Cervical Stitch Removal and Labour

[J2020m]

Hi,
I am due to have my cervical stitch removed on Thursday (I'll be 36 weeks) and would love to hear peoples stories of how this process went as the letter I received was pretty vague!

Also, after having this removed, how soon did you go into labour?

Thanks 🙏

Hello! Well done for getting this far! It’s not an easy ride having a stitch is it?
ive had two and have two very healthy children!
Both children I had to be induced with in the end, the obviously were so comfortable in there! First time I expected the minute the stitch came out so would the baby 🤣 but no as his head was massive so probably plugged the gap!! Enjoy every minute of I presume quite a Longedfor baby!

Not had one put in, but know the basic procedure for having them taken out. This is for my trust. The procedure might differ elsewhere.

You're called in when there's a bed available on delivery suite. You get checked over, and baby is monitored for a bit to make sure they're ok. Then (with your consent naturally) you frog leg your legs, a speculum is inserted into your vagina, the doctor snips the stitch with a long pair of scissors and removes it. Gas and air is on offer, as is local anaesthetic (injected and gel). In rare cases, the stitch might have become embedded, or too uncomfortable to tolerate removal. In those cases, you go to theatre to have it removed under spinal anaesthetic. Recovery is only as long as it takes to get the feeling in your legs back.

Once it's all done, you and baby are monitored a bit longer. If you're both ok, labour doesn't start, waters are still intact, and there's no other procedures (i.e. induction) to be done, you're free to go home to wait for labour. Which, IM(admittedly limited)E, is the majority of women.

Best of luck for Thursday!

Hi @Banrockmystation
Absolutely a long awaited baby 🥰 my pregnancy was IVF, I was told early I had low Papp-a, then bleeding gave away the short cervix and since 33 weeks I've been diagnosed with GD.
Quite literally haven't caught a break through the whole process but baby is still doing so well and has been head down and engaging since 30 weeks! Just can't wait to have them in my arms ❤️

Hi @Dyra this is SO informative- thank you so much! Can I just ask, are you in the UK? Just seen things done a lot different in American posts so want to make sure the protocol you've spoken about is NHS!

Thanks xx

I had this a couple of months ago and the process was exactly as @Dyra describes, waited on labour suite à few hours for someone to be free, then the process itself was quicker than a smear test, just legs up and snip! Then a few hours monitoring to check all was ok and back home.

I had the stitch out at 36+5 and my waters broke exactly a week later - DS was born at (just!) 38 weeks. But apparently 14 days after is average so there's no real guide on when that will be for you!

Good luck with the removal, not long til you've got a snuggly new baby and can live life without the pregnancy complications (I never thought just going for a walk without worrying how long I'd been stood up for would be something I'd feel so excited about).

Thanks so much @Mufflette and was this NHS? Xx

Yes, NHS. I had the same issue as you, so much info about the stitch going in and hardly any about it coming out again!

Same as the pp but I had mine out at 35 weeks. Didn't go into labour and had an elcs at 38 weeks

@J2020m I am indeed in the UK and talking about the NHS. Hoping the removal goes smoothly, pain free, and without complications.

Sorry @Dyra did you mean the majority do go into labour or majority dont? Xx

Majority go home to await labour is what I meant. So not in labour when they leave hospital. Sorry I wasn't clear. ❤

@Dyra absolutely no need to apologise! Thanks so much for being so informative! Xx

No problem. Hope it all goes well later. ❤

Thanks so much for the heads up @Dyra.. I had half of my stitch removed with no pain relief and half was embedded so had to be done in theatre. They told me in theatre I was 1cm dilated and they could see baby’s head. I’m now home and spotting from the procedure. Any experience of this happening with people and how long after it they went into labour? X

Aww sorry you wound up in theatre. Hopefully you'll catch that break you now sorely deserve with an easy labour.

Personal experience says spotting is normal. The cervix is so sensitive, and yours will have been pulled about and prodded as part of the procedure. However, if it becomes more than spotting, or you ever get worried about it, don't hesitate to get in contact with your maternity assessment unit.

I'm afraid this is where my experience comes to an end though. I'm in theatres, so I see far more cervical stitches being put in than being removed. Even then, they're not that common. And should anyone then come to theatre after that, it never really comes up again. Hoping though that with baby's head being low, it won't be too long until you two meet! 😄

Best of luck for the coming days/weeks. Rest, rest, rest, and then rest some more!

@Dyra aww I thought it was worth asking! Thank you so much for all of your advice' it really prepared me for the prospect of theatre being an option and I therefore wasn't as effected when that was the route I had to take! Thanks again.. hope you're right 🤞🏻🤞🏻