Hi there, and welcome hun.
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, and I can totally understand how frightened you must be feeling. I had a prem second baby born at 24wks due to suspected IC - it was a total shock and we had a long, traumatic time with her in intensive care. Thankfully she made it thru and is now 6.
Last year I conceived twins, and was terrified of the same thing happening again. I had a shirodkar stitch placed at 12wks, and like you put myself on bed rest due to fear and the fact that the twin pregnancy made me feel all kinds of scary physical symptoms which mimicked my premature birth
I was scanned 3 weekly from 15wks tho, especially I think because I was carrying twins. I too was concerned that in the USA women are scanned sometimes weekly, but we are left to "take our chances" as it were. I felt constantly nervous, was convinced I wouldn't make it past 25wks, and was plagued with pressure, BH contractions and pain.
My cervix did funnel from 25wks, but stopped at the stitch, and I thankfully made it to 38wks when I had an elective section. My boys were 9 and 7Ibs, so the stitch really worked incredibley well under a total of 24Ibs of pressure.
I felt that scanning every 3wks was nowhere near enough to be safe, so I never hesitated in popping into the delivery suite to get checked if I'd had a particularly bad day. They never minded, and it just put my mind at rest.
All I can say hun is that you are going to be anxious in this pregnancy, but I can vouch for the fact that stitches placed electively can and do work. Your hospital is probably of the belief that once a stitch is in, your cervix is unlikely to change significantly, and all scanning does it to introduce possible infection every time it is done. I am certain that if you felt any change in the normal pregnancy symptoms they would check your cervix anyway. There is really nothing more that can be done to prevent IC other than a stitch and bed rest, and the chances are that a combination of the 2 will work perfectly for you hun.
The plus side (and there aren't many) to having IC is that it is a purely mechanical problem - for this reason it can be "fixed". You didn't go into spontaneous labour for no known reason - unfortunately women who do have few options in helping them to maintain their pregnancies. Cervical stitches are brilliant. They tend to work most of the time if placed electively, and if there are no other pregnancy complications which might trigger premature labour.
Please come here for any support you might need thru your pregnancy. The ladies over in the IC thread are going thru similar IC nightmares, and are really supportive, lovely gals willing to help. I too have been there, survived and am now blessed with 2 healthy baby boys - I am living proof that IC can be beaten even in the most extreme circumstances.
There isn't a symptom, scenario or circumstance I haven't encountered, nor a question I haven't asked, so please feel free to pick my brains ANY time love. Rest, drink plenty of water and try to relax xxxxxx
