Cervix measuring at 2.9cm 20 weeks - should I be worried?

[MintGreenLife]

I’m 20+1 and just had my 20 week scan plus internal to check cervix length. Everything looks perfect with baby so that’s great. Cervix was 2.9cm though, which is a lot shorter than at 18 weeks when it was 3.5cm! I’m waiting to see the midwife now (not sure why as last time I saw consultant about it). Will wait to see what they say, but am quietly panicking as surely that’s a big reduction in length in two weeks?!

@Bigbellies hope you don't mind me getting in touch again - just wanted to ask if it's the progesterone pessaries you have been using? I managed to speak to a consultant today who said it would be a good idea to start using them now rather than just wait and see what's happened by my 22 week scan.

@boymum88 do you have much experience with these? I've requested to join the FB group but not been approved yet x

@MintGreenLife just make sure u have answered any joining questions and that u join the sister group pregnancy related else they will remove post from the main group if anything preg related as it's triggering for some lady's that have had losses or ttc x

And yes I have taken progesterone 400mg once a day from 11+5 weeks then 400mg twice a day at 28 weeks and will stop this week when I'm 36 weeks. didn't really have any side affect maybe a bit of a jippy tummy for the first week but that soon settled. Most lady's take them rectally, I personally find it a lot nicer as when you use them vaginally the wax coating melts and makes a mess of ur knickers and to reduced risk of infection once u have the stitch is place, they can also sometimes irritate ur cervix and cause spotting. But completely personal preference. Xx

@boymum88 that totally makes sense about the group, thank you.

Consultant said I would be taking twice a day, am picking up the prescription tomorrow morning. I'll see how I go with them - I have a polyp on my cervix also, so wouldn't want to cause irritation to that but will try vaginally first I think as that's what the consultant has told me to do. Thanks so much for getting back to me xx

@MintGreenLife like I say totally personal preference but the drug works the same either way u take it so u don't have to worry taking it the other way x you may have said already but does he think that u will need a stitch ? If so when does he plan on doing it ? X

@MintGreenLife good to hear from you. Yes I'm on the pessaries twice a day. They do make a mess in your pants but I can't bring myself to put it in the bum! I don't push them too far in but enough so they are absorbed.

How long between your cervical measurement appointments?

@MintGreenLife check ur fb pm looks like admin have pm all new group members to get the into the group xx

@boymum88 I’ve been accepted now thanks 😊 he just said on the phone earlier that he prefers not to rush and put a stitch in. I guess this way I’ll have been taking the pessaries for a week before my next scan, so might give them time to see if they are helping and assess whether a stitch is necessary or not. Next scan is at 22+2 x

@Bigbellies thanks, I’m picking up the prescription tomorrow. Two weeks between the scans - last was 20 weeks and next is 22. I asked today on the phone if that was Ok and he didn’t think it would be worth checking again at 21 weeks and he said no and to start the pessaries for now x

@MintGreenLife just think that is such a cop out, preventive stitches are so much more effective than emergency ones. Even if ur length stays the same, and u decided you want the stitch don't let them put you off xx

@boymum88 thanks, I’ll do some more research into it all. My only worry is I know that the later the stitch is done the riskier it it. Seems lots of people have them more like 12-16 weeks from what I’ve read x

@MintGreenLife so yer a good preventive stitch is place earlier but can be done up until 24 weeks, I believe the risk increase when it's an emergency stitch, for example only a couple of mm of cervix left or membranes are protruding. But the lady's in the group will be able to offer more advise x

@MintGreenLife honestly I would insist on a week between the scans. My hospital didn't hang about and that was at 20 weeks. Admittedly I was 1.9 but it had gone down. If you need the stitch, sooner rather than later is better there's no harm in them measuring you again. If the membranes start protruding it makes the operation more risky i.e. rupturing in the operation.

@MintGreenLife my understanding on the pessaries is that they relax the womb and so it puts less pressure on your cervix and that may or may not stop the shortening. The stitch (its actually a band... they call it a bloodless operation) is a physical thing to keep the cervix shut. Just throwing that in there as like you I'm sure I've been reading everything and asking tonnes of questions.

Hello OP, hope you don’t mind me joining!
My cervix shortened with DD2 due to Lletz and I was put on Progestrone pessaries until 34 weeks. This was the key week in terms of my consultant to get past. My cervix shortened by around the same 7/8cm, however it did stop and I didn’t need anything else other than the pessaries.

What I was also told was that unless the same consultant does all the TVS scans that there is a margin for error, the scans of the cervix depend on how much pressure is used etc....

I was put on reduced hours by my consultant from 32 weeks and advised to WFH to avoid unnecessary movement etc.

DD head was so low from 28weeks I thought she would fall out 🙈😬

I was set for an induction at 37 weeks as she was also dinky but a sweep sent me into labour.

@Bigbellies thanks, I’m picking up my prescription tomorrow, so hopefully I might get a chance to see the consultant briefly then and will ask why I’m not being checked weekly after such a big reduction x

@Forevernamechange12333333 of course not! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. How many weeks were you when they found your cervix had shortened/had to start pessaries? My worry at the moment is starting them now and leaving it two weeks between scans, only to find the pessaries haven’t worked. To be honest this situation now is a lot better than the situation as of this morning, as at the start of the day the plan was to just leave it the full two weeks with no pessaries and hope for the best!

I WFH already so that’s good. That’s brilliant you made it to 37 weeks and all was well ☺️ Xx

@MintGreenLife how are you doing with the pessaries and the consultant?

I starts putting the pessaries in the bum. Not too bad. I was working myself up over possible infection plus I've got GBS. Not too bad I just wash my hands several (100) times afterward

@Bigbellies buy some disposable gloves off Amazon and ky gel, u won't even notice it

@Bigbellies hey ☺️ Yeah fine although only just used the first one last night. Didn’t have as much mess in my underwear as I expected - only a bit when wiping at my 3am pee and then a little more in my underwear when I woke up. Made me worry it might not have dissolved properly, but obviously it had 😂 I do worry a little about infection as like I said above I had BV at 10 weeks, I was super super careful with hand washing etc yesterday and will of course continue to be. I feel a bit better for knowing I’ve started them and that it just over a week until my next scan now. Apart from getting the prescription I haven’t had any other dealings with the consultant. I don’t know if it’s OK to just contact him now with any further concerns - I’ve always been consultant led due to also being high risk for pre eclampsia (family history) but I never had even a name or number for the consultant I was meant to be under, so no idea how that was meant to be ‘consultant led’ when I’d never had any contact with them! How are you getting on? Xx

@Bigbellies @boymum88 @Forevernamechange12333333 should I be in anyway concerned that I’m not getting much stuff coming out after using the pessaries? First night I had a little when wiping a few hours later and a tiny 5p size bit in my underwear, last night didn’t spot much when wiping and only the tiniest bit in my underwear this morning. Everyone I’ve spoken to have mentioned how messy they are but I’m not finding that so far. Probably a completely ridiculous thought but is making me wonder if they are dissolving properly in there! X

When I say ‘didn’t spot much when wiping’ I mean I didn’t see much, not that I didn’t have spotting...which I didn’t anyway 😂

It's fine, they tend to be nicer if u use them before bed and lay down, so it sort of just stays up. They only take about 20ish mins to disclose, anything that does come back out won't be the meds it's the wax coating xx this is also another reason to do the back way then ur not worrying about discharge, it's just up and gone

Morning @MintGreenLife sorry for not replying sooner. No that all sounds fine. To be honest sometimes I had a mess, sometimes nothing. I think the heat of the body melts the wax but it doesnt then necessarily all come out at once. Dont worry, I think pessaries are pretty fool proof. Once they are in, the blood vessels there are so thin it gets absorbed. I've started putting them 'behind' now, thanks @boymum88 gloves and gel on the shopping list.

I'm 24 weeks tomorrow. No bleeding, discharge or pain and 3 weeks since the op. Progesterone definitely making me more drowsy. Keep hanging in there!

@boymum88 brilliant thank you ☺️

@Bigbellies no worries at all. Brilliant thanks, all sounds fine then! 24 weeks is a brilliant milestone. I am 21 weeks today. Have some very subtle UTI-like symptoms so am wondering if that’s the next thing I’m going to have to deal with 🙄 am drinking lots of water just in case x

@MintGreenLife how are you getting on?

@Bigbellies lovely to hear from you. I have another cervix length scan tomorrow afternoon. After the scan last week I’m not feeling too anxious about it, fingers crossed it’s just as long as last time. How are things with you? X