Incompetent Cervix - stitch/cerclage - threatened labour

[lch28]

Hey Ladies
I am so happy to see this thread and hoping I can join.
I lost my daughter due to IC at 23 weeks this February. I started bleeding, went to the doctor and was completely devastated to hear i was 5 cm dilated (not in any pain) and that i was too far into labor for a cerclage or for them to stop contractions. I delivered my baby girl at 11:05 pm. She was beautiful

We got the okay from my doctor to try after first AF. Did that, with no luck. This is my second cycle and I have just gotten my bfp. We are so very happy but also scared. I am just terrified to be honest. I hate to be negative, but what if this happens to us again? I have two great doctors.. and i know they will take great care of me.

I have been looking into the types of cerclages and I am just confused as to which one is most successful. I could really use the support and friendship of other ladies who are going through this also!

 

[chistiana]

Chovie-lol no dont worry girl, i went through the sex dreams and would wake up with contraction like pains..i even asked in here too...they reallt cant harm the cerclage!!!

Lch- i m so so sorry to hear of your loss and i really admire you for having the strength and courage to try again so soon. I dont have much to tell you as to which stitch is the best but just wanted to welcome you and tell you that each pg is different. I had two losses and then got pg before af arrived... The journey was nerve wrecking but everything went well and i m now holding my miracle. Think positive no matter what and try to push for very clise monitoring. Wishing you a happy and healthy 9 months

 

[ChovieGirl]

Chistiana - Thanks... you have eased my mind some. lol

LCH -I am very sorry for your recent loss, but am very happy that you got a bfp! One thing I have noticed on this forum is that most all of us ladies here have been through one or more losses and completely understand what you are going through. It is really scary to think about all of the what ifs.This is mine and my husband's 3rd try and I have had many ups and downs already. I take comfort in knowing that my doctor's are really staying on top of this and that God has a plan that supersedes my understanding - - not trying to force a belief. I am also so thankful for this forum. I cried the first few days on bed rest feeling hopeless, but to read all of these wonderful ladies stories really has helped a lot!

As far as the type of stitch, I am not positive as to which is the strongest. From what I can tell, the Shridokar stitch may hold better than the McDonald stitch (which is the one I have), but I believe that if any cerclage is placed as a preventative measure, between weeks 12 - 16, it has a pretty high success rate. 85 - 90% effective!

Much support is going your way!

 

[lch28]

chistiana i am so happy you are holding your miracle! were both losses due to IC? i tried to get pregnant before AF - no luck. first cycle i never even ovulated.. this cycle i did and voila! bfp! my family thinks we are nuts for trying again so soon. i guess they are passing judgment which doesn't bother us were ready to be parents

ChovieGirl thank you so much. i try so hard not to think of the what ifs and go over it all in my mind but its hard. my first pregnancy i was so innocent i never would have even imagined we would lose our baby girl at 23 weeks. are you on bed rest now? how far along are you hun? i am sorry for all of your losses =[ were they from IC?


i am so thankful for this forum as well, i was in ttc for a loss and someone told me they have a whole thread for IC on gestational complications. I am very happy for that.

 

[ChovieGirl]

chistiana i am so happy you are holding your miracle! were both losses due to IC? i tried to get pregnant before AF - no luck. first cycle i never even ovulated.. this cycle i did and voila! bfp! my family thinks we are nuts for trying again so soon. i guess they are passing judgment which doesn't bother us were ready to be parents

ChovieGirl thank you so much. i try so hard not to think of the what ifs and go over it all in my mind but its hard. my first pregnancy i was so innocent i never would have even imagined we would lose our baby girl at 23 weeks. are you on bed rest now? how far along are you hun? i am sorry for all of your losses =[ were they from IC?


i am so thankful for this forum as well, i was in ttc for a loss and someone told me they have a whole thread for IC on gestational complications. I am very happy for that.

lch,

My first pregnancy loss sounded a lot like yours. I had no clue that I was going into labor and it was completely unexpected. I was at work and when standing up from my desk, I felt like I barely peed. I was thinking I was just extra icky down there since I read that women have more discharge the further along they go. Stayed at work the entire time with no cramps and then started bleeding and cramping that night several hours later when at home. I was already too far dilated when I arrived at the hospital.

I think that one of the hardest things now is not knowing the outcome. I sometimes cannot even imagine having my own baby and holding him in my arms, but I am sure there are a lot of moms out there that felt the same way before they had their kiddos.

My second m/c was at 5 weeks and do not think it was IC, but I was under soooo much stress at that time. Not to make even more of a sob story, but I was still dealing with the 1st loss and was also dealing with the recent loss of my mom. I somehow wound up to be the one in the family who handled the majority of my mom's affairs after her passing and think it was simply too much for me and my body to handle. I am anxiety prone anyway.

I am 17wks + 5days now. I had my cerclage placed at 14wks and my doctor put me on bed rest at 15wks due to my cervix already funneling to the stitch. Don't worry though, I don't think it is common really for women to funnel that early. My doctor did reassure me by saying that the whole point of the stitch is to hold it all together even when funneling.

 

[lch28]

lch,

My first pregnancy loss sounded a lot like yours. I had no clue that I was going into labor and it was completely unexpected. I was at work and when standing up from my desk, I felt like I barely peed. I was thinking I was just extra icky down there since I read that women have more discharge the further along they go. Stayed at work the entire time with no cramps and then started bleeding and cramping that night several hours later when at home. I was already too far dilated when I arrived at the hospital.

I think that one of the hardest things now is not knowing the outcome. I sometimes cannot even imagine having my own baby and holding him in my arms, but I am sure there are a lot of moms out there that felt the same way before they had their kiddos.

My second m/c was at 5 weeks and do not think it was IC, but I was under soooo much stress at that time. Not to make even more of a sob story, but I was still dealing with the 1st loss and was also dealing with the recent loss of my mom. I somehow wound up to be the one in the family who handled the majority of my mom's affairs after her passing and think it was simply too much for me and my body to handle. I am anxiety prone anyway.

I am 17wks + 5days now. I had my cerclage placed at 14wks and my doctor put me on bed rest at 15wks due to my cervix already funneling to the stitch. Don't worry though, I don't think it is common really for women to funnel that early. My doctor did reassure me by saying that the whole point of the stitch is to hold it all together even when funneling.

aww hun im so sorry. it is terrible. my water never even broke, they had to break it at the hospital, i just randomly started bleeding, rushed to the dr's and they said i was already 5cm dilated and they can only do an emergency cerclage at 4 cm or below. i was devastated and also in shock. i kept telling myself everything was gonna be okay and i couldn't possibly lose the baby. 8 hours later i delivered at 23 weeks and 6 days.

I feel the same way, i can't imagine bringing a baby home. I hope that isn't intuition. Maybe it is my way of just trying to protect myself? I am very happy that I have two great doctors working with me but i am just terrified all the same. I honestly couldn't handle that again. After the loss i was just so obsessed with ttc, don't get me wrong i am thrilled to be pregnant again but i guess i never realized how worried i'd be, and i am only 4 weeks!

i am sorry for your second loss =[ that must have been so hard to deal with, along with your first loss and the passing of your mother. had you ever had a early mc before?

How are you feeling now? are you on modified bed rest or in the hospital or 100% bed rest at home? that must be hard and scary =[ i am sure everything will be fine hun. your doctor sounds like a good one! did you do progesterone shots? my doctor said i will start those also.

 

[chistiana]

Lch-no my losses were due to having a bicornuate uterus. I had to have a d&c with both hence the need for a cerclage (plus the risks of preterm labour from bu). After our second loss EVERYONE passed judgement about trying so soon after the first loss (3 months). Even our families kept going on about how we should wait a year because obviously my body couldnt handle it. They even went to the extend of calling my doc to tell him not to allow me to try again soon. Now i have my girl i can rub it in their faces. I knew why i lost my angels. And you know it was ic that caused your loss. By placing a stitch in you re doing what you can to prevent it from happening again. I know this wont stop you from being scared but if you take ic out of the picture (with cerclage) there is no reason why you wont be holding your miracle in a few months.

 

[lch28]

aww hun i am sorry for your losses. my mom was really mad at us for trying. tbh we started trying after first AF. i don't understand why everyone is passing judgment and it kinda makes me sad. We are so happy to be pregnant again and I am not looking forward to telling my family at all. It's not a good feeling. Then my mom dared to tell me i was trying to replace the baby i lost. We had a huge argument. I don't think anyone who has been through this can understand. Of course i am not trying to replace her, she will always be my baby and have a huge place in my heart. I don't want my baby story to end with such sadness. I don't want to wait 2 years and sit around the whole time longing for a child just because she wants me too. *Sigh*

you made me feel better. I know that i am doing the best i can. I will also get progesterone shots. My pregnancy before the random labor was completely fine (apart from the fact that i developed gallstones which was horribly painful) but i have gotten my gallbladder removed in April as i knew i was going to ttc. It just amazes me, how 3 weeks before we had our gender scan and all was well. Right after that appointment we went out and bought everything for the baby and 3 weeks later it was all gone.

I can't wait to meet my doctor on Monday. I am getting a scan too even though its early. I am just excited to hear his plan lol ! He is the best high risk ob around me i am surprised he even took me , his receptionist said he generally is not taking new patients and what were my circumstances, i told her and then he called me back himself

 

[ChovieGirl]

aww hun im so sorry. it is terrible. my water never even broke, they had to break it at the hospital, i just randomly started bleeding, rushed to the dr's and they said i was already 5cm dilated and they can only do an emergency cerclage at 4 cm or below. i was devastated and also in shock. i kept telling myself everything was gonna be okay and i couldn't possibly lose the baby. 8 hours later i delivered at 23 weeks and 6 days.

I feel the same way, i can't imagine bringing a baby home. I hope that isn't intuition. Maybe it is my way of just trying to protect myself? I am very happy that I have two great doctors working with me but i am just terrified all the same. I honestly couldn't handle that again. After the loss i was just so obsessed with ttc, don't get me wrong i am thrilled to be pregnant again but i guess i never realized how worried i'd be, and i am only 4 weeks!

i am sorry for your second loss =[ that must have been so hard to deal with, along with your first loss and the passing of your mother. had you ever had a early mc before?

How are you feeling now? are you on modified bed rest or in the hospital or 100% bed rest at home? that must be hard and scary =[ i am sure everything will be fine hun. your doctor sounds like a good one! did you do progesterone shots? my doctor said i will start those also.

Thank you for your kind words.

I believe that I might have had another early miscarriage, before I had the pregnancy that lasted up to 21wks. AF didn't come and when I took a test, it was a very very faint positive...almost to the point where we were wondering if something was just wrong with the test. Anyhow, about a week later after that (before any dr visit), I started and had really horrible cramps. So honestly, not sure.

I am on 100% bed rest at home. I was told I can get up to grab a bite of food, potty or shower (I try not to shower every day as this makes me stand longer). I feel pretty good so far, just a little achy at times from laying around so much. I also feel some discomfort/pressure when I need to use the bathroom or am gassy.. sorry tmi lol. I am on progesterone gel that you insert sort of like yeast infection cream and believe i will be taking it for the majority of this pregnancy. My dr also said that at 24 weeks, they will start giving me steroid shots to help the baby's lung function to develop.

I agree with you that we might not be able to picture having a baby, partly due to the fact that we are protecting ourselves from getting too excited. In my second pregnancy, I wouldn't allow myself to get excited at all, but this time I decided to allow myself to get excited. My husband still doesn't want to pick a name yet and we are not going to really buy anything until later on, but I am allowing myself to read how the baby develops every week and think about baby clothes, furniture etc. All of the fun and cute stuff! In this world bad things can happen, but don't let worrying about tomorrow steal you joy for today.

 

[lch28]

I am glad you are feeling okay. I am sure being on bed rest is so difficult, but we will do anything the doctor says to bring our babies into the world. Were you working in your first trimester? i am working now and i am not sure if it is a good thing to be doing. i will ask my doctor on Monday. Is the progesterone gel more effective then the shots? sounds much better then getting a shot in my bum every week! I am feeling the same, i don't want to get to excited. Mind you i am so excited lol but i don't want to buy anything or have a baby shower until i am like 36 weeks. I think maybe because it was so painful to have all my daughters things in her nursery ready to go. My fiancee says that after i get the cerclage out he will go out with my mom and buy everything and plan my shower. Hopefully i don't go into labor during my shower!

you are having a boy! how amazing!!

 

[ChovieGirl]

I am glad you are feeling okay. I am sure being on bed rest is so difficult, but we will do anything the doctor says to bring our babies into the world. Were you working in your first trimester? i am working now and i am not sure if it is a good thing to be doing. i will ask my doctor on Monday. Is the progesterone gel more effective then the shots? sounds much better then getting a shot in my bum every week! I am feeling the same, i don't want to get to excited. Mind you i am so excited lol but i don't want to buy anything or have a baby shower until i am like 36 weeks. I think maybe because it was so painful to have all my daughters things in her nursery ready to go. My fiancee says that after i get the cerclage out he will go out with my mom and buy everything and plan my shower. Hopefully i don't go into labor during my shower!

you are having a boy! how amazing!!

I did work my entire 1st trimester. It was an office job so I sat most of the time. I had kind of figured that eventually I might be on bed rest, but never thought this early! I was really freaked out at first thinking about the finances, having to stay at home all the time and my husband having to do all the extra work (he has really been great); however, I have calmed down and just have to remind myself to take it day by day. For it to give me a high chance to have a healthy baby, it is totally worth it!

My main obgyn and high risk doctor both seem to think that the progesterone gel is more effective since it goes directly to the cervix. I Googled it and did find that it does really help prevent preterm labor in women with IC. I have not heard anyone else on here mention using it, and I am curious about which one truly is better as well. Also, I think they both have their positives and negatives. I know having a shot is no fun and some people do not do well with the shots; however, the gel is kind of icky feeling (took me a while to get used to) and this is gross but, every day there is gel residue that comes out in small clumps (dr warned me of this ahead of time) which really takes some getting used to. Now that I am getting used to it, I don't mind as much... I just have to remember to use it every morning when I wake up. Once again, it will be so worth it in the end.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hey all! It has been about 3 weeks since I checked this site. Thanks Lizzie for your response.

I am now 17 wks + 4 and I found out I am having a boy!

I do have a couple other questions...

1) Embarrassing to ask but, will waking up from a sex dream/orgasm harm my cerclage? Ever since I have been restricted from any form of stimulation I have had a couple of dreams and wake up with a cramping pain. Just worried that my cervix contracting could cause the stitches to break or make my cervix shorten even more. I can't control my dreams..ugh!

2) Does anyone have experience with the progesterone gel? My high risk doctor seems to think it is a little better than the shots, but I have not really seen anyone else post about using this. Also, does or can progesterone really help your cervix to reverse from funneling and get longer again?

I am just hoping that with the cerclage, progesterone and bed rest that my baby will stay put!

I am praying for you guys and wish everyone the best!

Hey Hun, don't worry about the occasional orgasm, we've had this topic crop up many times on this thread because it happens a lot in pregnancy. The contractions associated with orgasm aren't strong enough or frequent enough to affect the stitch or cause cervical changes. Sex itself is best avoided because of the risks of infection rather than the orgasms.

Progesterone in all it's forms is effective sweetie, perhaps more so as a gel because it is acting directly on the cervix and more rapidly than the shots. It gives the cervix tone and helps to firm everything up so yes, in theory it can and does lengthen and strengthen a weak cervix

 

[lizziedripping]

Hey Ladies
I am so happy to see this thread and hoping I can join.
I lost my daughter due to IC at 23 weeks this February. I started bleeding, went to the doctor and was completely devastated to hear i was 5 cm dilated (not in any pain) and that i was too far into labor for a cerclage or for them to stop contractions. I delivered my baby girl at 11:05 pm. She was beautiful

We got the okay from my doctor to try after first AF. Did that, with no luck. This is my second cycle and I have just gotten my bfp. We are so very happy but also scared. I am just terrified to be honest. I hate to be negative, but what if this happens to us again? I have two great doctors.. and i know they will take great care of me.

I have been looking into the types of cerclages and I am just confused as to which one is most successful. I could really use the support and friendship of other ladies who are going through this also!

Hi ich and welcome to the IC thread

I am so sorry for the loss of your little girl, tragic news and so recent too. I can totally understand how bittersweet your bfp must be, and how frightened you must feel

Hard as it will be try not to stress too much honey. Now that your are aware there is a potential problem with your cervix, it is fixable and you can take this pregnancy safely to term. Are your docs planning on doing an elective stitch? As for stitch types, go for a shirodkar if it's offered hun. Both stitches are effective if placed early, but the shirodkar is more invasive and placed higher up the cervix so gives that additional security. My consultant insisted on it during the twin pregnancy purely ecause I was carrying two babies and the stress on my cervix so much more.

We're all here to support you should you need us, so please feel free to join us

PS - just read your other posts after typing this reply, and saw how negatively your family have reacted to this pregnancy. Oh Hun, I am 39 and I still have the stand up row with my mum every time I announce a pregnancy. She tells me it will fail, or that I'll ruin my kids' lives by going through another IC pregnancy on bed rest. She can say the most terrible things, but in the end I know she does it because she is worried but just doesn't express it very well.

Even though we are grown women our Mums still see us as their little girls, and I know that it must break their hearts to see us experience grief or pain of any kind. Your Mum likely felt helpless and overwhelmed when she saw you grieving for the loss of your lo and is frightened it might happen again. Give her time, she'll come round and realise that you have every right to try again and have 10 more babies if you so choose lol.

I totally understand your need to try again immediately and I'm thrilled you got your bfp so quickly. This baby will never replace your little girl, but it will certainly help you to begin the healing process. Holding your full term healthy baby in your arms 8mths from now will go along way to mend your broken heart honey.

Waiting another 5yrs won't affect the outcome, IC can be fixed in this Pregnancy just as well sooner rather than later so don't worry. You have enough stress in your life right now, so focus on the things that matter, step back from negative influences and focus purely on getting your positive outcome sweet

 

[lch28]

ChovieGirl - i am a phlebotomist so i am on my feet all day. sort of worried about it so i will talk to my doctor. My boss said i can work at the front desk if this is a problem. i have so many questions and my doc appointment seems so far away! i think that is my main concern with bed rest is finances. It sounds awful that i am worried about that, but it is a reality. We live very comfortably but i feel like to have to just stop working one day will be hard. My fiancee says it won't be a problem at all but i am sure he just doesn't want to admit that he is worried because it may be a ego blow for him! As of now i am going to take it one day at a time, whatever my doc says i will do. I can understand how the gel is more effective. I will talk to my high risk ob about it. Does your insurance cover the gel? Mine does not cover the shots, it is 400 dollars all together. You are right hun everything will be so worth it. I tear up to think of having my miracle in my arms in February. It is all i ever wanted..

lizziedripping thank you for your kind words. I was having a bad day and for some reason feel better after reading these posts from you ladies. My bfp is very bittersweet, i am so happy words can not describe but i have this nagging feeling. I can't explain it too well. I guess i am just worried and trying very, very hard not to stress! My doc said I can either go with a "watch and wait" method or choose to get it. I am going to get it either way because I know it is better then having to get an emergency one. I hope they offer the shirodkar. Do some docs not do that one?

My mom said the same thing. That not to get my hopes up because the same thing can happen again, and she does not know what I am thinking. I know she is concerned but she never ever has a good way of showing it. After i lost Sophia i hardly got out of bed for a month, and she said to me "you need to just get over it". I think she just couldn't handle seeing me that way. I wish she was more understanding. Then i asked her the other day, if she lost a baby wouldn't she wanna try again. she said absolutely not. lol. yeah right mom..

i am just going to tell her that i do not wanna here her negative feedback. I love her but i wish she'd be happy for me after what i have been through. Maybe when I am a mother i will understand her more! lol

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi ich - your Mum sounds very much like mine. I try to understand that her unpleasantness comes from a place of fear and ultimately love for me, but when she is spitting venom it's not so easy to rationalise I tend to just go for things in life (within reason), whereas she always 'plays it safe' so cannot understand where I'm coming from. Regardless tho of their viewpoint, they should really respect our decisions as grown women, and even if they don't agree with them, offer love and support nonetheless (something you need in spades right now ) I just hope that one day my kids don't fear my reaction to their life choices, as much as I fear my own Mum's - I'd be horrified!

As for the shirodkar, some doctors aren't trained to do them but lots are. They are more complex because they are placed higher than the Macdonald. It's certainly worth asking about it, but don't fret if they insist on a Macdonald, they're good too xxx

 

[lch28]

i also hope my kids don't fear my reaction to there choices!!
does it hurt to get the cerclage in?

 

[ChovieGirl]

lch -

The progesterone gel is covered by my insurance and I think the shots are too, but it might depend on where you live and your insurance company. It costs me a $30 copay for a month's supply.

The cerclage procedure itself is not that bad at all and I did not feel any pain. My experience - When you get to the hospital, they start you on fluids and possibly an antibiotic for preventative measure. Then they take you to the operating room and give you a choice of either spinal anesthesia or the kind that knocks you out completely. I chose the spinal, so I was awake the entire time. They make sure that your lower half (from waist down) is good and numb and then put your feet in the stirrups and doctor starts with the stitching. It may have taken my doctor 15 to 20 minutes to put the stitch in. Afterwards, they put you in the post op room for a while until your lower half is no longer numb and they double check your baby and cervix to make sure all is good. Then they send you home and your doctor will most likely have you on bed rest for a few days or so. I was uncomfortable a few days after the procedure and had a little spotting, but after that, I can't really tell that it is there. You will be fine. Honestly, the hardest thing for me was not being able to eat or drink anything after midnight and waiting till 2:00pm to have the procedure. You might see if your doctor can do the procedure in the morning time so you don't have to wait as long. I was starving! lol

 

[lch28]

haha oh man i can only imagine.. when i was in labor.. i didnt eat from 8 am until 1 am the next day. I was so hungry.. then after i lost my sophia i lost my appetite and then almost fainted. they made me eat

 

[JJEE]

Hello ladies

I hope everybody is well, and welcome to all the new ladies! You will be very well looked after on this thread

Just to add to what Lizzie and Ich were saying about family reactions to a bed rest pregnancy, I have found the worst reaction came from my clients, I am a hairdresser, and have been off work for 13wks now..I am still shocked by some people saying to me "well this will definitely be your last won't it!?" er..I'll make that decision Thankyou.

I went back to my doctor yesterday for my last cervical scan..yay!! I had good measurements still, and no funneling, but a small pressure effect..She doesn't need to see me again until 34weeks..which is when she is going to remove the stitch..Am I right in thinking this is a tad early?? I am excited by this, but actually petrified of having it taken out..it is the Shirodkar type, and she said she will do it without a spinal???? I still have 7wks until then...but it's a little worrying!

I can't believe how quickly this thread is moving..I do check in constantly but am normally not very qualified in helping anybody with their questions!! Sorry!

I do strongly agree with the general advice on here..rest, plenty of water and for me i really feel the progesterone has helped..my funneling has closed and my cervix lengthened with this advice!

xxx

 

[lch28]

JJEE i was told they take the cerclage out at 36 weeks. i am not well educated on this how ever...

i am having mild cramping today. is that normal? i don't even remember if i had it with my angel cause i was not paranoid