Incompetent Cervix

[crumpet]

Hi there

Firstly so sorry to hear of ur loss

I too have a incompetent cervix.

With my first pregnancy at my 12 week scan It was
Discovered my cervix was quite short (2.5cm) anything under 3cm is a concern. I was put on bed rest and re-scanned at 14weeks and it had dropped to 2.3cm.

We decided against having a stitch done and at 20 weeks my cervix was 3cm... My OB kept memon bed rest from that 12 week scan..
At 21 weeks I went into labour, and it was stopped. Unfortunately my waters were bulging and I got a massive infection and my bOdy couldn't fight it even with a million different anti-b's and at 22w1d I delivers our DS....

My OB immediately diagnosed the incomPetant cervix and said a stitch was a must for me. He was also devastated that we all (incl himself) decided that we wouldn't do the stitch.

I was scanned before I fell preg again and I have a abnormallly short cervix before the strain of a pregnancy is added...

When I fell preg with DD I was put on bed rest at 8 weeks along with pogesterone pessaries to keep my cervix calm and stable.
After my 12week scan came back clear I was booked
In for my stitch to be done and had it done at 15 weeks, it would have been earlier bu t my OB wantEd a specific assistant.

I was in hospital over night and it was done with a spinal block and light sedation.

I stayed on bed rest from 8 weeks till 24weeks, then I was allowed off bed rest until about 28weeks.

I would definitely be pushing for a stitch if they have diagnosed u with IC, the way I see it there is no point risking anything if u can avoid it.

What state are u in?

[blessedatlast]

Hi 8wks, I'm sorry for the loss of your son

I will be watching this thread with interest..

With the twins, I went for my 19wk scan and was admittedly immediately for a stitch, as my cervix was very short. I have no idea if it was measured in the 12wk scan?? After the stitch was put in I wasn't officially on bedrest, but told to take it easy. Didn't lift anything, didn't do anything strenuous and no sex!

When I spoke with my OB about subsequent pregnancy, she was reluctant to diagnose me with I/C as it was a twin pregnancy, however she did say she would want to do fortnightly scans to measure my cervix from 12wks.. (I think, it's a bit hazy it was so long ago..)

So here I am now. I went to the GP today to get a referral to Brisbane (which is where I had the twins) so now I just wait for an appointment and see what she says. It has been bliss this last week, pretending this is a normal pregnancy. The normality wore off as soon as I went to the GP today and the realisation in just a few weeks it will be ultrasounds and measurements and knowing that everytime I go to Brisbane there is a chance I will be admitted! This whole pregnancy after loss is scary..

Preventative stitches have a much higher success rate than emergency ones from what I understand.

Angellukesmum - I really hope thats true..

[crumpet]

Hi 8wks, I'm sorry for the loss of your son

I will be watching this thread with interest..

With the twins, I went for my 19wk scan and was admittedly immediately for a stitch, as my cervix was very short. I have no idea if it was measured in the 12wk scan?? After the stitch was put in I wasn't officially on bedrest, but told to take it easy. Didn't lift anything, didn't do anything strenuous and no sex!

When I spoke with my OB about subsequent pregnancy, she was reluctant to diagnose me with I/C as it was a twin pregnancy, however she did say she would want to do fortnightly scans to measure my cervix from 12wks.. (I think, it's a bit hazy it was so long ago..)

So here I am now. I went to the GP today to get a referral to Brisbane (which is where I had the twins) so now I just wait for an appointment and see what she says. It has been bliss this last week, pretending this is a normal pregnancy. The normality wore off as soon as I went to the GP today and the realisation in just a few weeks it will be ultrasounds and measurements and knowing that everytime I go to Brisbane there is a chance I will be admitted! This whole pregnancy after loss is scary..



Angellukesmum - I really hope thats true..

blessed have u had ur appt in brissy yet???

[RainbowBrite]

I am so sorry for the loss of your son
I have and incompetent cervix from having treatment on my cervix for cinIII.
My last four babies have gotten earlier after the procedure...36 weeks, 35 weeks, 28 weeks and my last little man came at 25 weeks.
My OB refused to stitch with my last bub even though with #6 I had no length left and 2-3cm dialated at 26 weeks and PROM at 26+6 due to pressure.
I had to have push for internal u/s from him...at 23+4 I was 2.2cm and 50% funnelled so was booked in for an emergency cerclage at 23+5...which is very risky at that stage.
He was born at 25 weeks by emergency c-section.
I would push for the cerclage as well as bedrest.
As Angellukesmum said a preventative stitch at 14-15 weeks is so much better than a later emergency one.

[blessedatlast]

Crumpet, no app in Brissy yet. I went to my GP last week, she faxed off the referral, so just waiting now.. I do however have an appointment with my cardiologist who is also in Brissy, just at a different hospital. I see her at the end of May. I'll be 8wks by then, so if I haven't heard from the Royal women's by then, she should be able to use her authority to hurry things along. She was the one who referred me to royal women's with the twins.

[crumpet]

Crumpet, no app in Brissy yet. I went to my GP last week, she faxed off the referral, so just waiting now.. I do however have an appointment with my cardiologist who is also in Brissy, just at a different hospital. I see her at the end of May. I'll be 8wks by then, so if I haven't heard from the Royal women's by then, she should be able to use her authority to hurry things along. She was the one who referred me to royal women's with the twins.

hopefully they will get back to you soon then!
love it when dr's can use their authority! i used to have so many troubles getting US appts to check my cervix so when i was at my OB's office and he decided we needed another scan he would ring and make the appt! very handy!

let us know how you go!

[Deedles]

Hi I am also very very sorry for the loss of your baby boy.
I too lost my son, at 20 weeks I went into spontaneous labour that could not be stopped.

The next time I fell pregnant they just put the first loss down to "bad Luck"! Yeah right.
So my OB at 22 weeks into my next pregnancy suggested I get a scan of my cervix, where the lady was looking a bit worried and had to call the doctor in. The next thing I was in the labour ward waiting to get the cervical suture put it.

I think the cut off point was around 23/24 weeks and then they wont put it in as there is too high risk for rupturing your membranes and breaking your waters.

Though all the doctors kept warning me that there really wasn't any real proof that the stitch actually worked. But I have to say It worked for me and I had it taken out at 37 weeks and lasted a week until I went into labour.

Strangely with my last pregnancy I didn't need to get one at all!

I really think getting it in earlier is the best way to go but I would still talk it over with your OB more!