Open cervix and bulging waters at 23w. Would you go for rescue cervical stitch?

[Decafplease]

Please only respond if you have experience of this. I was admitted yesterday after check showed an open cervix. This is was to be my miracle baby after 4ivf tries and 1mmc. I have been offered a ‘rescue cervical stitch’ but with grave warnings that the procedure itself is very difficult & could cause rupture and infection meaning immediate miscarriage. If it worked though could help maintain pregnancy for a few extra precious weeks that could make a massive difference to outcomes. Other option is to wait, which could be hours or days or weeks as well. Not sure if i would regret more potentially doing something harmful or doing nothing if things dont work out. Has anyone been in this situation? Please please tell me what you decided and what happened? We have to decide tonight and i am desperate. No judgment from me just desperation.

HI OP, I don’t have this experience of giving birth through premature labour but I was born very very early (weighing just over 1lb).
I am pretty sure my mum was given 2 drugs. One slowed/ stopped the contractions for a little bit and the second was a type of steroid that led to increased/ rapid brain/ lung development for me.

Hope this helps

Hope someone comes along that can help
Just a little bump from me

Sorry OP I don’t have any experience of this. Are they able to give you any statistics or other information that might be able to help you make your decision?

Just wanted to add my sis had her dc at 24 weeks. She started bleeding at 23+5 and had baby 24 weeks (naturally as they couldn't stop labour)

LO is doing fantastic. 6yrs old this year!

Just wanted to share that there is hope x

Im so sorry you are going through this i do have experience of this with my first pregnancy and due to the bulging membranes i wasnt able to have a stitch and was immediately put on bed rest my tiny baby arrived at 26 weeks and although in hospital a long time is perfectly healthy ,with my youngest child i was dilating at 24 weeks and was sent home on bedrest with progesterone pessaries and my baby was born at 38 weeks have they given you the progesterone

I’ve not been in this situation but I have a cerclage (placed earlier) due to a short cervix. Are you a member of cervical incompetence UK? There’s a wealth of experience on there. You can find it on Facebook. Ask the moderator if you can join urgently.

Bumping for more traffic.

All the very best, Decaff

No experience of this but just sending you my best wishes and bumping the post for you

I had a baby at 24 weeks last year, I found out at 23+5 that I had bulging membranes and was 6cm dilated. It was not a happy ending for me, unfortunately, but I was not offered a rescue stitch as I was too dilated. In retrospect, had I been able to be offered, I would have taken it. I have just given birth to a healthy full term baby with the help of a preventative stitch, my cervix dilated a little with it in towards the end but it did its job.

No one can help you make your decision OP and it's is very very tough. My friend had a rescue stitch at 22 weeks and she managed to go to 39 weeks before giving birth.

As you can see, there are positive stories of extremely premature babies so there could be light at the end of the tunnel! I wish you all the luck in the world

How dilated are you?

Could you wait a week and then do the stitch?

How does one find out that their waters are bulging?

I had a rescue stitch at 22 weeks but didn't have bulging membranes or dilation just proven weakness when they applied pressure on monitoring scans (they were unsure at first whether it was cervical incompetence or infection causing my prior loss). The previous pregnancy I lost at 20 weeks suddenly and was fully dilated with sepsis so had no choice but to deliver and sadly lost my baby.

I would have taken the chance for a stitch if it had been offered!! Good luck I hope everything works out for you and baby!

Thanks for all ypur kind replies. I think i am going to go for the stitch. If i last the night, they will check my bloods and confirm of they can do it tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Oh, and yes i am on progesterone and antibiotics. They also gave me steroids to hasten development of lungs & brain. The care so far has been very good.
Sorry can’t reply to individual messages as my brain is frazzled

Sorry entered accidentally. Really do appreciate each one of your messages despite the group reply. X

good luck xxx

Good luck

Wishing you the very best of luck OP

Good luck

Good luck, it must be an incredibly stressful time for you.

@Decafplease I am so sorry you are going through this but fingers crossed with the stitch. I lost my twins at 23 weeks (waters broke and no chance of a stitch). I am now high risk for pre term in future pregnancies and I was told they would basically keep observing until they saw i was moving towards labour and then do a stitch if it happened again (rather than do the stitch early). So I would do that in your situation. I also think you will know you tried everything.

Wishing you so much luck.

Good luck, op

All the luck in the world x

Good luck decaf

Sending you loads of positive thoughts, decaff x

I’ll be thinking of you op