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

Get checked if you're worried. I wish i had got checked earlier x

Sorry Binza, don't mean to scare you. Just stressing myself. Not being very helpful. I'm sure everything is ok. Better to get checked though if you're worried. X

Ahhh fraggle, so sorry to hear that you're going through such a stressful time, I bet Friday can't come soon enough. That's great they've booked you in so quickly, and their initial cut off to do one is 2.5cm so you're not far off that, so the positive thing is that they've caught you before you started dilating. I was too late with my second daughter...6cm dilated with waters bulging at 19 weeks 😰 The stitch has a good success rate so I shall be sending you so much luck on Friday 🍀🍀🍀 xx

Welcome Binza, and sorry that you've found yourself here. Cramping can be normal, I certainly had it a few days after the stitch was put in and also had some light spotting, but as Fraggle said if you have any concerns at all, get yourself checked out. Xx

As for work, I got really worried about work (not a teacher so I can imagine this is quite physically demanding) and didn't want to let them down, but one of my straight talking friends said to me that I wasn't going to be wishing I'd spend more time at work once I got closer to "the end" if I'd taken it carefully, and that made me focus my priorities on my baby. Until last Monday, o haven't walked further than 10 minutes at a time and have done minimal housework etc. This may or may not helped, alongside with preventative stitch at 15 weeks, but I think for me it was living the pregnancy with no regrets as I regret to this day not going sooner with my little girl...it probably wouldn't have helped as I got an infection as well, but do what is best for you and take it easy. Wishing you a safe pregnancy xx

Fraggle I'm sorry that you're going through this but great news that you are booked in for the stitch pretty swiftly. Stay off your feet before and after the stitch. Will you be signed off work? I was signed off for 6 weeks but anything from 2 days to 2 weeks seems to be suggested.

Welcome Binza.

Johm not long to go now! Do you have a stitch removal date?

Thanks Blue. Read your blog daily. Your daughter sounds amazing and you're doing an amazing job x

Morning Ladies,

I'm having a planned c section due to my five year old daughter getting stuck in labour and nearly not making it after 76 hour labour which turned into an emergency c section (I know!!), and never felt the need to push with her or with Faith who we lost. Ive been on daily blood thinners in this pregnancy due to an abnormal clotting profile found last year, which explains the prolonged early miscarriages I've had which never fully completed naturally, so likely to have retained pregnancy tissue if I don't have a section and I'm so done with D and C's! Booked in for 9th May which is really surreal! Will see if I get there as I'm huge and still getting increasing pressure down there.

Hope everyone is ok today xx

Thank you, Binza. My pregnancy with my 5 yr old was very straightforward, but all went wrong at delivery stage and we're lucky she's here! I've had 2 early losses which failed to resolve naturally (one was incomplete for 10 months and I had two operations and medication to be "back to normal" again - traumatic for me and my husband at the time, but not a patch on losing Faith at 20 weeks).

Yes, I've heard planned recoveries are better than emergency ones, I can still remember hobbling around though and having difficulty getting out of bed, so hoping hubby will be able to help as much as he did last time. I'm assuming it'll be an epidural or spinal. I'll be bang on 39 weeks then, I am still pinching myself that we've got this far as I've just been expecting to lose this little bundle; we are so lucky xx

Great news Binza. Pleased to hear the pain has stopped. And JOM 39 weeks, wow! Can't even imagine getting that far. 29 weeks was enough last time for me, I was huge!! X

Binza, did you feel more reassured after having the stitch or do you still worry? Also did were some people allowed a GA for the procedure? I don't want to be awake and have a spinal. Prepared to argue for it. I was offered gas and air by a consultant for one of my D&C's!!! She felt it was better that women experienced the closure of the baby coming out! Noooo thank you! I asked if she'd had the op and she said no!

No way Fraggle!!!! Seriously?!!!!!???! I've had four now due to previously mentioned undiagnosed clotting disorder I have and there's no way I'd be awake for a D and C, what a crazy consultant!

I was awake for my stitch, I was incredibly nervous about it but it took longer to be prepped than actually having it done, probably 10 mins max?? I had a spinal anaesthetic after the area had been numbed and didn't feel a thing, but I can understand why you'd want the general. The consultant has said either general or spinal is fine but was down to preference of anaesthetist. Xx

And yes, I'm still in disbelief I'm this far, it's taken a long time to feel comfortable about showing off my bump but the stitch has been wonderful and relieved some anxiety xx

I'm more in a panic about going into pre-term labour. Sorry to ask this question to women that have lost babies. I'm confused though, does labour start because your cervix gives way or does labour just start for unexplained reasons and then your cervix dilates? I just went into labour at 29 weeks with no warning with our DS. Were others the same? Just having horrible thoughts about going into labour before or after this stitch and loosing this baby. Laying in bed all day is not good for ones mental state!

Please don't worry about asking xx

I can't speak for others but I dilated painlessly and had leaking waters. By the time I thought something was wrong, I was 6cm dilated and it was too late. I lost my waters but not baby at the time, but developed sepsis and they had to induce labour as I was incredibly poorly with failing kidneys and baby wasn't going to make it. Infection was present so not sure if infection made my waters go or if due to IC, but the painless dilation and fact I had failed forceps delivery before emergency section with my five yr old, along with fact cervix was shortening quickly in this pregnancy, suggests it's IC. I believe you can get labour pains but this did not happen with me, so I'm sure someone will comment shortly. What time is your operation tomorrow? I shall be thinking of you xx

Thank you for sharing JOM. How long did it take you to realize something was wrong? I have to go in for 07:00 and then it's a case of waiting. I've been put on another consultants list otherwise i would have had to wait until Tues for mine, so i suppose it just depends x

Thanks Harvey for sharing your success story! I'm in a similar position at the moment and hoping to make the 30 week mark. At the moment my cervix is measured at 18mm with shirodkar cerclage and put myself on moderate bed rest. Did you undergo bed rest?

Thank you for sharing Binza. Really helpful information x

Hi Fraggle,

Probably a day and a half, I had a small amount of leaking but thought it was discharge, it kept happening and hospital did a crap job checking me over (I can think of worse words), but was too late anyway. Went back a few hours later and my world came crashing down really as cervix was so dilated. Clammed back shut after waters went which surprised the consultant. I'm going to a different hospital this time xx

Good luck with the stitch today fraggle really hope everything goes smoothly for you, binza87 ive had so much cramping since my stitch off an on dont know why but it is very worrying, ive got checked

Posted that to soon haha sorry, ive got checked out everytime i thought they were bad just to be safe xx

Also would anyone be able to tell me blueroses blog? I would love to follow how her and her daughter are doing