Cervical stitch - anyone had/ having one?

[Snowboarder]

Title basically sums up what I'm asking. I'm having one at the end of the month and feeling anxious. So far all I know is I will be given a spinal not general anaesthetic so will be awake throughout and will spend the night in hospital afterwards. I will be 12 weeks pregnant.

My questions for those who've had one:

• is it awful being awake?
• did it hurt during/ after?
• did you have any bleeding afterwards?
• did you feel ok the next day/ how soon did you feel 'normal' (I have a 10 mo old DS to look after)

And the £1,000,000 question - did it stop you going into preterm labour? I had DS 3 months early and hoping to avoid that this time around.

Yes i had stitch put in for 3 of my successful pregnancies. It did hurt a little but they gave me gas and air, just took 20mins but just like having a filling at dentist (but in your other end), i was soooo relieved when it was done as their was no more bleeding at all and all my pregnancies went full term altho the stitch came out the last pregnancies after my waters broke! its well easy to take them out,takes 10 mins

Ladies did you end up having a stitch because of pre term labour previously?? I have been having spotting since I got my bfp, and have had 2 scans showing everything is ok, however cant help thinking maybe my cervix hasn't closed properly, sorry to ask questions on your post snowboarder.

Good luck with yours hope everything goes ok x

Hi Goingmad - no worries, ask away. I had a cone biopsy for cervical cancer which has weakened my cervix - my son was born 3 months prematurely so the stitch will hopefully prevent the same thing happening in this pregnancy.

Thanks for sharing Crypes - I quite fancy some G&A but I think that I'll be having a spinal.

Answering your questions:

• is it awful being awake? - I read million horror stories on Internet from some scare mongers and because of this I was terrified!!!. I asked for general not epidural, I just didn't want even to see what they are going to do with me. The doctor said that it is right decision, it will make their work easier ( and it did!) :) And when I got awake afterwards, it was nice :)
• did it hurt during/ after? - Slept peacefully during, after it felt as mild cramps, but I have low pain limits, so just exaggerated my pains and requested more codein to take home, as result I took only couple of codein+paracetamol pills and that was it - no pain :) I did feel the stitch later, when sitting, not pain, but just feeling it is there, because of this preferred to lie down more
• did you have any bleeding afterwards? - one or two days, very mild
• did you feel ok the next day/ how soon did you feel 'normal' (I have a 10 mo old DS to look after) - you will feel normal immediatly but in my case I had emergency stitch at 22 weeks, cervix started to go down, no dilation though, and because of this I decided that I want it ultimatly "to take it easy" and stopped working/lied down more, at least till 27 weeks. As result I worked from home since 22 weeks, no contractions , no pains or such and I am almost 35 weeks now, quite a success story.

Be very careful with your 10 mo, pls do not lift him. The reson why I was monitored and later had stitch is because almost 20 yrs ago I had prem. birth at about 23/24 weeks after lifting a very heavy object ( about 15-20 kg, labour started immediatly and couldn't be stopped)

By the way, about the stitch - there're two types they do here in UK - either McDonald or Shirodkar. You can't have Shirodkar with just gas and air, it's way too high and goes through the walls of the cervix. And you can't have it taken out without epidural, too painful. Macdonal, on another hand, is just a purse string, much lower so taken out as simple procedure , without anasthetics. Which one you have - will depend on the experience/preferences of the surgeon who is going to perform the procedure. In my opinion shirodkar sounds more reliable to me, though research says both are equally good. I have shirodkar, made by experienced doctor and my consultant always admires his accurate work when she checks it on scans ("oh, so high, oh so good" :) )

Grr, I just typed a long post and lost it...grrrr....

I've had four Macdonald stitches resulting in four successful full-term pregnancies. dd1 was stillborn at 25+4 following a cord prolapse, ultimately caused by SROM at 21 weeks. We were told to expect that we may never be able to have full-term babies, and may never have a child survive at all. A very bleak period in our lives.

Is it awful being awake? I assume so, you are tipped on an angle with your head towards the ground so that they don't burst your membrane. #1 I requested a general and cons agreed. #2 anethasist refused and I had a spinal. As the began the op I felt pain and screamed and was given ketamine to put me under. Confessions of a misspent youth, I knew ketamine would not agree with me and I suffered terrible hullucanations. #3, had to beg but got a general. #4 about five months ago, managed to convince them for a general on the operating table.

Did it hurt during/after? Well, never really experienced it during, but I had problems after. #1, terrible contractions v close together. They thought I was going into labour but cervix remained closed. After a few hours they gave me morphine and went home the next day. #2 same experience, stayed overnight. #3, they gave me morphine after a couple of hours, went home that night.#4 truly fantastic experience, gave me morphine straight away and didn't let me out of recovery till they stopped. About an hour, went home that day.

In all instances, bleeding 2-3 days, usually just pink and mucosy. Doing normal activities also by 3 or so days. I deliberately took it easy, but now have a 5,3 and 21 mth old, and can only take things so easy!

#1 I went overdue, failed induction, cord wrapped around baby and could not push her out, emcs. #2 planned section for placenta previa 38+1, #3 emcs before planned section date, waters broke at 38+1, #4, section planned for 38w. I do feel I could go sooner.

Some stitches I have felt when in sitting position, but they seem to 'loosen' as the pregnancy goes on. Taking my stitches out has also been v. difficult. G&A with #1, couldn't reach it. All others done after c-section.

After reading the above posts, I think I must have a low-pain threshold! btw, my children are remarkably normal given that I have had ga, morphine and even ketamine in pregnancy!!!

I've had a mcdonalds stitch at 19 weeks, the consultant stitched into the cervix but not through it in 4 places then tied it at the bottom like a purse string. I had a spinal as it was an emergancy procedure and the cervix was allready 5-6 cm dialated and the amniotic sac was pushing through.

I had no pain after but it did hurt when they took it out, I had gas and air. My stitch failed but we knew it probably would as it was put in so late. If I become pg again I will be having the stitch between 12-14 weeks.

With the shirodka they move your bladder and bowl out of the way so they can stitch higher up, the stitch goes all the way through the cervix at the top and bottom and is tied together.

There is also the transabdominal stitch which goes right at the top of the cervix and is permanent. The hospital where I am only uses this if you've had a failed preventative stitch, I'm in Nottingham and the closest consultant who does this procedure is in Leeds

Hi, I lost my DD at almost 21 weeks to probably IC (had no contractions, felt urge to push, at hosp was fully dilated-too late for stitch) and had cervical scans through the next pregnancy. Started funelling at 20 weeks. At 21 weeks was given an emergency shirodkar suture under spinal anaesthetic.

• is it awful being awake?....No, although I was scared that it would cause miscarriage etc, had already had 2 miscarriages and 2 losses after 20 weeks. I had also had previous full term births (3). Was weird being numb so couldn't feel baby kick.

• did it hurt during/ after?...crampy period type pains, had co-codamol for 3 days.

• did you have any bleeding afterwards?...Yes heavy red bleeding for 3 weeks. However, had bled right the way through 0-14 weeks and was on blood thinners.

• did you feel ok the next day/ how soon did you feel 'normal' (I have a 10 mo old DS to look after)...I had it on the Fri and was 'flu type' feeling with backache until Monday. I had to take it easy till then.

And the £1,000,000 question - did it stop you going into preterm labour? ..thankfully YES I went full term and I am sure it saved DS's life. I had it taken out at the same time as an elective section, 3 weeks before term.

Good luck :)