Warning Signs for Incompetent Cervix and Pre Term Labor - Page 22

ALMOST 30 · 08-27-2007, 09:51 PM

Wishing you all the best..............take it easy and put your feet up until it's time for your cerlcage..........not sure if it is uncommon to thin tht early if you already have a history?

SweetMe · 09-03-2007, 11:33 AM

thanks for the info

Fleegle4 · 10-27-2007, 10:07 AM

Argh. Here's my story --

I went for my 20-week ultrasound last Thursday (I was about 21 weeks at the time, although their measurements had me closer to 22), and my cervix measured 4.5, which I'm told was good. On Monday, I had some contraction type pains, which I thought were Braxton Hicks, and I had them checked out Tuesday morning. The doctor felt my cervix and said I was 50 percent effaced and at that point he said he felt a fingertip opening. They didn't throw me in the hospital, but instead started giving me weekly shots of delalutin (17-hydroxyprogesterone), and told me to stay off my feet. On Thursday I was nuts enough again to see the doctor (what's urine leakage and what's clear amniotic fluid, eh? How do I know?), and she did a FERN and other tests which all came back fine. At that point when she checked the cervix, she said it was still effaced, but completely closed. I'm going for another cervical ultrasound on Monday to see about the thickness, if that's changed from last week. My doctors are very pro-active and scalpel happy, so the fact that they haven't brought up a cerclage makes me mildly less concerned, but at this point I'm freaking out again.

I still have no real discharge, no more contractions, and the Monkey is kicking up a storm. I'm content to just pretty much stay in bed until Monday, but just how worried should I be? I don't feel like I should be, but these stories are freaking me out...

StormsDreams · 10-27-2007, 11:11 AM

Fleegle try posting this on the pregnant with IC thread. I am not sure you have IC as you stated you felt contractions. I also dont think they place cerclages after a certain time, but they can if the baby's ang of waters havent come through your cervix. Good Luck and keep us posted!
Raven

nspear · 10-27-2007, 11:17 AM

Well.. things can change so quickly it's hard to say.. it sounds like you are doing great right now.. however, a few things to consider..

1) you are at a very cruicial time if you do have IC.. is this your first pg?
2) your cervix can change all the time.. and quickly.. both gor the good and bad.. I am a finger tip dialated as well.. have been for about 3 weeks with no changes so far.. I had no funneling which is a good sign.. did they mention funneling to you.. thats bad! (That is where the inside of your cervix is open or starting to open.. that is the true dialating defeat)
3) On the 17P injections.. did you just get the one.. or did they order the whole series.. those only hold effect for 1 week.. I have been getting them weekly since 16 weeks.. which is the norm for high risk due to PTL patients. They usually will not start them any later than week 22-23 however.
4) Amniotic fluid will either have no scent or a slightly fruity scent.. I had PPROM at 29 weeks with my daughter.. believe me.. you will KNOW if your water breaks! I gooshed out what felt like 20 gallons! Gross! But that is not the end of the world.. I made it another 5 days before DD arrived.. and they were hopeing for like 5-6 weeks.. however she decided to stick her knee through my cervix.. so we had to go super early.
5) FFN Tests are only good for 10 days.. in my book not much time to relax before the risk is there again LOL! And they can only do the tests every 2 weeks..
6) i would deff go on pelvic rest if they didn't mention which they probably did with what you described.. but that means no dirty deeds at all! Among the obvious.. Also.. if you have BD they can't do a FFN if needed either...

Im not sure if I missed anything..

HTH!

nspear · 10-27-2007, 11:26 AM

On Raven's commnet:

I was told no later than 24 weeks.. (That is when the stopped doing my cervical U/S's because I was passed the time frame) And like Coastal said.. that is as long as the bag of waters is not falling out.. (At that point they put u in lateral traction or an angled upside down position and the bad will start to desend back.. my cousin had to do this and made it to week 25.5 after her bag fell out at 22.5 weeks!!!!! She still ended up delv at 25.5 weeks due to contractions starting.. but she made it to a good week gestationally and her DD is doing great! ) Ok that was probably way more than was asked for but.. better more info than not enough right?? LOL

Fleegle4 · 10-27-2007, 01:30 PM

These folks are kind of aggressive, which is why I'm not in a total panic. This is my first pregnancy (that made it this far), and they mentioned nothing about funneling. Remember, a week ago I had an u/s where everything cervical that they could see was declared "excellent". I'll be having the 17-p shots for 10 weeks. I've been on pelvic rest since about week 8 after some bleeding (okay, in theory, but for a variety of reasons there's been nothing going on on that front anyway, so it's a theoretical restriction). Of course it's annoying when the hormones are still making me horny as heck....nothing I can do about that, as even though the original prescription for pelvic rest was nothing inside, I'm not doing anything that could make the uterus contract again!

I haven't had any more contractions since the shot on Wednesday (I had a few mild ones Tuesday, but nothing like Monday), and if I understand the exam, the cervix was getting mildly better -- he felt a fingertip opening on Tuesday morning and she felt it was tightly closed on Thursday. She also didn't see anything protruding. So I'm kind of hoping I had a PTL scare (which was my mother's pregnancy problem -- she had shots and bedrest and made it until about week 37) which caused some changes in the cervix, rather than IC. And if the cervix is really thinning, I'm still at week 22, so they could probably do a cerclage if it's still closed.

I just like data. Let me get a good reading on Monday, and I'll calm down.

deedlebug06 · 10-27-2007, 07:44 PM

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Fleegle - the link above is the IC miracles thread that we all chat on regularly, please join us!

I am sure the other's gave great advice and I don't have time to get detailed. But wanted to say when my IC/PTL was caught I was completely effaced and having contractions. With medication and bedrest I made it 10 more weeks, but you should have REGULAR checks! K? We only want to make sure you don't have to suffer a loss as so many of our IC cysters have. ((HUGS))

ShelbersMama · 10-27-2007, 08:30 PM

Feegle... My IC was caught at 23 weeks. I went in for a routine u/s ( baby wasn't in the ideal position for my 20 wk u/s ) and on a whim the tech double checked my cervix only to find I was funneling! From there I was rushed via wheelchair up to OB where I got to see my dr. and later that afternoon was in surgery for a cerclage. I was 2 cm dialated when they put the stitches in and my membranes were visible, but I dont think they were bulging.
That cerclage saved my baby's life! I funneled all the way down to the stitch and even came through one a few days before I went on to have him at 36 weeks -infact his birthday was SUPPOSED to be yesterday LOL- but he's now 3 weeks old.
I was so lucky, in that my IC was caught and that everything really worked out for the best! My OB was very pro-active, and not willing to play games of "lets see... "
Also I had absolutely no history of PTL/IC. My daughter was over due, and other then having a horrible birth experiance my pregnancy with her was text book perfact! Most likely, its because of her traumatic birth that I have IC now.
It sounds like you've got a good dr. and he's taking excellent care of you and your little one
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So that was my story, and I hope it helps you a little
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I think Im the most recent IC graduate. Its scary to think that my story could have been very VERY different. But I have a beautiful little boy who is healthy and strong! I cant imagine never having him in our lives
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Just the same my family is complete. I have a daughter and now a son. We are DONE!! lol Although its good to know that if I do decide to have another child down the road, that I have an awsome dr. who I trust and I'll know what to do the next time around.

~Dez

Fleegle4 · 10-29-2007, 10:48 PM

The good news is that they don't seem to think I have an incompetent cervix. I went for my ultrasound today, and from what they could see, there was nothing wrong. It measured 3.5-3.8, and they said it was even longer because it was curved. When they did the ultrasound they pushed on my belly to simulate the pressure of standing up, and the cervix didn't do anything, like open, so the radiologist didn't know why I had effaced. They didn't do an internal today to see about that -- for that I'll have to wait for my regular appointment on Thursday.

Silly kid mooned us and I swear he flipped us off (that was no wave!). I think he's just trying to make a jailbreak :-)

Thanks for all your well wishes and support.

ShelbersMama · 10-30-2007, 05:03 PM

Hahahaha!! Feegle I have an u/s pic of my DD flying the bird! And then the hospital pics that were taken of Liam he is flipping off the camara.... apperently I have a couple of hoodlums in training
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That's great about your cervix length!! Hopefully you'll be able to keep him incarserated until he's a little closer to his due date
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~Dez

ALMOST 30 · 10-30-2007, 05:40 PM

Hey all

Cervical check at 17wks.............still looking good.....nice long and closed...........stiches are fine........................I even got a sneak abdominal u/s..............it's a girl!!!!!!

StormsDreams · 10-30-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALMOST 30
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Hey all

Cervical check at 17wks.............still looking good.....nice long and closed...........stitches are fine........................I even got a sneak abdominal u/s..............it's a girl!!!!!!

Congrats!

Nikisix · 11-24-2007, 04:39 AM

Hi ladies,

This is the first baby that I've carried this far, so of course I'm worrying over every pain, ache, etc. Lately, I've been having these pin prickly feelings in my vagina. It's not a constant pain, but I've felt it a few times today and a couple of times earlier this week. Could it be anything to do with the cervix? Or is it part of the growing pains? The only way I can describe it is it feels like a bunch of pins on the inside of my vagina and it lasts only for about 2 seconds at a time.

VivC · 11-24-2007, 06:29 PM

Niki, those sound normal, but if you're really concerned, call your doc and get seen.