Calling all moms with an incompetent cervix!

[Maribeth]

Hey moms,

I'm working on our incompetent cervix information for our complications cubby. If you've had a successful pregnancy with an incompetent cervix, I hope you'll consider sending me your success story!

I'd also love to include information on what it feels like to have a cerclage and what it feels like to have it removed. Let me know what type of cerclage you had (McDonald, Shirodkar, or abdominal), what procedures the doctors used (anesthetic, prep, etc), how long your hospital stay was, how long you had to be on bedrest afterwards, how far along you were when it was placed . . . was it successful . . . what did they do when the stitch was removed (unless you had an abdominal cerclage), how soon did you deliver afterwards . . . etc.

Sharing this type of information with women who will be in your shoes with their pregnancies will be so helpful!

Feel free to post here, email me or PM me.

THANKS!!
Mari

[Viketory]

I have one.

I was diagnosed at 22 weeks. I consider myself quite fortunate because I had a lot of pain and was checked and it was discovered then. Fortuantely it was early enough and I had the cerclage placed the next day. I had a Shirodkar placed by a peri and they used general anesthesia because I had a herniation in my back. It was an outpatient surgery and overall wasn't too bad. There was some pain but nothing that I'd call major. I was restricted but not placed on bedrest. I could be up as long as I didn't walk to long or do heavy cleaning, stuff like that.

The removal was scheduled for 36w5d but my membranes ruptured three days before that. The removal in my case was a nightmare. The doctor who did it said it was one of the worst she has ever done so I'm certain that my experience isn't the norm. She had a hard time seeing because of the fluid and did not know that the doctor who placed it put an extra knot in it. The string broke as she pulled it out and she said it had become embedded. I don't know if it was embedded or if it was the extra knot causing the problems. I hadn't been given medication up to that point but they gave me some Nubain because it had become so painful and I have no doubt that it made things harder for her too. After that she was able to pull it out and I went on to have a vaginal delivery which resulted in my perfect little boy.

I hope this helps. If you have any more questions please feel free to PM me or ask somewhere. I usually post of SC4 and will be on the babies born board for that group when it goes up.

[mommybess]

Maribeth,
Here is a link to my story http://www.geocities.com/incompetent...y_journey.html the ages are incorrect now... I will get back to you for more info regarding type and how it was removed and placed, etc... Off to dinner with the kids and dh!

[mommybess]

Maribeth,
I had 4 Cerclage's all were McDonald, placed between 13 -15 weeks gestation. 3 were removed by my OB in the office at 36-37 weeks, one was removed at the hospital by my OB at 37 weeks due to dilating and contracting. With each son my bedrest time increased, son #1 was 2 weeks prior suture removal, son #2 I had self impossed couch time since I was stuck at home with an infant in the middle of winter, son #3 I had bedrest from about 29 weeks, with son #4 I was on bedrest from about week 25. I was on Brethine for sons 1-3 and Procardia XL for son #4, the Brethine wasn't doing the job for me.

Removal was slightly painful, sharp quick pain though. Slight bleeding after removal, which was scary the first time. Bleeding deminishes after 24 hours. With each removal my cervix went from like 1-2 cm to 4cm immediately.

I delivered my oldest son within a week of removal. Son #2 was born 6 hrs after removal, son #3 within 24 hours and son #4 was within a week. We belive that son #4 would have been sooner but he was breech and not putting any pressure on my cervix. With each son I needed Pitocin, my cervix was opening by I was not contracting effectively. My cervix was so weak that it just opened but contractions are needed to deliver baby.

Hope this helps! I love to be able to share this with others that are going through this!

[MarthaAnn]

I am an incompetent cervix story too. I lost my first baby at 20weeks gestation. I was fully dilated upon arrival to the hospital. He was born weighing just 13 oz and was 10 1/4". But he was perfect. So after his delivery my dr sent me to a nearby university hospital. They did an hsg and dilation and my scores came in borderline for ic. Meaning it was our choice to go with the cerclage automatically or to monitor with u/s. Well after two long years with infertility low and behold i was pregnant again. Dh and i after our struggle decided immediately on the cerclage. I had it placed at 12.5 weeks and it was the shirodkar. The cerclage was placed under a spinal anesthesia but it was still painful. I am now 35 weeks along and it is very painful to have it checked but it seems to be working. And i am scheduled to have it out Nov 5th. The baby another boy is head down and you can feel his head bouncing on the stitch when i walk. I have been pretty laid back and have not worked which i attribute to making it this far. I am hoping for a speedy deliver when they remove the stitch as i am soo uncomfortable and having lots of braxton hicks. They may or may not do the removal with anesthetics but i am pulling for them as i can barely handle them checking the stitch. Well hopefully soon i will be able to update with a successful birth story!!

[msliss]

I was diagnosed with I/C after the birth (and subsequent death) of my son born at 23 weeks (1 lb 1/2 oz; 11in). I had pressure in my pelvic area from week 13 on, but was told by my ob that it was normal to feel pressure and that my baby was just getting bigger. I even had a 3D ultrasound 3 weeks prior to walking into the emergency 9 centimeters dilated. They failed to see that I had NO cervix.
I stayed in the hospital for 6 days in the hydeger position ( I am mispelling this, but it's where they place your feet above your head). My water broke on the 6th day and my son was born vaginally within 5 minutes. He lived for 26 hours in the NICU and was so so perfectly formed and beautiful although incredibly tiny.

I was pregnant again 6 weeks later. At 14 weeks I had a Shirodakar placed by my perinatologist whom I continued to see throughout the pregnancy once a month as well as biweekly visits to my OB (a different OB than last time). They were an amazing team and I don't know if I could have made it without them. I was put on modified bed rest (I had to leave my job) at 20 weeks and then admitted to the hospital at 23 weeks where I stayed until 32 weeks. I delivered at 38 weeks with a c-section that went as easy as pie. They took my cerclage out then. My daughter is perfect and beautiful and I am so grateful for her.
Feel free to contact me as I am willing to share my story with anyone. I had so many people reach out to me during my loss and subsequent pregnancy and I would love to help someone else.

[MamaFox]

I had an abdominal cerclage last week after it appeared that my original stitch wasn't doing the job.

I'm currently 22 weeks and on total bedrest. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but some days are pretty tough.

Do you know of any others who have had the abdominal cerclage and what their results were?

Thanks in advance. Hopefully I'll be updating in a few months with a success story.

[mommyto3]

We arrived at the hospital New Years Eve 1992 fully dialated and in active labour. Our son was born at 23 weeks weighing 1 lb 2 ozs (he did not survive). I had one successful pregnancy after that with just close monitoring and being put on strict bed rest at 20 weeks. Two other pregnancies I successfully had a cerclage put in, the first being taken out at 37 weeks in the hospital and then induced due to short labours, and the second being taken out at the hospital as well, but I was in labour that time. I went completely under to have the cerclage placed. The removal of the first cerclage was the most painful because the doctor cut the strings to short and tied the knot too tight. Was rushed to the OR and was there for 2 hours while they tried to figure out what to do.

[nj teacher]

I had a cerclage placed by my peri at 20 weeks. At 18 weeks they discovered a chagne in cervix - at that time it was 2.8 cm (borderline). I had weekly appts to check it. The following week it was the same, but the week after, it was 0.8! I was rushed to the hospital where the cerclage was placed. Not sure the type but I had a spinal.

I was also having contractions for the past 3 weeks, but thought it was the babies moving. So I was placed on oral terb and bedrest.

I was admitted to the hospital for PTL at 23.5 weeks, and we thought I was going to deliver that night, but we were finally able to stop the ctx with mag sulfate. We stopped the mag the next morning b/c I had an awful reaction to it. That night I was again contracting every minute. Three shots of brethine got things under control. Thankfully, my cervix wasn't affected and the cerclage was still holding. They sent me home with a terb pump from Matria.

So here I am at 27 weeks, hoping to make it to at least 28 weeks, or further. Still have the cerclage, get cervix checks each week and it hasn't changed (knock on wood!), on bedrest, home contraction monitoring and terb pump.

It is truly a miracle that I am still pregnant. Hopefully I can come back in a few months with a great birth story!