I do have a post about my two cerclage experiences in draft form but it's long and I don't know when I will get time to finish it right now. However I've been reading some blogs lately and I'm horrified to see that MANY women have second term losses and have been diagnosed with Incompetent cervix or are confused because they had an infection of the membranes and doctors don't know if the incompetent cervix allowed the bacteria up there or if the infection happened and then the women just went into pre term labor. I am AN EXPERT ON THIS SITUATION. DEMAND AN EARLY CERCLAGE at 12 weeks of any subsequent pregnancy, whether your diagnosis was certain or not. DO IT. DO IT. It's scary, but you will not lose your baby during the procedure, the doctors who do these procedures are EXCELLENT. Waiting to see if your cervix will hold later in the pregnancy and then bed rest or an emergent cerclage ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL in A LOT OF CASES. A 12 WEEK CERCLAGE will give you the most opportunity to hold your babies if you in the above categories. I also had intramuscular injections of Progesterone, the oil, injected weekly by my husband. The shots were successful for me and I haven't tried any other way because my doctor said this was the best and only way to get the progesterone where it needed to be. I also refrained from SEX and BATHS during the entire pregnancy. DO NOT TAKE BATHS!!! Some doctors won't tell you this stuff! They say you can have sex a few weeks after the cerclage is placed, don't chance it, not even with condoms because if you have group b strep or other nasty things in your lower vagina, anything in there can push it up to the cervix. I don't even like vaginal wand exams after the cerclage and my office will not do them. Advocate for yourself. FIND SOMEONE who does CERCLAGES and is SUPER CAUTIOUS if your current OB-Gyn is the wait and see type and doesn't want to do cerclages. I'm APPALLED by a story I just read on a blog, the women lost a set of twins to the circumstances above, which was my own as well (singleton though), and when she got pregnant with a second set of twins, a doctor should have IMMEDIATELY set her up for a cerclage. Multiples are saved as well from this procedure and I can't believe there is any evidence out there that this isn't successful with multiples as well. Women with multiples may have more restrictions with a cerclage to keep extra weight off of the cerclage but I've read about women carrying twins having a cerclage and she worked until the very end and had no issue. Cerclages SAVE BABIES. Plus, it was a relief for me so have it in. It held tight and I promise to put my experience on here soon. DO IT! Don't be afraid, Cerclages are amazing and the risks don't outweigh the benefit=living baby. I have LOADS of information so in the meantime if you need to email me so we can chat about it personally, please please, email me. I will help you make this difficult decision. I had the worst case scenario, group B strep and other bacteria in the vagina and and incompetent cervix. Scary. But I have two living children and wonderful pregnancies and full term deliveries using a cerclage. I have no damage to my cervix and with my second son (first we lost at 21 weeks to IC and infection of placenta and fluid) and I had the WORST CASE scenario when at 11 week, I went in to have my cerclage placed (I opted to stay awake, control thing) and I heard the doctor say in the middle of putting it in, this is the shortest cervix I've ever seen, I'm going to have to pull it to give me something to work with and put two in, and he had to do the Shirodkar which is an older and more invasive procedure. So I am the worst case. I think my short and effaced cervix at that point was due to the fact that we got pregnant three months after losing my first and that wasn't the smartest thing to do. My uterus and cervix were not ready. But I had a cerclage placed and it did it's job. Email me for more info. and my next post will be about my cerclages. For my third son I had a McDonald cerclage at 12 weeks, so I've had them all except a transabdominal. Luckily we didn't have to go that route but we absolutely would have if it meant keeping my baby in until term. And I went to two different surgeons because we had moved from Florida to Virginia. The care was terrific at both places, cerclage placement is more common than you think. Advocate for yourself, it is YOUR DECISION whether or not you have a CERCLAGE PLACED. IT'S YOUR DECISION. YOURS, NOT THE DOCTOR. If they say it's their decision, pack up and go to another doctor. If you've had a 2nd trimester loss or an almost loss (you had a emergent cerclage or bedrest kept your babies in ) and there was any question as to whether or not your cervix was involved-you have the RIGHT to REQUEST A CERCLAGE at 12 weeks in your subsequent pregnancies. Even with multiples, YES!
At 19 weeks I went to my doctor and was told that I had an IC the next day they sent me to FMF and told me that I was in strict bedrest. When I arrived at the FMF office my boyfriend and I was terrified as for this is our first child the doctors including my obgyn told my boyfriend and I that they dont know what to tell us because this is my first pregnancy and I never miscarried before it can be hereditary and we just have a case of bad luck. They told us to not do the surgery because of me having no history to just wait it out and take progesterone pills vaginally; I left the doctor on Friday in tears not knowing what to do with my cervix measuring 2.0 to 1.8. I stayed on bedrest that whole weekend until my next appointment with my obgyn that Wednesday. When my boyfriend and I went to the doctor that Wednesday my cervix was measuring at 1.1 we felt that bedrest and progesterone just wasn't working and my doctor wouldn't suggest anything for me just that I do have the option to get the adominal cerclage but there are a lot of complications that come with it and she asked us what we wanted to do I was so hurt and scared we just couldn't make a decision that day so we went home made and appointment for the next day to make a decision. That night my boyfriend and I prayed and research cerclage surgery the whole night and just decided it was what we wanted to do. That Thursday we told my obgyn that was what we wanted and she schedule me for that Friday morning. Prior to the surgery I was really scared but thank god is was a success today I am 21w2d not having any complications im still on bedrest and I go to my obgyn once a week I really do recommend the surgery it is worth it now all I can do is pray and wait. But at the end of the day I know I did everything I could to save my son.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:02 pm THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for posting your story here. I am SO GLAD that you did research and ADVOCATED for yourself and your son. Luckily you were able to catch the IC before you had a loss, which is what happened to us and so many others. You did the RIGHT thing and that cerclage will hold strong. Please come back and drop a line when you have your baby so we can hear the end/beginning of your story with your baby! I hope others will read your comment and feel free to post their stories! I want this to be a place of sharing in this scary world of growing children. Take care! Melanie
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your stories. I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant with a preventative cerclage in place, due to our19 week loss last year in June from a IC. Still til this day we don't know why this happened as I've never had any history of IC and carried my first son full term who is now 5 yrs old. Today I had my cervix checked and its length was 2.2 cm I'm a little nervous and anxious and have been really this whole pregnancy. My cervix is still closed and my dr said as long as there is no bleeding or discharge then all should be ok but I can't help but worry. Is this length still ok and safe to carry to full term. I'm so scared that we will go through another loss or worse. I feel as there isn't much support with all this that I'm going through so to have this site is nice to know that I'm not alone.
Hi Ruby! Thanks for contacting me! I have a few questions that will help me give you a more detailed answer. If you don't want to answer on here, you can always email me at amorecappa@gmail.com. Either way, I will get it immediately. What was the length of your cervix right after the cerclage was placed and do you know which style stitch you have? McDonald, Shirodkar? Also, have you had any funneling or cramping? And do you have a history of Group B strep? 2.2 is still quite good as long as there wasn't a sudden shortening and as long as there isn't any funneling. Are you on bedrest? I was VERY nervous during that first pregnancy with the cerclage, after our loss, so I understand your concern. I was a worst case scenario and I will try and post my detailed story on here today. I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks!
ReplyDeletehi thanks for your quick reply, we done the stitch at 14 weeks and we got checked at 16 weeks and it was around 3.5cm then at 19 weeks we got checked again and it was 2.4cm then yesterday which was 24 weeks it was 2.2cm. i have no funnelling at the moment. im not too sure what stitch i have but i know its the common one that most women get. Im not on bedrest, just no heavy lifting. i dont have a history of group B. Ive had on and off cramping throughout this whole pregnancy and my dr would get to come in each time to check if all was ok and there was never any thing wrong, he said they could just be stretching pains. Im hoping we can just get to 28 weeks with not problems so i can relax a little.
DeleteRuby, if you get this message, give us an update :-) I would love to hear how you are doing!
Deletethanks for sharing all am not the only one
DeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteThis Sunday I will be 28 weeks.. So far going ok, my dr doesn't want to do anymore internal checks on my cervix, which keeps me wondering... I think bub is starting to kick on the stitch every now and then which is a little uncomfortable. Praying everyday we make full term.. Dr will now be seeing me fortnightly..
Thanks
Ruby
Thanks for the reply Ruby! So glad to hear from you! They did the same with me at 28 weeks. I remember being nervous that I wasn't seen as often but they said if it was holding well at that point with no shortening or funneling, then they were confident I would carry full term. I'm glad to hear everything is going well. I remember the boys kicking at the stitches VIVIDLY. The first time around I remember really worrying about it because it was sharp and pinching. Really uncomfortable and it wasn't something that was mentioned to me beforehand. At that time I thought the cerclage was more precarious but they explained that kicks from a baby in the membranes can't possibly do cause any damage or funneling. Thanks so much for sharing and keeping in touch. I look forward to another update further along! Take care!
DeleteHere is my story, would love updates on others. I am currently 24wks with my 3rd child. Had a cerclage placed at 22wks because my cervix was at 1cm open & funneling due to IC. It was my choice they didn't force me 2 but my doctor did state that he thought it was the best choice 4 me. I will give u some background information on me. My first child (a girl 2006) everything went perfect until I hit 34wks. Went in for a check up and they were checking the baby's heartrate & it was around 240 beats per minute. (Which is not suppose to ever happen) They check me & I was dialated to a 3 already. Sent me straight to the hospital & was on bedrest there no movent with a cather placed. After 5 days they got my contractions to stop. I was sent home & placed on bedrest until 37wks with pills to keep me from having contractions. I ended up going into labor with her at 36wks & 6 days. She was completly healthy. They think my pre term labor was brought on by the strept B virus but can't be sure cause I wasn't tested because I was already in labor. Her heartrate problems was a medical condition but it's very rare is only seen in about 10 woman a year, have no explation for it, & usually works its self out. (Which it did). With my second child (a girl 2011) everything was going well all the way up until 31wks when my water broke. I had been filling pressure & some contractions since 24 weeks. Every time they would check me I wasn't dilated & my cervix was closed. Also at 28wks I was told that I had gestational diabeties. Then at 31wks I was standing in the kitchen & my water broke. I called the doctor, they told me to go to the hospital. At first they tried to tell me that my water didn't break, that maybe I just peed on myself. (They had done a test strip & it was negative) I told them that was impossible for I still had fluid leaking out of me. So they did a sonagram & sure enough my fluid was very low. They sent me to another hospital that is better equpied to handle preemie babies. At the next hospital they gave me medicine to try & stop my contractions and went ahead and gave me the steriods shots. After two days it didn't work and I progress to active labor and they were forced to deliver. She was 4lbs, and in the NICU for 20 days. She had to be on a cpap, incubator, under billy lights but other than that was good to go. Now with this child (a boy) I started 17p shots at 16wks because of delivering at 31wks last time with no explanation. I went for my 20wk check up when they do the ultrasound to determine sex & everything seemed to be fine. She did note that she thought my cervix was trying to funnel but still measured at a 4cm. They wanted me to come back in 2 wks for another sonagram to check my cervix again. So at 22wks it was down to 1cm open & funneling. When pressure was applied it was open fully. I was told that they wanted me to go see a high risk specialist & if they thought I should get a cerclage then that was the best choice, but it was my choice. Of course I was going to do anything to keep my son in as long as I can so I said I want the cerclage even if the high risk doesn't think I need it. So I went straight to the hospital that night. The next day they did the procedure. I was not placed on bedrest. My restrictions are no sex, no heavy lifting, & just try to take it easy when possible. I am 24wks now & go back for a check up on my cervix today. Last week a week after the surgery it was 3cm. My doctors as a precauation are going to give me the steriod shots (for the lungs) and have me do a 12 hour magnesium drop (lowers the risk of bleeding in the brain and seziures for preemie babies) sometime in the next week as preventive measures to better protect the baby just in case I still deliver early. If I go back and my cervix is shorten more then bedrest may be another added precaution. I can add updates if people would like to know. Thanks for listing to my unfolding story, sorry so long.
ReplyDeleteIn 2011 our son Cameron was born at 24.5 weeks. He fought in the NICU for 9 days before passing. Last year I was diagnosed with stage 1 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I had a lumpectomy, Chemo, and radiation which just finished in march. We had also undergone fertility preservation as a back up because we knew we wanted to have a baby, and we had just started trying again prior to my diagnosis of cancer. Only two months after finishing radiation (4 months after chemo) and only 1 month after having my first menstrual cycle since starting chemo, I am pregnant (5 weeks now). They know my premature labor was due to IC, caused by cone biopsy, laser surgery of cervix and cryo surgery when I was in my early 20's. I'm now 32 1/2 years old. I will have a cerclage done at 12 weeks and most likely progestrone shots as well. I'm very confident in my doctor's and the plan we have in place. I am also nervous, scared, excited, overjoyed etc. We haven't told our friends yet and I'm not sure when the time will be right for us. Part of me wants to tell so I can share this as we are so excited to have good news for once! other part of me wants to wait in case something bad happens, we don't have to go around and tell everyone. I think maybe after the first trimester. I would feel more comfortable having at least my closest girlfriends know as they are my support system. It feels like such a fine line with social media these days. I also don't want to get looks or hear anything about how I hope the baby is ok since you just finished treatment for cancer. Or I hope the cancer doesn't come back while you are pregnant. People just really say stupid stuff sometimes! Thank you for sharing about having the cerclage done at 12 weeks and the more positive outcomes it has. I didn't know this but it makes me even more cofident in my doctors.
ReplyDeleteYea, I understand wanting to wait to tell and still being nervous about the cerclage even with success stories. My doctors were so confident that they were almost non-chalant about it (and that was two different practices in two different states for my two boys), they said there was no way it was going to fail as a preventative, and that's with my difficult situation (no cervix available during the placement and he had to pullllll, put tape in, and two shirodkar stitches. I also had beta strep ugh.) So it's easy for me now, of course, to tell ladies that it's much safer and it's not as precarious as one might think. I'm so excited for you. I'm glad you're excited too because that can be stripped away and bonding with baby can be affected by what we've been through and that's through no fault of our own. So it's nice to hear positivity when facing this, even with the other normal feelings of fear and anxiety. I had to make sure to do specific things to bond with Nathan even from the very beginning when things were scary. Please please keep me updated on your progress. Let me know the day you will have the cerclage placed and I will light a candle for you and sweet baby in there!
ReplyDeleteSo great reading everyone's experiences with cerclages. Makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone and that this is more common than we think. This is my first pregnancy (due date Oct.9/2013) and I had my cerclage done at 19 weeks. I went in for my routine ultrasound because my husband and I wanted to find out the gender, and the technician was great. She said everything looked fine with the baby, but she was concerned about my cervical length and wanted to take a couple more images to show to the radiologist. After she left us, there was discussion between the radiologist and my midwife, and then between my midwife and the OB on call at the hospital, and then we were told to go straight to our midwife. She was fantastic and explained the concern of a shortened cervix and what that means, and the different courses of action that could be taken. She said that the OB would like to see us right away to explain the cerclage procedure in more detail. Thankfully the OB that was on call was a member of our church (which put me at ease right away, just having a familiar face there) and upon further discussion we decided to go ahead with the surgery. The OB checked my cervix before surgery to see if it was open or closed, thankfully, it was closed. The surgery went well and he put 2 stitches in. My cervical length going into surgery was 1.6 and coming out was at 1.4, so that is the length we measure from now on. I go for ultrasounds every 2 weeks and see the OB every 2 weeks (while continuing to keep my midwives updated on my progress, because if I go full term the midwives can take over my care again!) The first ultrasound after surgery my cervical length was at 1.5, but we think it is just because the radiologist measured from a slightly different spot. The next ultrasound, unfortunately, had me at 1.1 in length. The last one that I had, the length was 0.9. My cervix was funneling to begin with, with my last ultrasound clearly showing it now! Apparently the connective tissue and muscle tissue is reversed for me. Normally you have 60% connective tissue and 40% muscle tissue, but I have 60% muscle tissue and 40% connective tissue. After the surgery the doctor ordered me on modified bedrest. I could still go out, still go for walks, but I just had to make sure I took it easy. After the ultrasound that showed 1.1, he ordered me on a more strict bedrest, basically housebound, can move around to make food, shower, go from room to room, but that is all! The OB still has no real concern for me at the moment since I don't have any cramping/contractions/bleeding/spotting, so we are just keeping an eye on everything! Two weeks ago the doctor gave me the steroids shot for the baby's lung development, in case of an early labour. I feel very confident in my OB and feel as long as I can stay sane while being housebound and reach the 34 week mark (when the stitches will come out) then that's all that matters!
ReplyDeleteGabrielle, Thank you for commenting and sharing your story. It's interesting that you mentioned connective tissue because I'm currently undergoing testing for a possible connective tissue disorder. It would explain a slew of random symptoms I've been having in all systems of my body, including the incompetent cervix. How did they determine that you had your connective tissue percentage switched around? Do you have a diagnosis of anything auto immune such as rheumatoid arthritis or connective tissue disorder? Even though we are done growing our family, I still want answers for all of the other areas of my life that are affected negatively by my health and I would LOVE a final answer for my incompetent cervix. Any info you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for commenting!
ReplyDeleteDort
ReplyDeleteJust read all your blogs, thank you for sharing. Had my daughter at 20 week was diagnosed with infection. My 2nd daughter was born at 28 week, then was diagnosed with incompetent cervix. She is fine. My 3 pregnancy was full term due to cervical sutures. I am now 31weeks had a suture inserted at 13 weeks. No sex for me.
I'm sorry for the delay in responding, thank you for sharing! Glad to hear another success story! No sex was a bummer but so worth it!
ReplyDeleteHello everyone. It's so good knowing I'm not the only one having complications. This past May I went in for my 20 week appointment. I was seeing the midwives so all they did was check placement of the baby and sent me on my way home. The next day I woke up with lots of clear discharge, and something just didnt feel right. It also felt like something was in my vaginal canal. I started getting a nervous energy so i told my husband to rush me to the hospital. I sat and waited 2 hours in the waiting room no matter how much i told them something was wrong. Then, i was finally seen by my midwife. I layed back and she did an examination. after she looked inside she told me, don't move a muscle. I was 4 cm dialated and my water bag had come through my cervix, They immediately took me into labor and delivery and told me if i didn't dialate anymore they would do an emergency cerclage the next morning. I didn't dialate any further and the emergency cerclage was placed that morning. I was put back into labor and delivery with no pain medication and lots of fluids. They also put a contraction monitor on my stomach. That evening one my friends came to visit and brought me dinner. While eating a nurse bolted in and said i was having contractions every three minutes. I never felt a thing!! So they put me on the highest dosage of magnesium that they could. I was so doped i couldn't even lift my head and my blood pressure plummeted. But they didn't seem concerned. The next day i stayed in labor and delivery and then they tried to move me into another room that evening, well of course that sent me into contractions again, which i couldn't feel. so they moved me back into labor and delivery and sent me home two days later, without even looking at my cervix. Well, a little over a week after being home on bedrest with extreme pain in my stitch (which i called the doctor about numerous numerous times) i went back in for my weekly appointment. Well i had dialated past my stitches (that was the pain i was feeling that they said i shouldn't worry about) They got me on an ambulance immediately and sent me where there was a NICU. ( I live in northern maine, it was a 3 hour ambulance ride) When i arrived at the hospital with the NICU it was 2 days and my daughter arrived at 23 weeks. She was very healthy, but too young and passed two days later. I found out that the reason that i have incompetent cervix is because I have a rare disorder called benign joint hypermobility syndrome. it means that a certain chromosome in your body is missing and it makes it so your skin and joints can move further and stretch farther than most. I waited 2 months and was pregnant again. With this baby, i just had a shirkriodir stitch placed at 14 weeks 3 days. The new doctor I have is excellent and said even though this is a shokridir she can remove the stitch using new methods so i don't have to deliver cecarian. I am now 15 weeks 5 days and the stitch so far i believe is holding well. I am not on bedrest and last time i went my cervical lengths went from 3.5 to 4.4 cm. Hoping so much that this one works. Praying, because i couldn't handle another loss.
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie, I'm not sure if you still check this post but I'd love your advice. I lost triplets at 19+3 in May due to suspected IC...although the docs couldn't decide if three babies was just too much or if I really had an IC. after more awful ivf we have been blessed with a singleton pregnancy, I had a cerclage placed yesterday at almost 13 weeks as a just in case method. I really thought the surgeon would tell me my cervix looked great-I was v wrong! She said already its length is only 1cm and she really struggled to get the cerclage in, but managed. I'm now panicking that it's no way going to hold and I'm going to inevitably lose this baby too. I know you had a very short cervix and yours held, but yours is the only story I've seen like that. Do you think there's any chance it could hold or even elongate a little? Surgeon didn't tell me to have bed rest or anything...maybe she thought there was no hope? I know baby is not supposed to be heavy enough to put pressure on til about 16 weeks so maybe she'll then out me on bedrest... Any advice or stories would be appreciated as I'm trying not to give up but it's very hard to keep having hope. Thanks xxx
ReplyDeleteI have had 5 miscarriages, the last one in June at 15.3 weeks. My pre-pregnancy cervical length (as of November) was about 1cm. I am now 6 weeks pregnant. My OB wants to do a McDonald cerclage at 8 weeks. My MFM wants to wait until 11 weeks. My husband and I are leaning towards doing it at 8 weeks, given that it was only 1 cm. Also, my mom had 4 miscarriages, her longest was 16 weeks. Her doctor performed a cerclage at 6 weeks, which is how she had me.
ReplyDeleteI have had 5 miscarriages, the last one in June at 15.3 weeks. My pre-pregnancy cervical length (as of November) was about 1cm. I am now 6 weeks pregnant. My OB wants to do a McDonald cerclage at 8 weeks. My MFM wants to wait until 11 weeks. My husband and I are leaning toward 8 weeks given my already short cervix. Also, my mom had 4 miscarriages, her longest was 16 weeks. Her OB put in a cerclage at 6 weeks, which is how I came to be.
ReplyDeleteHey mommies I was a teenmother at 17 yearsold diagnose with shortened cervix at 18 weeks. The doctors went over the length of my cervix and recommended a emergentbcerclarge the following day . It was scary but for my child I will do anything to keep it healthy and safe . I had a babyboy sucessfully at 40 weeks and the cerclarge taken out at 37 weeks.it was a mcdonald cerclarge. I had natural birth with a babyboy name aiden. IAM NOW 22 YEARS OLD pregnant with second child. 12 weeks iam very nervous and scared .I've limited myself to activities. Iam a Medical asst so i limited myself from working on my feet. I have been flipflopping between several ob who just don't seem to be having strong concerns about my cervix like iam . This time I want a doctor who's going to understand my worries and check my cervix to see f it shortening rather then taking blood and doing an abdominal ultrasound . Iam on the look for a excellent obgyn who will perform my surgery and deliver my child .with this pregnancy so far no steady care!! I strongly suggest mothers with incompetent cervix to please get the clerclarge it the best thing that happen to me and my son . I did have effects after but because the anestesia (spinal) such as hypothermia back ache vomitting and emotional but that was just the recovery. Any surgery during pregnancy is not normql and doctors should take a incompetent damage cervix seriously !! Because you can loose your child.Has anyone has a second cerclarge put in please share your stories I'm concerned ...... thanku for all who has goodluck mommies !!! Godbless you and your babies
ReplyDelete