Failed Cervical Cerclage at 21 Weeks Pregnant – SUCCESS STORY!!
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I was having a relatively smooth pregnancy with my rainbow baby, so much so… only the other day I was saying I am beginning to grow in confidence that at 20 weeks I am halfway to meeting my baby girl but that all went downhill when I found out I needed a cervical cerclage as I had a weak cervix. I had no idea that I would end up with a failed cerclage at 21 weeks and we just had to hope for the best.
Below is my story about my short cervical length discovery and the failed cervical cerclage at 21 weeks pregnant.
Cervical Measurement Check at the 16 and 20-week Ultrasound
I have previously had loop diathermy (removal of pre-cancerous cells), a premature birth (due to placenta previa). I also had a miscarriage a few days before 16 weeks with momo twins, all of these factors placed me on the rainbow pathway at Blackpool Victoria Hospital which meant extra scans and checks.
16 weeks – 2.8mm Cervix Length
At 16 weeks pregnant, I was invited in for a cervical length scan and it measured 2.8cm which although short, didn’t pose enough risk to have any medical intervention and they sent me on my way. I wasn’t told the length at the time, I was just told everything was fine.
At my 20-week scan, my cervix was now measuring 2.4mm and “funnelling” (cervical funnelling is a sign of short cervix and can represent the dilation of the internal birth canal). I was immediately referred to the consultant who wanted to talk through my options.
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Cervical Insufficiency Research
The consultant was busy in delivery for a while so it gave me and my husband a chance to read up on the cervical stitch (cervical cerclage) what it is and what it means as we knew that this was the likely option at this stage.
I must admit, that I have terrible health anxiety and a fear of hospitals, birth, medical procedures so I was keen to see if there was any way we could wait and monitor my cervix length and then potentially have the cerclage placed.
The posts and articles I was reading were all so different, the majority of people having their cervical cerclage between week 13 – 16 of their pregnancies. It became clear that if I wait too much longer, it could be too late and our baby could end up being born early and at 21 weeks survival rates are very low and extremely unlikely as their organs are not yet developed enough to survive and only at 24 weeks would our baby be able to get the right care from neonatal and positive outcomes even at 24 weeks aren’t guaranteed.
I NEEDED to get to at least 24 weeks for this baby to have a chance of survival, Birth prematurely at this stage was just not an option for me.
The consultant came in and told us that she feels the cervical cerclage (cervical stitch) gives our little baby the best chance, she said that she really doesn’t feel we have a choice and we agreed. The consultant told us she would be doing the procedure in theatre the next day and I will be having a spinal.
The risks she mentioned with the cervical stitch were;
- Thrombosis (as with any operation involving a spinal)
- Bleeding is to be expected afterwards
- Failed cerclage(getting to theatre and there not being enough Cervix for her to put the stitch in which case nothing can be done)
The Night before the Cervical Cerclage Procedure
As a natural worrier, I spent most of the evening feel deflated and terrified that I was putting my baby at risk but also terrified that she could come at any point. I was terrified to move and I convinced myself I was experiencing labour symptoms and contractions.
Incompetent Cervix
The words “incompetent cervix” and “cervical insufficiency” were on every article I read, I felt like I failed at motherhood again. I was frantically searching the internet for good success stories and there were not many, it certainly didn’t look like all these ladies had a plain sailing journey with many being put on bed rest and minimal activity to keep baby in longer and give the maximum chance of survival. I really didn’t want to experience any other premature labour but most of all, I didn’t want to experience another baby loss.
The Morning of the Cervical Stitch Procedure
I spent the morning working, mainly to distract any negative thoughts and worries, with my head in a computer is often where I can be found during challenging times (hence this little blog I have put together whilst waiting to be seen). I was told to head into the delivery suite at 12pm and my procedure would be done that day.
The Cerclage Procedure at 21 weeks
My last meal was 8:15am and I didn’t start the process of the operation until 5:30pm. I was taken to theatre, given a spinal block, hooked up to fluids, the screen went up and before the operation officially began they did a pelvic exam.
Not a Successful Cervical Cerclage
Unfortunately, they couldn’t perform the cervical cerclage because there was no cervix left to perform the stitch, the measurements they took were of the whole cervix which also includes the inside (behind the closed cervix where the baby is).
The consultant said if they were to try it could potentially break my amniotic fluid (amniotic sac) and result in a second-trimester pregnancy loss and at this point, there is nothing more they can do for me and my baby girl at this point.
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What next with no cervical cerclage…
With my cervix closed, I knew I was safe at least for a couple of hours but I was devastated. My previous pregnancy resulted in a loss (not due to cervical incompetence) but I couldn’t face the thought of ever going a pregnancy loss again.
Preterm Birth is most likely
I was told that the consultant would see me again at 23 weeks, they would decide at that point whether they need to give me the steroid shots to help my babies lungs develop ready to give her the best chance when she arrives but I needed to get to 24 weeks for viability which seemed so far away at the moment.
I was told to up my progesterone intake to 1 200mg morning and 1 200mg at night, both inserted vaginally.
Progesterone with a short cervix can be successful in helping it grow and stop it from contracting. It is known to help against premature birth.
The Next Steps for me with Cervical Incompetence and a High Risk pregnancy
I went home from the maternity ward around 11pm with a “good luck” from the maternity nurses and my husband and I cried a lot. I love this rainbow baby so much. The outcomes i could find didn’t seem great. There were no further treatment other than progesterone.
After I couldn’t cry anymore I did a lot of research online. I knew due date was unlikely, carrying this pregnancy even a few weeks more being as active as i was before was unlikely, we knew things had to change and we had to work with what we knew and what we had.
I was told not to do bed rest but i decided against what i was told, my biggest advice is to do what you feel is best, i knew that if i didn’t do bed rest i would always wonder if we could have made it.
Success Stories with no cerclage
Of course, there were a lot of stories that resulted in pregnancy and baby loss but there were also stories that were helpful and filled me with hope. I share my weekly updates on Instagram and in this next blog post.
WE MADE IT TO 39 WEEK, SEE MY SUCCESS VIDEO BELOW
Carla is the founder of MyBump2Baby. Carla has a huge passion for linking together small businesses and growing families. Carla’s humorous, non-filtered honesty has won the hearts of thousands of parents throughout the UK.
She has previously written for the Metro and made appearances on BBC News, BBC 5 live, LBC etc. Carla is a finalist for Blogger of the Year award with Simply Ladies inc. Carla is also the host of the popular Fifty Shades of Motherhood podcast and The MyBump2Baby Expert podcast.