Cerclage with very short cervix and negative doctor...help!

[Kelly1814]

Hi everyone

I'm 17 weeks, had a cerclage at 14. My cervix was 2 cm, in some places less.

I've been trying to stay positive, focus on the baby, researched lots of cerclage success rates. (Thanks specifically to Pizdets on this board for her extra help!)

My problem is my doctor. She is very straight talking, no sugar coating. Had a check up today and she basically gave us no hope that the cerclage would work. Told me no travel, no pregnancy yoga, no swimming, to take it as easy as possible (am still working). Said the baby would most likely come early and could come at any time. It went on and on, I am high risk blah blah blah, prepare for worst, pray for the best etc.

Ok, I know this is a possibility, and obviously she is the medical professional and has seen and stitched my cervix with her own eyes. I'm not trying to ignore the possibilities but I would really like to focus on the positives and hope my best for a healthy baby and successful pregnancy. This is a hugely stressful time for us and I need to focus on the positives and make sure I am as stress free as is possible, without additional worrying.

My questions: has anyone else had a cerclage with very little cervix and had successful pregnancies?

Also, has anyone had a straight talking doctor who needs to work on their bedside manner, and how do you handle it? This doctor is known for being one of the best in town ( a doctor friend would only see her) so I am sure she is excellent and I don't want to have to change, would like to find a way to deal with this.

Thanks in advance for any wise words :)

[Theas18]

Wise words? have a hug (gently!) take a deep breath and, if this is the best doc just take things with a pinch of salt and looking on the bright side ( but I can see why, in difficult obstetric circumstances she paints the blackest picture, because then anything is a bonus, and you wont be suing her for giving you false hope).

Why are you still working? I know it'll drive you bonkers but isn't taking sick leave/mat leave to really rest the best choice? then, if things don't work out well you will have nothing to possibly blame yourself for .

[orangepudding]

Could you take sick followed by maternity leave and spend the rest of your pregnancy on bed rest? It will be dull but give you a better chance.

[Kelly1814]

Thank you for the support :)

I don't live in the uk but in a country where maternity leave is only 45 days....so stopping work is not really an option.

When pregnant you can take more sick leave than is usually allowed and this is a good point to bear in mind. As yet, work don't know I'm pregnant. I'm under no legal obligation to tell them as in the uk, no bump, and wanted to sort a pay review before I did so.

That's almost agreed now so it is definitely worth planning for this and thinking of more time off if I can.

[Pizdets]

Hi Kelly,

So sorry she was negative again, she sounds like a blunt instrument!

I've been told no swimming, and that I can do yoga but none of the stuff which engages the core (which looks quite pathetic when there are girls at 32 weeks plus doing the plank and me sitting it out!). I'm also feeling wary of travelling because they said it is a risk.

When she says there's a good chance the baby will come early, does she clarify? Ie does she mean now-25 weeks-ish, or does she mean earlier in the 30 weeks. I was very reassured recently when my tall, blonde, sporty Amazonian friend told me she was born at 29 weeks! Sounds like her mum had an incompetent cervix that wasn't diagnosed.

One thing I read that reassured me a bit was that the stitch has a 80-90% success rate, but that means born after 37 weeks, so all the babies born at 32, 34 or 36 weeks don't count in those numbers, even though the odds are that they'll be absolutely fine (although not ideal to come that early, I know).

I've got my next checkup in a couple of weeks so can ask their opinion for you if you like? Sorry you're so stressed by it all, sounds like things are going well for now of she's not taking any immediate action.

Piz

[Kelly1814]

piz, thank you, again!

she didn't clarify exactly in terms of early but said to pray that i get to 26 weeks. at 24 they'll give me a steroid injection to help to develop the baby.

that success rate is great - i have read similar and i cling to them. the only downside is that many of the success stories come from women with cervix lengths of 3 cms, mind was less than 2 and almost zero in places. it did cross my mind that maybe i should have had the trans-abdominal rather than trans-vaginal stitch.

opinions on bedrest etc differ wildly too - the US will say 'take to your bed' the UK will say 'it makes no difference'.

i do wonder how much of it is cultural/bedside manner. hard to tell. sign.

thanks so much for the support, it really does mean a lot :)