Exercise and cervical suture

[drlb]

Hi. I'm 16wks pregnant and I had a cervical suture put in at 12-13wks. I wasn't given any advice re: exercise and activity post-suture but, from reading the net, it appears most people are advised not to exercise at all.

I am usually v. active and it is driving me crazy not to do anything. I feel fine and all bleeding / brown discharge now stopped. Surely it should be ok to walk / cycle / swim / yoga?

I'd be grateful for anyone's experiences of continuing to exercise (gently) after having a suture put in.

Thanks v. much.

I teach antenatal classes, part of which includes movement and I make amendments for women with cerclage but havent been told they can't exercise. Though, my classes are very gentle.

If you PM me and tell me where abouts in the country you are I might be able to put you in touch with someone I've trained with and you could join their classes?

I would recommend you check with your midwife though I guess, unless you're on bedrest, walking should be fine.

Good luck!!

Hi drlb,

I have a short cervix - I had most of it removed due to cervical cancer (now in remission). Although I don't have a stitch, I am monitored very carefully as 'high risk' and have scans or a cervical exam weekly.

Although I have not been told not to exercise I know that I daren't take the risk - it is for such a comparatively short period of time and were something to happen after that long swim/ walk/ yoga class etc I know I would blame myself, even if I was told otherwise.

I would ask your consultant/ obs if you are unsure.

thanks, i'm in london.

I will ask my consultant as i've got another appt next wk but I expect she'll answer in the same way she does to all my questions - "it's up to you, but you'll feel guilty if anything happens.." which just feels like a very unsatisfactory answer!

drlb - I lost my last baby at 19 weeks - possibly down to a weak cervix. I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. Why would you risk it? Surely you would do whatever it takes to have a healthy full term baby? It's a matter of months.

I had a rescue cerclage at 18 weeks last pregnancy - I was on a break to the US at the time. I was told strict bedrest by the US doctor who fitted it. Back in the UK I was told it was fine to walk around the block a few times a day

I was always very active, in fact I had walked 10 miles around San Francisco a few days before my weak cervix was spotted, so it was very hard swap from that to being flat on my back except for bathroom visits.

In the end I reasoned, like your consultant, that if anything did happen then I would always blame myself, so I stuck to my original doctor's bedrest request and sadly watched my muscles waste away. Around 28 weeks I ventured out more in wheelchairs etc as the risks improve then. Six months after having DD (5 weeks early) I decided to run the London Marathon for a miscarriage charity as a way of sticking my fingers up at the four months I spent on bedrest and it felt good!!

This pregnancy I have a transabdominal stitch which replaces the cervix entirely so I don't need bedrest at all unless things look bad on a scan. Just "taking it easy". However I have horrific SPD and can't walk very far anyway so it's moot!

I would say in your situation, as it's a prophylactic cerclage so long as all looks good at scans, that light walking is probably just fine - but if you get increased contractions then listen to your body. And later on in the third trimester you can pick up the activity a little if all looks well. But I am not medically qualified, I don't know your history, I'm just going on what I know from my own experiences and those of others with cerclages.

The same thing happened to me 🥺19 weeks 5 days ♥️ I’m pregnant again trying to do research on the cerclage