cervix went from 5.3 to 3.7 in 3 weeks

Hi all,

I'm 22 weeks 3 days with di di girl/boy twins. At my 19 week Level II ultrasound, my cervix was measuring 5.3 cm. Today, I went in for an elective 3D ultrasound. I have been having some Braxton Hicks (nothing my dr seemed too worried about), and so I asked the tech to just doublecheck that my cervix looked good. She said it all looked fine.

Later, as I was watching the DVD they gave me of the ultrasound, I noticed that when she measured my cervix, it measured 3.73 cm. I know that that number is in a healthy range for 22 weeks (and probably the reason she said all looked fine), but I was somewhat alarmed that it had shortened 1.5 cm in 3 weeks. I've done some research, and I see that with transabdominal ultrasounds, how full your bladder is can affect cervical length. They were really backed up so I had to wait over an hour for my appt today, and gave in and used the bathroom about 20 min before the ultrasound started. With my Level II ultrasound, I had a pretty fully bladder. So, maybe it's less of a difference than it seems. For what it's worth, it was the same ultrasound tech and same equipment on both measurements. Of course, it's also possible that since today wasn't an "official" medical ultrasound, she was just doing a quick measurement that is less accurate. I just don't know.

I'm concerned about preterm labor since I know that can be a problem with twins. My next appt with my doctor is in 10 days. How worried would you be? I'll definitely bring this up with him, but I'm wondering if I need to do something before then. I haven't had any lower back aches or anything else that would suggest preterm labor, but the Braxton Hicks are still around.

On a side note, is there a point at which I stop worryng, or is that just wishful thinking on my part? I kept telling myself I would feel better at 20 weeks, and now I'm telling myself I'll feel better at 24 weeks, but I wonder if there is really any point at which I will feel like I'm "out of the woods." Thanks for listening!!

 

HI! FWIW, My cervix has measured up and down throughout this pregnancy. Initially it was very long, then shortened, then longer, etc. I know just how hard it is not to worry. If you have any concerns about things you are feeling physically I'd ask your caregiver. Hang in there!

 

Thanks, ThankfulMama. That's very helpful to hear. I think I'll take it easy this weekend and call my doc on Mon and just make sure he knows the numbers. If he isn't worried, I'll take a deep breath and try to feel the same!

 

My situation was similar to yours and I remember thinking that my cervix wouldn't hold if it kept shortening at the same rate. However, it did hold and stayed in the 3 cm range until they stopped measuring (around 30 weeks?) and I ended up being induced. So, I would say from my own experience, you will likely continue to worry about this and lots if other things but it's totally possible that everything will be fine. On terms of worrying in general, there is always something to worry about for sure, but I felt a lot better as each week after 24 went by, knowing the babies would be okay if they arrived. Good luck with your pregnancy!