Hi babs. Like I said, I've had 4 stitches at Homerton Hospital. My first stitch was in 2006 after I sadly lost my first dd. I prommed at 20 weeks but stayed pregnant till 25+4 when I had a cord prolapse and my beautiful girl was stillborn. I spent a month on the antenatal ward, a bit different to what it is like now. Ive spent a bloody long time at Homerton, and still do now with my dcs.
I fell pregnant 5 weeks after losing my dd. dh and I probably wouldn't have gone back to Homerton had it not been that we had gotten pregnant so quickly and the good NICU (we'd previously been treated for infertility, so it was a huge surprise for us). I asked for a general for my stitch, cons said fine. After it was put in, I began contracting and I was warned it may be taken out, eventually, I was given morphine, and the contractions stopped. Importantly, while I was contracting, my cervix was NOT trying to open. I stayed in overnight. Pregnancy was relatively uneventful (ESP considering we were told a 20% chance of losing her). She was born by emcs after failed induction at 40+2.
With dc2 they refused to give me a general. I was pretty distraught. iAd had a cord prolapse and it was a real emergency with dd, and I didn't want to be awake if the membranes ruptured during the stitch. After my emcs, I was still pretty numb around the section scar where they give you the cold spray for the pineal. I just couldn't tell whether I was numb. They began the op and I freaked out. I was given ketamine to knock me out. It was bloody awful. An awful experience. A nurse was singing Special K like the placebo song as it was given, I've had the drug recreationally before (I sound like a really druggie, im not, promise!) and I knew it was shit. Same scenario, I contracted badly, but they wouldn't give me morphine. I was in hospital again overnight. Contractions subsided, but that time was the longest it lasted.
Third stitch, I begged for a general and got it. Got the usual contractions, but they gave me morphine after a couple of hours afterwards and all subsided. I stayed overnight.
My final experience, 4 years ago now, I was refused a general. I freaked out a bit on the operating table, so they give a general. The very very brilliant Dr I had in recovery refused to let me out of recovery while contracting. Gave me morphine after it was clear they were not going, I was well enough to go home the same day.
Because I only had one experience where I wasn't automatically given a general, I was a little freaked out by what actually happened. I was tilted on the bed (to take pressure off the membranes) I felt like I was falling off, and then about 3 men were standing in between my legs (it's a university hospital, and it is more than likely students will actually do the op).
My experiences at Homerton were not always good. My dcs are now 8, 7, 5 and 3. When I lost my dd 9 years ago, I think they were pretty shit with bereavement and difficult pregnancies. i hear better things now. But, all my stitches worked, and in general, I hear of successful stitches (I am in co natch with lots of bereaved parents so hear this sort of things anecdotally) when they are placed prophylactically). All my surviving dcs were sections, so I have spent more time that is reasonable at the Homerton!
One thing, I had a bit of a reaction to the material they used in the stitch, it meant that I leaked a cloudy watery fluid throughout the pregnancy, that was a bit scary. It was worse in my first pregnancy. Also. I let the stitch a lot more in some pregnancies and not at all in others. I guess that some times they were just tighter. They were all macdonald stitches. On my last section, they FORGOT to take out all the stitches and they were discovered last year's during a routine smear test. I was back in hosp late last year to remove them - they didn't argue against a general!
Sorry this is long, but if you want more advice please feel free to ask or pm me. 