Warning Signs for Incompetent Cervix and Pre Term Labor - Page 25

smellycatsgirl · 08-24-2008, 11:32 PM

I'm off to Labor & Delivery. I have been having a lot more cramping today and some back pain that runs all the way down my left leg to my ankle; plus some clear jelly-like discharge when I wiped earlier. The doctor thinks it is probably nothing, but just wants to make sure. Cross your fingers and keep me in your prayers. I am trying not to be scared, but it's hard with the m/c earlier this year. I'm only 22w1d today.

angels091506 · 08-25-2008, 12:25 PM

Jen~hope everything is okay please update when you can

truebluebeliever · 08-25-2008, 02:37 PM

You will be in my prayers,
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. I hope all goes well!

smellycatsgirl · 08-25-2008, 09:34 PM

Well, everything is okay...I guess. I went in last night and they did another UA and an internal exam to see if my cervix was closed. (Ouch! That did not feel good.) No U/S was done much to my dismay, but they sent me home at about 1am with no restrictions. The doctor believes it was just my colon spasming again (I just came off an antibiotic for a UTI and they think I was having colon spasms while on it) and that I have a compressed nerve in my lower back causing all of the pain there. I wish that I would've had an U/S done to at least check cervical length, but he didn't seem concerned. He released me and told me that I could still go on the trip next week, but to make sure to stay hydrated and rest often. I am relieved, but can't help but have a little bit of fear of something going wrong. The miscarriage earlier this year makes it hard for me not to worry all of the time. It took us so long to get pregnant in the first place and I just want to do everything I can to help keep her here with us.

If the cramping continues I am planning on calling and asking for a vaginal U/S to recheck my cervical length. It was 3.9 in July so I guess they figured that as long as my cervix was closed last night that everything is fine. At my last visit on the 14th I told them my concern for IC. I was told then that if I had IC I would have not been able to carry this far.

angels091506 · 08-25-2008, 09:46 PM

Jen~I to cannot believe they didnt have an u/s done that probably would have been much better then the exam.....and as far as them saying that to you I didnt lose my son until 21 weeks....I really hope maybe if you insist they will give you the u/s to ease your mind and let you rest....I know how hard it is to stay calm and relax during a pregnancy after a loss

smellycatsgirl · 08-26-2008, 11:30 AM

UPDATE
Well, after about an hours sleep all of last night; I decided to call my doctor this morning. I am awaiting a call from the nurse, but my doctor will not be in until after 9:00. I feel horrible. I feel like I have been kicked in my groin and the cramping and pain is continuing throughout my abdomen and back. I ran a temp of 99.8 last night along with a headache. I am just hoping that someone will shed some light on what is happening and what I can do to feel better.

truebluebeliever · 08-26-2008, 04:20 PM

smellycatsgirl, did they check if you were having contractions? Always trust your instincts, if you feel something is amiss don't hesitate to go to the hospital even if the nurse or doctor on the phone thinks otherwise. I learned that the hardway.

For my 20th week appointment and ultrasound, the nurse scheduled me 2 weeks late. I tried calling them to move my appointment but the nurse just said that the two weeks did not matter. On my 21st week, I had to go to L&D because of cramping. I was 4cm dilated already when they checked me and I lost my baby girls 9 days later.

While on hospital bedrest, I became friends with the L&D head nurse in the hospital. She was very nice and she always told me that on my next pregnancy if I feel anything, or worry about something, to not hesitate going to the hospital. Even if it is just a false alarm, you can take the time you visit the hospital as an opportunity to know the people who will help deliver your babies later on. Women with PCOS are more prone to pregnancy complications, unfortunately, so we need to be extra vigilant for the whole pregnancy period.

angels091506 · 08-26-2008, 09:41 PM

I am right there with you true....with my son I had what felt like gas or constipation thats what everyone kept telling me it was and that that was part of pregnancy (I had never heard of IC until I lost my son) finally I decided to call my doctor after the pain and pressure continues went in for an u/s and had no cervix left was rushed to the hospital tried for a ER cerclage unsuccessful it was to late 5 days later my son was born this was 21 weeks
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Please trust your instincts if you feel something isnt right go with what you feel not what other think

smellycatsgirl · 08-27-2008, 04:43 PM

They did check for contractions and it showed nothing. The doctor keeps on assuring me that it is just pelvic floor pain and prescribed me a pregnancy safe muscle relaxant for my back, but to keep him updated. He keeps on asking me if I am having any bleeding, but I'm not. I had pain like this earlier in the pregnancy and when they did the cervical length check then I was at 3.9, so I guess they figure that it's more of the same thing. Since we are a military family I can't just up and change my OB easily and we were planning on going out-of-town on Sept 3rd to visit my family. Any suggestions on how to get an U/S before I go? My mother thinks I should tell them that I am having spotting so that maybe they will be more inclined to do an U/S to see if anything is wrong. But I find that to be crying wolf. I am just going to try and push again tomorrow and let the know how I feel about going on a trip without knowing for sure my cervix isn't shortening.

truebluebeliever · 08-28-2008, 11:47 AM

I know it feels like you're a crying wolf if the doctors don't see anything but you are worried and want to be check. Maybe you can talk to a doctor about your concerns? Remember the nurse who scheduled me two weeks late because she said it did not matter? She always had that dismissing attitude when I tried to talk to her then but after what happened to me (the doctor probably told her about it) her attitude changed and every time I call to ask questions her tone was different and she would answer my questions without making me feel like a bother. She did not apologize to me directly but I know she knew she messed up because she couldn't look me in the eye when I had my post-partum appointment and dropped everything she was doing when handling my paperwork.

I'm telling you this to illustrate how medical practitioners can take things for granted. IC affects few women, and really, the only way they can say you have an IC is if your cervix opens but then it may be too late. The precautions needed if you have an IC is almost overwhelming and most doctors wouldn't worry about them if they don't think you have an IC. Just think of all the precautions and tests you want as home insurance -- chances are, you won't need it but when something happens you'll be glad you had it.

smellycatsgirl · 08-28-2008, 03:11 PM

Main gist of all of it is that I have been told before that nothing was wrong. I was told spotting during my first pregnancy that spotting was normal and two days later we lost our baby. I also was told numerous times before I had to have emergency surgery on my gallbladder that nothing was wrong and it was just gas. I don't want to be a paranoid mother or be annoying, but being in pain does not make me feel good. Go figure. I think it also doesn't help that September 1st would have been our baby's due date had we not had the m/c.

I ended up talking with the nurse today about how I have been feeling and now have a cervical u/s at 2:00. Keep us in your prayers that everything will turn out fine. I have been having a burning feeling in my lower abdomen and vaginal area when I sit up or sit in certain positions and quite a bit of cervical mucous after having a BM. I just pray that she's going to be okay.

smellycatsgirl · 08-28-2008, 06:54 PM

UPDATE
Well, I had the U/S done and my cervix is closed. It did show some shortening going from 3.9 to a 3.6, but my doctor says that he doesn't doubt that I am having BH and that's causing some of the shortening and that it is normal to fluctuate a little. The baby's head is close to my cervix and is pressing down which is causing me a lot of the cramping, as well. He said that he knows that this time is very hard on me right now, but I am doing everything right and that it's completely normal for me to worry. I check in with him again on Tuesday the day before we are supposed to leave for our trip to let them know how I am feeling and we might do another U/S then.

nspear · 08-28-2008, 11:29 PM

B/H can not cause shortening of the cervix! What kind of doc would say that.. the definition of B/H is contractions that cause little to no discomfort and cause NO CHANGE to the cervix! But I do agree that 3.9-3.6 is really not a change.. in fact depending on the tech you can get a different reading the same day from different techs, and your cervix does change a bit throughout the day.. 3.6 is still a pretty good number.. they like it at 4 but they don't get to concerned until it is down in the mid 2 range.. And I am assuming no funneling is going on? That is usually the first thing to watch for.. that shows danger! All in all it sounds like it went well.. but I do question your docs level of expertise when he told you that B/H were causing your cervix to shorten..?

hope2bee · 08-29-2008, 12:38 AM

Hello ladies,was wonderiing if i can join u....i was said to have a shortening cervix as well as funneling and when i went the said i was about a 2 and the next time i was half that so im currently on bedrest and am now 23wks with 2 girls and will be 24 wks next wednesday and i will be admitted to the hospital for atleast 2 days there gonna give me steroids and test me to see if ill probably go into labor soon and if thats positive ill have to stay in the hospital which i hope isnt the case and reading your stories has helped me keep the faith,so im hoping i can stay and learn from your experiences....=)

nspear · 08-29-2008, 01:09 AM

Welcome Anabell.. is your cervix 2? Or are you 2 cm dilated? Are they talking about doing a rescue cerclage? And I also believe you can still start 17P injections through week 23 so that might be something to discuss with your doc as well.. If you are dilated to two just some reassurance I was that way from week 26-delivery w/DD #2 at 36 weeks.. (I was a four w/DD #1 delvd at 30 weeks due to pPROM at 29 weeks but not sure how long I had been that way) W/DD #2 My cervix however was a 2-2.5 pretty much from 16 weeks on and I was fully effaced by week 28/29.. so it isn't a deff doom, be diligent on your bedrest! it does wonders. The steroid shots have some nasty side effects but are well worth the trouble!

And just a word for the wise.. the FRN testing can give you false positives so don't get worked up if is positive.. some girls here have gotten positive tests every three weeks for months and carried till term!