Experience with progesterone pessaries - incompetent cerbix

[MintGreenLife]

I posted earlier this week about my cervix measurements - at 20 weeks was measuring 2.8cm on Monday just gone, reduced by 7mm since 18 weeks when it was 3.5cm.

Midwife told me this was fine and they would just check again in two weeks. I've just spoken to the consultant who wants me to start progesterone pessaries as a precautionary measure. Am feeling upset and worried after being told it was fine, and now the consultant believes it's not so good that it's reduced so much and has decided to treat.

Was wondering what your experience of progesterone pessaries are? Did they work for you? Thanks in advance

Obviously title should read incompetent cervix!

Bump

Precautionary measure means there's no harm in trying the pessaries, not that they're necessary.

@physicskate of course I understand that, it's still a worry though. Do you have experience with them yourself?

I’m on progesterone pessaries but it’s more to keep an early pregnancy going than anything, I’m 10 weeks. I put them in rectally as nothing leaks out that way. I’m sorry I don’t have any experience of them in later pregnancy xxx

I took progesterone pessaries after my cervix was found to be shortening (2.2cm) and funnelling at 24 weeks. Took them daily until around 36 weeks. Baby born by elective c section at 39+2.
My understanding was that they don’t get really worried until your cervix is less than 1.5cm but hopefully they will keep a close eye on you. I hope all goes well, I remember how worrying it was at the time xx

Same here, short cervix put on pessaries at about 16 weeks stopped taking them 2 days ago 36 weeks. They monitored me with scans up untill about 24 weeks when they were all coming back showing no more shortening. When consultant first put me on them he did say that theyvusually only "panic when its 15mm or less but this was a good precaution to lower riskier need of cerclage stitch as thats more intrusive Xx

@Cafeaulait27 no worries and thanks for your reply, wishing you all the best with your pregnancy.

@Glitterheart thanks so much for sharing your experience. My cervix was 2.8cm at 20 weeks, reduced by 7mm compared to 18 weeks. I think I've been prescribed progesterone pessaries as a precautionary measure for now because of the speed of the reduction in a short space of time. I had the scan on Monday but it wasn't until today that I spoke to the consultant and he suggested the pessaries. I had managed to convince myself everything would probably be OK and my cervix wasn't anything to worry about, so did end up having a good old cry and spent the afternoon in bed as is all a little scary. Will feel better once I've started the pessaries I think. Great news that they were so successful for you xx

@LuckygoLucy these messages are making me feel so much better as I have wondered if I should even be getting pessaries while cervix is still above the 2.5cm threshold, but then again 2.8cm is so close and I had a fairly big reduction in length of 7mm in two weeks. Congrats on getting to 36 weeks and wishing you and baby well for the future xx

Not for cervical shortening, but other reasons.

What I'm trying to point out is that you're anxious when they say you don't need them and then you're also anxious when they say no harm in taking them.

I totally get that you want what's best for you and baby and that we often have to be a bit more responsible for pushing for our own care than we ought to be, but you also need to let the medics do their jobs. Take the monitoring, take the precautionary progesterone but please try to manage your (actually quite understandable) anxiety.

At this rate, you're going to have an excessively stressful pregnancy and no one on here will be able to help with that because your experience and situation is unique.

Hello @MintGreenLife (again, we've spoken on other threads ☺️)

I'm afraid I can't offer any advice at all on the later stages, but just from a practical point of view - I'm 19 weeks and have been on progesterone pessaries through the whole pregnancy (due to come off next week). I saw lots of advice everywhere saying to insert them rectally, if that's not for you, as it wasn't for me, then just put a panteliner in when you take it and keep it in for 20-30 mins after, then you shouldn't get any leakage in your underwear

@physicskate it's not easy as I've had bleeding in early pregnancy, am also high risk for pre eclampsia and now this. Of course I am taking the advice of the consultant, however this would never have been discovered had I not pushed to have the cervical length scans in the first place and trusted my gut. For me I feel better if I can explore all options, gather all the info I need and go from there. I'd much rather have a short period of worry and doing as much research as I can, to then feel confident that I'm doing the right thing. I do appreciate your insight, but I find it really helpful being able to talk with others who have experienced similar and do my own research x

@Daffodil21 lovely to hear from you and thanks so much for your message. That's a great tip! I'll order some liners on Amazon now xx

Similar to PP I've been on the pessaries since around 19 weeks due to shortcervix (1.9). I also had the arabin pessary fitted which is an alternative treatment to the stitch. You still have a good length which is fab, but the pessaries will just help to keep that length :)

@KateColx thanks for sharing your experience. I really hope so! Am picking them up first thing and am going to start them as soon as I get home x

@MintGreenLife good luck with everything, I know how scary it all is when you're trying to get your head around it all x

@KateColx thank you. I was really upset yesterday but do feel a bit better today knowing I’m being proactive and starting the pessaries x

Anyone know if I’m meant to have an applicator with the pessaries?! I don’t know why I assumed I would, but haven’t been given any x

@MintGreenLife I didn't have one. I just used my fingers. I did read somewhere on here that using an applicator can push it too high and irritate your cervix. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I thought I would mention it given the reason you're taking it x

@Daffodil21 oh brilliant, sounds like I’ve been given the right thing then! Just wasn’t sure as for some reason I expected I would need an applicator, hopefully I won’t have any trouble with them x

@MintGreenLife I expected to have one too! But actually I think it probably easier to just do it with your fingers and wash your hands after (and before!) rather than having to phaff about cleaning an applicator

@Daffodil21 I’ll be extremely careful with hand washing as had BV at 10 weeks so wouldn’t want to risk that again 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks so much for your advice ☺️

Sorry to jump in here but can I ask how or what symptoms you had that made you think you might have an incompetent cervix? I’ve been worried about this. Currently 26 weeks

@Orlandoflorida1 no symptoms - I had a LLETZ 5 years ago and so had cervical length scans to be on the safe side x

@LuckygoLucy @Glitterheart @Daffodil21 + anyone else who had the progesterone pessaries - can you remember how many you had a day? I have 400mg and prescription for just once per day before bed. Yesterday on the phone the consultant said twice per day, but when he wrote up the prescription today he said just one x

@MintGreenLife I was prescribed 2x400mg per day but I've recently reduced mine to 1x400mg just before bed. Definitely get them to clarify!