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

Good luck Fraggle x

Thank you for all your thoughts and kind wishes today. Op went well. Consultant said there was a good amount to stitch and cervix was closed tight. Heard heart beat after and all ok. Struggling with recovery though. I wanted a GA but got told stats by anesthetist about possible risk of pre-term labour. So agreed to a spinal against my wishes really, i was given the choice. I've had four GAs and i can honestly say the recovery was simple. I still can't move, I have back spasms and a catheter in. Won't get home until the evening! Wished I'd bloody accepted GA but couldn't have lived with myself if it had started labour which he played on!

I was thinking of you today Fraggle, I'm glad to hear op went well and the stitch is now in place. I hated having spinals for both of my stitches, the recovery seemed so much longer than GA and I found it too weird not being able to feel my feet. Still it's best for baby so I didn't argue. Take it easy for a while.

Mummy my blog is over here.
blueroses99.wordpress.com Thank you for your interest in following my story.

Aviana is doing well at 11 days old but the tiredness has hit me like a ton of bricks and I'm about to crash. My consultant has recommended a TAC prior to any future pregnancy as the Macdonald stitch was obviously not sufficient. We are due to have a debrief in the coming weeks as my placenta has been sent to the lab to screen for infection so once the results are back we will meet.

I may not be around much anymore but just wanted to say good luck to everyone xx

PS we are going to run out of thread soon

Lovely to hear from you Blue. You're doing an amazing job.

Can people talk to me about pain/feelings after the stitch? Cramps? Spotting? What was normal? Also what precautions did people take? Bed rest? No walking? No driving? Etc. Just trying to feel clued up about what to expect and what not to do. Thanks x

Thanks so much for the link blueroses and so nice to hear from you, glad your little girl is doing well, take care of yourself, it must be exhausting x
Hi fraggle, glad everything went well, i spotted for 3-4 days after procedure, had a LOT of cramping as soon as spinal wore off but it eased up over the following 12 hrs, i had a lot of cramping off and on for 3 weeks and still get it now but is a lot less, also had a lot of increased discharge after procedure which by the sounds of it is pretty normal, i was 3cm dilated with bulging waters when i had my stitch placed so have been on bedrest since, i will be 24 weeks on monday x

Hi Fraggle,
I have had two shirodkar cerclage both experienced discomfort after the operations - slight pain and spotting. With a rescue cerclage I would definitely try to rest as much as possible. The first time for me was an rescue cerclage and my hospital doesn't recommend bed rest. 6 days after my operation I run up some steps to catch a train (stupid I know) and my water broke the next day at 24 weeks 😫. Although the doctors believe an infection cause it to break as one was found on a swob after my water broke.

Currently nearly 25 weeks with a preventive shirodkar put in at12 weeks.. I hope I make it to atleast the 30 weeks 🙏🏽🤞🏽🙌🏾

Best of luck, I hope together - we can beat IC! Xx

Thank you Mummy and Ddfresh. Trying to keep to my bed today. Just taking paracetamol for niggles. Feel like i can feel my cervix still but I'm guessing it's just sore from the stitch x

Sorry to hear that the anaesthesia wasn't what you wanted and didn't go as well as you'd have liked, but I'm really pleased for you that the operation was a success :) make sure you rest up xx

Glad to hear it went well Fraggle. Keep us updated x

Well im 24 weeks tommorow YAY!! Feel like this is such a big milestone, but my goddness is this bedrest starting to take its toll! Its been 6 weeks now and believe me i will do anything to get my baby girl here and im so grateful ive got this far but.... ive never felt so unhealthy, lonely, bored out my mind in my life! Ive been doing fine up untill 3 days ago and feel like im in a fog! Im very health consious and i think the lying down and feeling like a slob is what im finding the hardest, do any of you guys feels like this? How are you coping? I know i sound like a total whinge x

Hardly Mummy! 6 weeks is amazing! I'm struggling after two days!!
I usual run and stay healthy and i hate just laying around. I struggle most with not being able to jump out of bed early and take my DS to the park.
Hang in there. You're doing a great job x

Congrats on getting to 24 weeks x

Aw thanks so much fraggle, im the same, very active family normally, 4 years ago i went from 18st to 10st and lying around is obviously messing with my head lol, feel terrible not being able to do my normal walks with my 2 boys, but im just going to have to chin up and get on with it, it will all be worth it in the end, how are you feeling after the stitch? X

Feeling better today thank you. Although emotionally it's hit me what an impact having another prem baby would have on our family. Feel suddenly trapped in a very scary situation. Are you having help with your two boys while you're on bed rest?x

Aw it must be very difficult, i cant imagine how hard it must be to have a premmie baby, ive been very blessed and carried both my boys to term, had a lot of complications with then but nothing to do with my cervix, but for some reason with this pregnancy my cervix was failing so had to have an emergency stitch at 18 weeks, totally understandable how your feeling after what you have been through, but as my wee gran always says "try not to worry about something that hasnt happened, its like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain"
Easier said than done though eh. Im very lucky and have my mum on hand everyday at the mo to help with the 2 boys as she only lives 1 mile away thank goodness! Xx

Hi everyone, fairly new to mn but hoping you might have some words of wisdom. I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my first baby and had a lletz procedure done about 18 months ago. My cervix was checked at 12 week scan and was 4.2cm so all good.
Today I went to the gym and did a very modified aerobics class. Took it easy and felt fine during the class. After the gym I have now got the strangest feeling inside of me. Sorry this sounds gross but kind of feels like when a tampon is not quite put in high enough as if there is something around my cervix/vagina area but high up. Am now panicking that I've caused myself a problem or that my cervix has dilated or something. Do you think it's worth calling the dr tomorrow (live in middle east so late at night here) or am I just being a fool? Has anyone else ever felt this kind of feeling before? Thank you for reading!

Welcome Caraven. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Yes, what you're describing is the exact feeling i had, like a prolapse, like something had dropped, an awareness. I would say get it checked out, to be on the safe side. Good luck x

Hi caravan, I had a prolapse post having a stitch and had the tampon feeling. Sure it's fine but def get it checked out. Where in ME are you? I'm in Dubai.

Hi Fraggle and April, thanks very much for your responses. Feels a bit better today and am less wiggly as I don't feel quite so uncomfortable but think will call the dr tomorrow anyway and get it checked. April, am also in Dubai! Getting nice and warm now isn't it!

Ddfresh05 - I didn't go on bed rest but I took it very easy, no exercise, no sex, no baths or swimming. I also went on reduced hours at work but that was more to deal with my stress level and hip ligament pain. I would always do what is right for you and don't worry about anyone else!

Yes Caravan, pretty warm tho on 'couch rest' so not left the flat all week! Hiding out in the air con. Deffo worth a doc trip, espesh here (assuming you have good insurance) as you can see a specialist easily. One of the best things about living here for me has been access to great healthcare. Have you been here a while? X

Small world - I lived in Dubai for 5 years. That's where I had my last LLETZ procedure 😬 At healthcare city. I am curious to know what's their level of NICU. Do they have a level 3 standard of NICU care?

Small world!

Sounds good binds. We know a few teachers out here.

Re the NICU we sadly had our first baby two weeks after moving here at 25 weeks who we lost at 2 weeks old. I had him at City but we were moved their sister hospital, Welcare, due to a lack of beds. They are level three and take babies from 23 weeks. We had brilliant care. One of the local hospitals is a level three too. X

Can i ask a question please? After having a stitch did anyone still feel that dragging (wrongly inserted tampax) feeling? I called the hospital today and went in for a check up. They did obs and all was fine. My consultant was only available via phone and wasn't worried and told me to head home, saying that the feeling was to be expected. I refused an internal with some random as i don't think cervical issues can be fully assessed without a scan. Plus didn't want to risk getting knocked or an infection. I can go back if needed so just rested all day x