22 weeks leakage and cervix funneling

[Bumblebee902021]

Hello,

After 4 miscarriages last year all at first trimester which included a missed miscarriage, I am now 22 weeks pregnant and desperately hoping to have a healthy first born child.

Yesterday went for a cervical length scan as I worry about everything and wanted to make sure I wasn't at risk of pre term.. And they discovered a shortening cervix at 18mm with funnelling but they could not do emergency stitch because I am also leaking a bit of amnio fluid 😢

Has anyone experienced this before and had a successful outcome?

Join a fb group incompetent cervix uk and add on group - pregnancy related
Loads of lady's that have been in ur position, with and without stitches. ( I had stitch placed at 13+5 )

Have they kept you in hospital for bed rest ? Have they Talked about sending you to a level 3 hospitals that could look after baby if comes early, monitoring ur bloods for any signs of infection ? Xx

Hello @boymum88 thank you I will try. I don't have social media but will reactivate it.
I am in hospital since yesterday for monitoring but haven't said anything about bed rest of anything like that yet. I am awaiting to see consultant. I am praying for a miracle 😢 so so scared to go into labour

Ohh hun it's so scary, if u have any questions I will try and answer them. Write a list of any questions u think of and when consultant comes go through them one by one. I've seen lady's go on to have healthy baby's with bed rest, drinking loads of water, try and set little goals for example getting to 24 weeks

Thank you @boymum88 really really appreciate it, it feels like such a lonely experience and been trying to search Internet all night. I haven't come across stories where people have had both a bit of leaking, no stitch and 18mm cervix with internal funnelling, normally one or the other. With consultant I'll ask what next steps are and if bed rest etc will help, maybe also progesterone. I am beating myself up because I forgot to ask at my 20week scan to check cervix. I am 22weeks 4 days today and next milestone would be like you say 24 weeks. I really hope there's something they can try and do 😢 they put me on antibiotics in case of infections but I don't think I have any. I just hope there's hope left to try and save my baby boy. You had a stitch in at 13 weeks you say, is that due to previous history?

Never give up hope, 22 weeker's can and do survive if born. Hopefully what they will do is try and keep baby in for as long as possible. So I would hope they would keep u on bed rest, only gettin up to the loo if that ( should take pressure off cervix) they may do a scan to see how much fluid is around baby, but I'm lead to believe this can regenerate so drink loads of water and keep you on anti botics to stop any Infection. Ask about steroids as they are really important for baby lungs, and magnesium it's to protect baby's brain and can be used to stop contractions. If the hospital you are at does not have a level 3 nicu ask to be moved. The positive is ur not contracting.

I had my ds1 at 28+1 due to undiagnosed incompetent cervix. Got to the hospital I was 5cm with scan protruding he was born 5hrs later. So when I got pregnant this time I made sure I had a stitch placed early x

Have a wee read of the nice guidelines
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng25

Thank you so much for your help @boymum88 and advice on everything. I read the nice guidelines and said about magnesium, steroids etc. They came and told me that the chances are ill be giving birth within two weeks and that they won't start on steroids till 24 weeks. They said basically to not have as much hope cause the probability is I'll be in labour soon as my cervix is only 18mm and I have tightening in my belly.
Absolutely devastated as its something that could have been prevented and I asked for this scan 3 weeks ago 😢😢 I don't know how ill cope losing my son who is still kicking inside.
They told me about disabilities and chances of living outside womb is slim

I'm not sure where you are in the country but are you in a hospital with a level 3 neonatal unit? If not I'd be asking to transfer to one. If you could get to 23 weeks, babies chances are higher. The best place for you to be is somewhere that specialises in extremely premature births and has all the equipment available to help baby if born very prematurely. I wish you all the best, please do not give up hope. I'm thinking of you @Bumblebee902021 xx

Ohh my heart is breaking for you, but please don't give up hope. I know you said your not on fb but if you can join and get on some support groups like
Parents of premmies support uk and I think their is one for micro prems to, they will be able to give you so much support and hope
Do they have u on slight head down position on the bed ? Also don't get off the bed now ask for a bed pan
Also look at bliss website, think you maybe able to talk to someone that can offer support and advice
www.bliss.org.uk/

Also Tommy's
www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/premature-birth

Just had a wee look and found a list of hospitals that will help 22 weekers, if it's something you want make them transfer u x

@Bumblebee902021 I would be asking them to me moved to a hospital that will take 22 weekers, it's ur body and baby don't be scared to flight, and 18mm isn't great but it's still better than nothing, are you having contractions ? is your cervix dilated ?

@boymum88 I think this one takes as young as 22 weeks. Not having contractions I don't think but having odd cramp pains when I move like tightening feeling so I'm not sure if that's a contraction or no?
Cervix is funnelling from the inside, on outside (vagina end) it's not opened yet. I think the 18mm they said includes the part that funnels so not sure on true length that's left. I really am scared of seeing my little one in pain when potentially born this early. I am clinging onto hope that my body will hold out a few more weeks 🤞😢 x

@Bumblebee902021 Have they sent a nicu doctor to speak to you and was the obstetric doctor a consultant ( no offensive to jr dr's) if they do take 22 weekers I can't understand why they seem so unwilling to offer any treatment
So it can all be all laid out on the table and the options you have. For example If you would want active management of the baby.
The most important end is the external end of cervix so fingers crossed that it stays closed x
I have everything crossed for you, every day counts x

@boymum88 they haven't sent one yet, they said they would but been waiting 4 hours for one to come over. It seems crazy to me that there seems to be nothing that can be done to prevent it 😢 when I go to bathroom or sit up, there's a lot of pressure/sharp pain under belly where crotch is - could that be beginning of wider contractions?
The external end can no longer be once the funneling tornadoes through it as the baby grows right? Thank you so much for everything, I hope to wake up and be in June 😢 x

@Bumblebee902021 ask a midwife to chase them up. I'm not sure about the pain but would have a feeling it's pressure on ur cervix, and that's why bed rest can help xx

@Bumblebee902021 I would ask them if you do go into labour at 23 weeks, will they give steroids then? Nice says that steroids can be given between 23-23+6 to women in suspected or established preterm labour, if the parents wish to do so. www.nice.org.uk › resourcesPDF
Preterm labour and birth - NICE

I chased midwife again and she said they'll come round soon, they say soon a lot and it ends up being hours. Cervix pressure means it could funnel more 😢 I'll ask them about steroids if I go labour at 23 weeks. I would have thought progesterone etc could at least be tried now to help etc too. I really really wish they took preventative measures here 😢

@Bumblebee902021 if you want progesterone ask they to prescribe it, they can either give it as a weekly inj or as suppository that u can use rectally, it can't do any harm but may well help xx

Awful situation for you OP and I hope you are getting lots of support and kindness in real life. I agree that if progesterone is something you wish to try then they should certainly prescribe it. Ditto bed rest and an inclined bed to take the pressure off the cervix. None of these interventions will cause harm but will be important for you to know that everything possible has been done. If you get no joy from the midwives caring for you ask to speak to the supervisor of midwives / clinical site team at the hospital.

Will be thinking of you.

Hello, thank you. They have prescribed me with progesterone which I'll start today and hoping this will help a bit. Do you know if the cervical length should include the funnelling part or is the cervical length the part that's left that hasn't funnelled?

When they have taken my length normally from the external os to the internal os and I believe it's the length left after the funnelling. It looks like a v shape xx so the 1.8 is after the funnelling I think x

Thank you @boymum88. As they now said the 18mm is actually the width of the top part of the funnel. However it's a massive V shape and the entire length (with the funnel) is 34mm. Only the bottom of the funnel where the external os would be isn't funnelling but they didn't measure that part as I assume that's the closed cervix part to worry about but it looks tiny on scan x

@Bumblebee902021 it's all so confusing. Have they said what that means for u ? R they hopeful that u can hold on for another week until 24 or will they help once u hit 23 weeks ? Hope ur not on ur own and are allowed a Vistor x

Hello, so after another day and some scans, it looks like the funnel has shortened the cervix at just 0.7mm. I am still in hospital, now taking progesterone. They said if no infection or signs of leaking, I could potentially have the emergency cerclage but I read that this may have no effect due to how much I've funnelled and carries its own risks 😢 praying for miracle

Good morning op

I have no personal experience of this but can imagine it is an extremely scary situation to be in

Every day that passes your little one will be getting stronger!

When are you 23 weeks?