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

Yes I'm really pleased to be home but have to make sure I don't overdo it!! I'm being really well looked after, my husband is great but while he's at work our mums are taking it in turns to babysit me. I feel so relieved that everything is ok but have to keep reminding myself that we are not out of the woods yet so I don't get complacent.

Evening all, thank you so much for your experiences/support.

I hope you are all well

Update: I rang my consultants number at the hospital and the midwife had no idea what it was and asked me to come in. They confirm that the 6 pieces of thread were indeed sutures however not from my cervix, during the operation of fitting my Shirodkar Suture they nipped me a few times (not surprised as they don't have much room to work with!!) and had to stitch them up, they are semi dissolvable so fall out after a couple of weeks.
So nothing to worry about but would have been nice to know before hand.

The doctor on the ward tonight was great, she done an internal exam and confirmed the stitch is fine and there are more other stitches still to fall out, so not to worry.
Also done the babies heart beat.

If anyone has white thread coming out, I would defiantly would recommend getting checked out but as you all said it wouldn't be the cervical suture. :-)

X

Hi Haskell, great news. Thought they looked stitch like! I have a shirodkar too and whether hey nipped you or not it's normal to have incisions which are separately sewn up due to the way they place it (under the skin of your cervix basically and around it rather than through it).

Hope you're managing to take it easy. X

Mystery solved then! That's good news xx

I'm glad you found an answer but they should have warned you it might happen!

Hi lovely ladies, have stumbled across this group after what has probably been far too much googling

Just after a little bit of advice. I've had 2 Lletz procedures in the past and told my (trainee) midwife this at booking in. I mentioned it again at my 16 week midwife appointment and she said she'd refer me to the hospital as apparently it's policy after 2 treatments. Anyways, I'm currently 17+6 and have had my appointment come through but it's not until July when I'll be 32 weeks! Surely that's far too late to do anything if there is a problem?! Anyone else been in a similar position? When have you all been scanned to check cervix length? Thank you so much!

Welcome Koala, yes 32 weeks is definitely too late!! If there is a problem it is most likely to present between 16 and 24 weeks. I would request a cervical length check immediately! If you can't get the hospital to cooperate despite the procedures then there is the option to go private with Baby Bond or similar.

I haven't had any cervical procedures but because of my previous loss at 21+3, I had a cervical length scan at 7+3, stitch at 13+4, scans at 17+3 and 20+1 where problems were discovered. If I had chosen not to have the stitch I would have had scans every fortnight from 16 weeks onwards.

Hopefully you have nothing to worry about but this is the time to get it checked out. Let us know how you get on xx

Thank you so much. I thought it seemed pretty late! I've just left a message with my midwife so should hear back from her tomorrow. Fingers crossed they'll scan me soon, if not then I'll definitely be going private.

Had a little read back on this thread and read your story so far. I'm glad things are a bit more settled for you now. Will be crossing my fingers for you! Xx

Hi Koala, Blue is absolutely right, 32 weeks is way too late. Makes me so angry that they've even suggested jay to you. Deffo push for scans like Blue has said. Good luck!

Koala it makes me angry too! Hope you get what you need.

I'm just back from my consultant appointment. The cervix is now closed, which is great, but it has shortened to 8mm, which is not. The best news is that the fetal fibronectin which indicates likelihood of going into premature labour has reduced from 155 to 58 (I should be 30-40 so heading in the right direction!). So I'm still in the danger zone overall but things aren't quite as bleak as they were looking last week. I just need to rest and hope baby stays put for a bit longer.

Blue, wishing you all the very best of luck!

Glad to hear that the cervix has closed, and shows the second stitch has bought you some more time. How many days are you off 24 weeks? Hope you've got lots of people looking after you so that you can rest xx

Koala - I agree with the others about pushing for cervical length scan now and that 32 weeks is too late. So cross for you!! it's a shame that we have to push for what is right. Keep us posted and hope you get a scan very soon xx

I'm 22+6 today so 8 days off 24 weeks. I feel this week is going to go slowly though... I'm being well looked after but starting to struggle a bit with my confinement and stress and anxiety but I know I just need to be patient.

Everyone else doing OK? x

I'm 20 weeks tomorrow and I've got my second cervical length scan. Was positive news a couple of weeks ago so hoping for more of the same.
Thinking good thoughts for all of your cervixs (that's a weird sentence!)

I can well imagine Blue, my anxiety was through the roof after one stitch, let alone two. I think all you can do at this stage is take it a day at a time. You've come so far already, even since the second stitch, so well done you xx

I'm doing fine, 35 weeks on Tuesday thanks to my stitch, although had some of that "lightning crotch" last night again which was very painful and had me thinking things were happening. I didn't have any contractions though and haven't lost my waters so just going to see what happens. I have my planned section date (medical as well as anxiety reasons) for 9th May so we shall see whether I get that far xx

Hi all, glad to hear people are doing well! Been a bit rubbish keeping up with what stage everyone is at.

I'm 20 weeks, scan tomo. All fine apart from constant stress which I expected! X

Good luck with the scans tomorrow April and Sellmysoul. 20 weeks is a milestone! Let us know how you get on.

Glad you are doing well JOMH. 9th May seems ages away but as you say something might happen in the meantime. I find the uncertainty so difficult!

Hi everyone, can I join and ask for some advice please?
I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant with my second child (dc1 is 2). A year ago I had Lletz to remove quite a lot of CIN III cells.
my midwife called today to arrange my booking in appointment (going I be when I'm 12 weeks!!)
I told her about the lletz proceedure before and she said at 16 weeks I will have a cervical length scan. Issue is from what I've read online is that if you do have a cervical stitch, it's best to have it before 16 weeks. So if they do find I have a short cervix, not much can really be done apart from more scans and bed rest?! I'm a SAHM and my husband works really long hours (out the house 14 hours a day!) with no family nearby so bedrest wouldn't really work for me.

Is it worth paying for a private cervical scan now?

Thank you for your help. I'm going to read through the thread now but wanted to post before my son wakes up from his nap. I've been panic googling the last hour!

Hello ladies, spoke to my midwife about the late appointment and she agreed that it was far too late and to call the hospital. The only other appointment they had was in June when I would have been 27 weeks (still too late). All pretty terrible really.

I had a private scan today as I didn't want to risk it and the length of my cervix was good. Presumably it will stay this way and I won't need further scans? I don't really know. Gonna have to ring the midwife I think. Thanks for all of your advice (and anger on my behalf) and good luck to you all!

Hi MrsGB, welcome to the club! There are 3 main windows for stitches:
12-14 weeks based on history e.g. previous pre-term labour
Up to 20 weeks based on indications e.g. if the cervix appears to be shortening
Up to 24 weeks if the cervix appears to be opening (rescue/emergency stitch)

So your midwife is putting you into the middle category, for which 16 weeks is probably the optimal time for a first scan as any shortening will start to become visible at that time.

It might be possible to find out from your procedure the length of your cervix and how much was removed to give you something to work with. If you are worried about it, then yes get a private scan (I first had a scan at 7+2 because I did worry) but 16 weeks is not too late for a stitch and also you may be a good candidate for progesterone as well or instead. My early scan was at the early pregnancy unit following a referral from my GP - due to your LLETZ procedure your GP may be able to do something similar?

Koala great news that your cervix length is good. Do you know what the measurement is? Cervixes do shorten during pregnancy so if I was you I would ask them to check at the 20 week anomaly scan too as you'll be having that anyway. If it's still good then you probably don't need anymore.

Thank you for your quick and detailed reply Blue. I've found a private scan place that does cervical scans at 13 weeks so I'm going to book a scan for then. I'll also call the doctors for an appointment to go through my notes. When I went for the midwife referral at my GPs they didn't even mention it as an issue. It's only when a friend said about it I thought I would mention it to the midwife. After consulting Dr Google it's more of an issue than I though!!
Reading through the thread there's so many sad stories. I hope we can all have some positive ones.

Mrs GB, you sound very much like you're in the same boat I've just been in. I have had two LLetz treatments but for CIN2 so possibly not as much removed but two lots of it. Like you, my midwife didn't say anything until I asked at my 16 week appointment at which point she referred me but the earliest the hospital could do was when I would be 32 weeks! I'm currently 18 weeks and so had a private scan today which has massively reassured me.

Blue, my cervix length today was 42.9mm which she said was good. Does that seem good? I trust you people more as you all seem to be cervix experts! I'll definitely ask about checking it again at my 20 week scan in a couple of weeks. I wonder if they'll do it...they seemed very rushed at my 12 week scan!