Unfavourable cervix

[MrsArchieTheInventor]

Sorry if this has been posted on an inappropriate thread title but...

My niece was taken into hospital on Thursday night with labour pains. She went to the local hospital at 23+6 and was given a steroid injection to strengthen baby's lungs and she was sent to the regional specialist maternity hospital in Sheffield. There she was assessed as being 23+3 weeks and they quibbled with the original hospital for giving her the steroid injection, but that's by the by. They were all told the worst case scenario and advised to possibly expect extremely difficult decisions if baby was born at 23/24 weeks.

The weekend has gone by, niece stays in hospital for 4 days, baby is healthy, great heartbeat, great placenta and sac, initial questions about the oxygen supply around baby (??) but niece has been discharged home with pains that are similar but not actual labour pains. She has an 'unfavourable cervix'. Anyone know what that is and has anyone gone full or almost full term with one?

Thanks in anticipation

Hello archie. I'm not wholly sure - hopefully someone else with more authoritative knowledge will be along soon - but I didn't want to leave you with no feedback.

I think an "unfavourable cervix" means that it's not softening/ripening/dilating in preparation for labour. Which in your niece's case is a good thing!

(I'm going by what I was told when I was being assessed for either emergency induction or am EMCS at 38 weeks - my cervix was apparently "favourable" and so the medics went down the induction route rather than C section.)

I was induced with an unfavourable cervix (& don't recommend it). It means high, closed, posterior. So great news if you're only 24 weeks I'd hope?! :-) I hope your niece goes full term, but I was 40+2 with waters broken and no sign of labour so an entirely different situation for me.

I agree with Fish and Dreaming. It's a good thing when she's only 24 weeks! Cervix is not preparing for labour. I always wonder why medical professionals use jargon with their patients, and why on earth patients don't ask when they don't understand!