The Short Cervix Club

[Pizdets]

Given the high number of threads started in 'pregnancy' on short/incompetent cervixes of late, I thought I'd have a crack at starting a club which we can join to share how we're getting on and pool the information we've been given which hopefully can also reassure or inform other ladies coming on here and worried about the state of their cervixes.

I'll kick off with a bit about my own story:

I'm currently 24+4, due 26th September. I had a scan at the prem clinic at Queen Charlotte's in London who measured my cervix as 2.3/2.4cm and advised a stitch (they do this for anyone who measures under 2.5cm). I had the stitch put in at 15 weeks with a spinal block and so far so good - I'm walking the dog, doing pregnancy yoga, still fairly active and no problems or twinges at all (so far!).

Please feel free to share your experiences, ask questions or update, it's great to hear from other people going through the same worry and so reassuring to know if things are going well!

Piz

Hi Babs, so sorry, this dropped off my threads. How did the stitch removal go? What did the consultant say?

Update here - stitch came out at 36 weeks - bloody baby had to be INDUCED at 41+5!!!! Not what I was expecting at all. He didn't engage at all really up until he came so guess there wasn't much pressure on my cervix to test it. Luckily I just needed the pessary to get him going and had a very short (about 3 hours active) labour including only 20 minutes pushing before all 10lbs 2oz of him popped out. So pleased I went through the stress and pain of the stitch! I am done now, I'm lucky enough to have two wonderful boys now and pregnancy has been pretty horrible to me so never again. Best of luck to all the other short cervix ladies, hope for lots of happy healthy arrivals in the coming months. Piz xxxx

Congratulations on your baby boy Piz!
I've just found this thread and hoping to find others in a similar position or with positive stories.
I'm currently 21 weeks with a cervix of 1.1cm without funelling. I've been sent home and told to take progesterone pessaries for 3 weeks and then go back for another scan.
Currently terrified of losing the baby
Was told a stitch this late is too risky unless I start to open and then he might perform an emergency one.
Anyone else out there in the same boat?

Hi Piz, this thread dropped off my radar too. Stitch came out at 36+3, hurt like an absolute bastard, I felt the doctor was unnecessarily rough and I bled quite a lot after.

Still, I'm now 41+3 and am due to be induced on Monday, same gestation as you were, 41+5. I had a sweep on weds and was 3/4cms dilated so I had hoped I'd have gone into labour naturally by now but waters still in tact and have not felt a single contraction so far, despite being 3cms already.

Had a slight complication in that apparently they out in a dissolvable stitch and a normal stitch - they removed the normal stitch but couldn't see the dissolvable stitch. They said it should have dissolved but they can't be 100% certain it would have dissolved and as they couldn't see it, I have to have an interval exam at the first sign of waters going/contractions. But I've got to 3cms so I'm assuming it's not there... I've had a battle to be classed as low risk due to this as I wanted to try and use the birthing pool in the midwife unit if I can.

Sounds like an intense but 'good' birth Piz and excellent weight! Hope I have a similarly quick birth!

Never thought I'd complain about being heavily pregnant after my first's premature birth but fuck me these last weeks are torture. I have SPD, can't move without agonising pain, it's keeping me awake all night and I feel dreadful. DH running out of sympathy and I still have to do daily physio with DS which is so difficult physically for me. Luckily DH has been off a lot of Christmas, we both thought the baby would be here by now!

Daphne how are you doing? Progesterone worked wonders for me and is the only thing the two separate consultants I saw agreed on. What mg are you taking? I was taking 400mg once a day, dosage is often up for debate a bit. I've also been told/had researched that a stitch past 17 weeks or so can cause more problems than it solves. Hope your cervix is staying schtum!

Hello everyone, can i join?

I found out i had a short cervix after losing my son in 2012 at 23 weeks, i had no warning signs. I rung up feeling a few little pains and pressure but they told me it was nothing. Took me 3 hours to persued my hospital to let me in. I went in and was already 10cm.

My second pregnancy i had an emergency stitch placed at 17 weeks after my cervix shortened from 2.5cm to 1.2cm over night. I had steriod injections at both 24 and 28 weeks. And extra scans at 24 and 28 weeks. My stitch was removed at 36+6 was very painful i had thrush (didnt know) and my stitch embeded into my cervix took a couple of attempts to cut it. She was born 5 days later at 37+4.

Im currently 36 weeks pregnant, i had a stitch placed at 15 weeks. My cervix was 2.4cm. I had steriods at 24 weeks and ive had monthly scans since 20 weeks. Stitch is due to be removed on Momday! My due date is 08/02

How long after removal did you go into labour?

Daphne my cervix with my last pregnancy was 1.2cm from 17 weeks it never improved. At 24 weeks i also had funneling, she stayed put until 37+ weeks and is now a healthy 20 month old. Stay positiv

I've just seen that there are responses on here
Thanks for the reassurance newlywed
So over Christmas I had a bit of a panic when I thought I felt contractions, it was like a uterine tightening but not painful. I went in and was told my cervix was still closed but they couldn't measure it as no scanners available
I then had a scan on Monday. My cervix has gone from 1.1cm to 1.9cm so they think the progesterone is working.
I haven't been told to rest at all! No advice regarding sex, told to just carry on 'within reason' so no long runs or gym sessions, what a shame
I'm 24+1 today and so relieved to be at viability, but still very early days.
How is everyone else doing?
babs - I'm on 200mg a day for the rest of my pregnancy. So good to hear you made it to fullterm, you must have had your baby now?

Daphne yes I had DS2 this week! I went 11 days overdue in the end He arrived on the day I had my induction scheduled. V quick birth in the birthing pool (managed to get classed as low risk when I got to term) and everything went well, home same day. Feel very lucky I got the birth I wanted this time round after the awful premature arrival last time. Hope things go smoothly for you too

Fantastic news Daphne! I carried my little girl until 37+4 5 days after stitch removal so all sounds positive for you . my stitch gets removed on Monday, excited to see how long it takes for baby to arrive.. and excited to put an end to these horrid pulling pains!

Can I join in?

I had two LLETZ treatments for abnormal cervical cells in 2014, and was advised by my consultant that I now have a short cervix.

I am now 16+3 with my first baby, and had a transvaginal cervical length scan yesterday afternoon. The sonographer advised that my cervix is 2.4cm (she said normal is 3cm and up). She said that when I see my midwife next week, I will be referred for a further scan, probably at 20 weeks. There was no sign of funnelling or opening.

I'm really worried. I know that the key issue is whether or not there is shortening, rather than the length of the cervix per se. Has anyone had a successful outcome with a short cervix? I'm terrified I will lose the baby before the next scan, or that there will be further shortening but it will be too late for a stitch or any treatment. I am planning to ask the midwife if I can be rescanned sooner - it seems such a rusk to wait until 20 weeks, especially when my cervix is already at a length where I know many women are stitched.

Is it possible that it's just a short cervix, and it won't get shorter?

2.4cm isnt too bad youandme. My stitch was placed at 15 weeks my cervix was 2.4cm, its still the same now at 36+4 weeks. Nobody can say what your cervix will do it could shorten, but it could also grow

I suppose my worry is that no one has suggested a stitch, or doing anything at all really! I will see what the midwife says on Tuesday, but I really really do not just want to "wait and see" and rescan at 20 weeks - it could be too late by then!

Congrats babs and good luck with the birth newlywed, good to see so many positive stories.

youandme have you been given progesterone? I wasnt offered a stitch despite being 1.1cm as I wasnt funelling and my cervix was closed. Just because you have a short cervix to begin with doesn't mean it will continue to shorten, so I think doctors are reluctant to perform invasive surgery that carries sometimes higher risks than your chance of delivering early. (This is what I was told) if you have had a previous loss they are more likely to offer a stitch as there is evidence that your cercix could be weak.
I would push for progesterone though as it's non invasive and has been proven to help keep the cervix stable and seems to have helped me. I am still only 24+3 so have a long way to go but that's my experience so far.

Also, I was told to wait 3 weeks for a scan and I felt it was too long. In the end after 1.5 weeks I went in to get checked as I was worried. The doctor said my cervix was still closed which helped reassure me till the next scan. Maybe you could do that? They don't need a scanner to do that just a speculum. If you are worried definitely push to be seen more as worrying isn't good for you. Hope you are feeling ok.

Thanks Daphne. I'm glad things are going well for you so far. How far along were you when you measured 1.1cm? Why was the measurement done then?

So far as I've spoken to no one and been offered nothing! I'm seeing the midwife on Tuesday morning and will ask her about progesterone then. I do understand that stitches are risky in themselves, and given the two treatments I had my cervix was always going to be short. I'm trying to reassure myself that that is not a guarantee that it is also weak - the no funnelling is a good sign! This is my first pregnancy so no previous losses to suggest definite weakness, although I am of course not keen on the idea of this pregnancy as a testing ground.

My main concern at the moment is ensuring things are properly monitored - I would like to be checked again before 20 weeks and I plan to really push for that if I can.

I was 20 weeks when I was measured. I go to kings hospital which is a research hospital so they do extra scans for research otherwise they wouldn't have done it.
They were visibly shocked when they saw my cervix length as I haven't had a previous loss, this is my first baby and no previous cervical surgery.
The fact that they haven't offered you progesterone is a good sign in a way as they must be confident that you will be fine, but naturally you want to know you are doing everything you can for your baby.
I think the no funelling is key! Even at 1.1cm the fact mine was closed and not funnelling meant they were happy to wait 3 weeks.
Even if they won't book you for a scan you can always go and get checked if you turn up.
They won't turn you away, just say you are having strange symptoms and are concerned. Even if that means a little white lie its worth it for your peace of mind.

Wow - just total luck then! It does make you wonder if there might be lots of pregnant women wandering about with short but perfectly competent cervixes who don't find out because they aren't routinely checked. The funnelling does seem to be quite key. Are you signed off work/on any kind of bed rest, or do you just have the progesterone?

I suspect no one apart from the sonographer has yet seen or considered my results, so it remains to be seen what they will actually suggest!

Yeah complete luck. I wasn't told to go on bed rest or change anything about my routine which I found odd at the time. I did take it very easy though until my most recent scan. I'm still taking it easy now but going to go back to yoga now and do a bit more walking, as I saw a consultant this time and she made me feel far more at ease.
Googling is your worst enemy as in America everyone is put on bed rest!! It completely freaked me out but someone told me it's because the suing culture is so prevalent over there that doctors suggest it to cover themselves and the insurance companies cover the bill.
That's just what I've read I could be wrong of course, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence to suggest it changes the outcome, and my doctor was very anti it.

I saw midwife this morning. She said the consultant has reviewed the results of the scan and I am awaiting a call from her today or tomorrow to discuss further.

That's good youandme let us know how it goes.

Spoke to consultant. I am to go to hospital tomorrow at 1000 to speak to her about having a stitch put in. Stitch won't be put in tomorrow but it will be done quite soon I think.

Rather surprisingly given the tone of the phone conversation I had with the consultant yesterday, she actually advised against a stitch at this stage. So it's progesterone pessaries from tonight and weekly scans from tomorrow. Stitch is in reserve as a future option but hopefully won't be needed after all. Feeling more positive now.

Hi youandme, great to hear you are on the pessaries, and even better that they will check you once a week that's great news you can relax a bit more now.
I've got another 2 weeks to wait till my next check, feels so long!
Hope you are feeling a lot better and can start to enjoy your pregnancy more. At least you know they are doing everything they can and you are properly on their radar.

Thanks daphne. I had the first of the weekly scans today and everything looks fine - cervix is still 24mm and closed with no funnelling. I think this is encouraging since I had only had the one progesterone pessary: hopefully the progesterone alone will be enough to keep it going.

Hope things are going well for you too.

I'm ver grateful to have found this thread! I'm 24/40 with MCDA twins and history of severe pre-eclampsia with my 1st child - so needless to say those were my two biggest concerns thus far (hadn't actually considered anything else to be fair!)
Short cervix was found on last week's scan and this week is a little shorter at 24mm. I have been signed off work today and am pretty gutted but hey ho, it's beyond my control now. I'm on 800mg progesterone daily and if there is no improvement by Friday he will do the fetal fibrinectin test and consider steroids. All slightly overwhelming to say the least but glad to know I'm not alone!

Hey bre,
Sorry to hear youre going through the same thing too. I measured 11mm at 21 weeks and am still going strong at 26 weeks so fingers crossed everything will be ok for you.
I have another check on Monday to see how things are progressing, my last check was 19mm and they didn't seem too worried and just kept me on progesterone. 24mm doesn't sound too bad and at least the doctors have spotted it so are doing what they can for you.