Short Cervix - please help, so worried

[BaweB]

I had my anomaly scan at 18+4 yesterday and the baby is beautiful and healthy. However, they measured my cervix and it was 2.75mm which is borderline for a cause for concern (below 2.5mm is a concern; above 3mm is fine). I am being monitored and having a follow up scan in a fortnight; if it gets worse then they will start me on progesterone suppositories. I am on no exercise and no sex.

Does anyone have any experience on this? I am so worried and would love to hear other people's experiences. At the moment, it really does seem that it could go either way.

Have you had LLETZ procedures or are you genetically short of cervix?

I was measured regularly in earlier pregnancy for compromise because I had cervical biopsies when I was younger, but I measured over 7mm so was discharged from consultant care.

You’ll be consultant led for the rest of your pregnancy, I should imagine. The cervix does stretch and strengthen as well as soften and shorten in pregnancy which is why they monitor rather than intervene. It could just be a case of TV scans every fortnight until closer to delivery. You will almost certainly be monitored til delivery regardless, just to keep an eye on it. So extra scans! 😊

If the integrity of the cervix is also reduced, you may be offered a stitch to hold it, but I’m not sure how they decide when and who gets that. If yours is short because that’s the way you were born, it might not be an option...? Sorry, not helpful. I’m sure there will be plenty of studies if you google...

The pessaries will be to stop the cervix contracting further, to make it stronger.

Try not to panic. Sorry, I’m sure someone else will come along with much more helpful advice!! 😬

This is helpful. Thank you.

I’ve never had a procedure so I think it must be genetic.

7mm! I’m so jealous!

Hi OP,

I've had cervical length monitored in 2 pregnancies because of previous LLETZ treatment. With my son my cervical length went down to 2.1cm at 24 weeks but drs decided not to intervene. He was born spontaneously at 39+4! I'm my current pregnancy I've had a measurement of 2.3cm and am currently 31 weeks with baby still tucked up safe. I am using progesterone pessaries this time which are thought to help keep the cervix long and closed. I think for me the history of LLETZ is a bit of a red herring and I just naturally have a shortish cervix. I've been told that many women do and it doesn't mean it's not strong. The key things the drs need to check for are any opening or funnelling of the cervix under pressure (they will press on your belly during a scan to check this).
I do understand the worry though, but it's not necessarily cause for concern. Good luck

@sacrecoeur0712 thank you, this is really useful. I have zero risk factors so I'm confused; I am in Thailand so I'm actually lucky that they check it here I guess. It is incredibly reassuring to read your comment.

Do you think/know if there should be a big difference between 19 and 24 weeks? In other words, is mine more worrying at 2.75 at 19 than a 2.1 reading at 2.1?

They haven't checked for opening or funnelling yet so I am guessing a the minute, they're just keeping an eye and working out which way it will go. I am thinking of just asking for the progesterone now to be on the safe side.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy

Your cervix generally speaking will naturally shorten as your uterus grows - think of it like the neck of a balloon as you blow air into it. However it is dynamic in that it will change a bit between measurements - mine was measured weekly and some weeks was a millimetre or two longer than the week before. Also you'll get a slightly different measurement depending on who's measuring! I had mine measured at my anomaly scan as 2.1 by the sonographer after getting a measurement of 2.6 just an hour earlier with an obstetrician. In the UK they say the cutoff for intervention is 2.5cm at 20 weeks but mine was slightly under that with both babies and they decided not to intervene.

Hi,

Hope this is a help - I had mine checked due to lletz last year. Mine was actually fine at 4.3 but through that I spoke to A LOT of other mums who have had issues, and consultant about options.

I think the pessaries are pretty effective, so they'll give you these for a number of weeks then if there is n improvement they can put a small stitch in your cervix, which they then removed at about 37wks.

Sounds scary, but 2 ladies I know have had it and said straight froward and no more invasive then a smear test.

I thought you were around the right gestation for them to put in a stitch. Have they mentioned this as a possibility?

I have asked if I can just cut to the chase and get the progesterone pessaries.

With a stitch, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't consider it until I'm a bit more extreme and have had another scan to check what's going on. At the moment I am 100% in the middle of "worrying" and "safe". Please keep your fingers crossed for me if you read this.

@BaweB Just thought I'd share my experience, I'm currently 23+4 and am under consultant care for the same thing. Had a LLETZ under general anaesthetic 4 years ago as a colposcopy showed that I had a significant amount of abnormal cells on my cervix. Found out I was pregnant in Feb and at my booking appointment was referred to a consultant, my cervix was not measured at my routine 12 or 20 week scan even though I asked about it. So far I've had 4 cervical length scans, 31mm at 15 weeks, 34mm at 18 weeks, 39mm at 20 weeks, 34mm at 23 weeks, back again at 29 weeks. If it's your first baby like me then they will adopt the "wait and see" approach before intervention unless you are under 25mm. If you do go under your options are a stitch up to 24 weeks but they will put in a "rescue stitch" past 24 weeks if your cervix starts to open although it's said to be higher risk & less effective, daily progesterone pessaries or weekly progesterone injections. Unfortunately it's usually a case of just waiting and hoping it stays long, my measurements aren't in the danger zone so I've been relatively relaxed about it but it is a big worry in the background, so much so that we tell anyone we were pregnant until last Sunday at almost 23 weeks!

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone is following this thread that can give me any advice or reassurance!!

I found out last Thursday that my cervix had shortened from 34mm at 23+2 to 8mm at 29+2 with a V shaped funnel which is 8mm wide x 12mm length then I've got 8mm from where the funnelling ends to the external OS. I do not have a cerclage.

I've been put on bedrest and daily vaginal pessaries, going back for another scan at 32+2.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with a cervix as short as mine that can offer any advice?!

@FirstTimeMum1984, not sure if you will see this but wondering how it went for you?
At my 20 week scan yesterday I found I had a short cervix measuring 7mm which is very low than the standard measurements so I am having a stitch and progesterone pessaries plus bed rest for 2 months! Anyone have any similar stories?

Hello ladies. I am in a very similar situation to which yourselves were. I am 19+4 and my cervix is measuring at 3mm. I have a cervical stitch & on progesterone. How did the remainder of everyone's pregnancy go?