be ok but still the fear is there. i feel like my angel olivia sent me to her, the original appt was set up before i was even preggo, it was suppose to be a pre conception appt and the original appt was changed from a diff doc a week prior cause the doc was going to be out, i wouldnt have even know i was preggo cause it was still too early, i got my bfp 3 days b4 my appt!! she is the one that researched my issues n told me what my problem was before we even knew, so i have alot of faith in her. i'm 40 and had issues earlier on, i believe it was pcos but never diagnosed, was never able to conceive and then i lost alot of weight and became a normal bmi and bam got my 1st bfp at age 39. i am spiritual and believe God chose this time in my life to be a mommy, its only that fayth that keeps me going

 

[chistiana]

Larockera- love the new pic!! Xanthe s gorgeous!! Hopefully this fussiness is not colic but it s good you have your mum anyway, they know some good old tricks that work miracles when babies have tummy aches! Are you getting any sleep? I never used to believe it when everyone told me how much change i ll notice when they get to 40 days but i was amazed by te change in nics sleep patterns! Hang in there hun, it sounds like you re doing an excellent job, especially with bfing!!