Cervical Length

Okay, so for those of you that don't know. . .. I'm going on week 6 of bedrest for PTL. Originally I was 1cm dilated and my cervix had shortened. After bedrest, my cervix went back up quite a bit and I had not dilated anymore. Well, my contractions have picked up a bit and yesterday, my cervical length was back down to between 2.5-2.8. This was on US and I don't know if I've dilated anymore. I know it could be a lot worse, but it still worries me. Have you girls have your cervical lengths measured? Any stories to share of making it far in spite of a short cervix?

 

My cervix went from about 5 to 2.5 with funneling, in about a week, around 28 weeks. I went on strict bedrest(only getting up to use the bathroom) and within a week it was back up to 4.5 with no funneling. I was contracting throughout this time. I didn't start dialating until about 31 weeks.

I was worried sick! I'm sure you are drinking tons of water and keeping the pressure off of your cervix by mostly laying level on your side. Don't ever hesitate to call your doc if you are concerned with the # of contractions. Are you at home or in the hospital?

:hug99: I know how stressful it is. Hang in there.

 

I am also expecting b/g twins and have been on bedrest since week 17 (am now on week 22) I had to have an emergency cerclage put in for my shortening cervix. Like the other poster said- def. err on the side of caution and take it easy! This is the gift you can give your babies now. My cervix fluctuates with each visit - my doctor said it can lengthen and shorten during different times during the pregnancy- the big thing they look for is that there is not a lot of funneling. How often do you visit your doctor? Do not be afraid to ask for more frequent visits so you can feel more comfortable. It is scary, but stay positive and as calm as possible. Keep us posted!

 

I was just thinking about you, and then I saw your post. You are doing so well!! Keep up the good work momma! Congratulations for making it to 28 weeks!! You should celebrate a non-birthday!!

 

Thanks girls, I think I'm going to be a basketcase before this is all over! I go weekly to the Dr and my next appt is for Tues so I'm just praying that little miss cervix behaves until then! I think it's the whole curse of the nurse thing my OB warned me about in my first pregnancy. I work in a NICU so of course I'm ultra paranoid.

 

I don’t want to hijack your post, but when I went to my Peri he said my cervix had shorten to 2.5 (he did this throgh an u/s), but I wasn’t dilated… I didn’t feel too concerned till I read your post… I had PTL labor with my singleton… and he told me to take it easy, no walking the dog or S.E.X. (which just makes me want it… but that’s another post)… I have B.H. all the time… sometimes one will wake me up… not painful but odd feeling… my Dr said come in if I have 3 in an hour… I usually have 2 in 10 min then nothing for an hour or so… now I’m concerned… I had a feeling I would get bedridden with the twins as I was with my singleton, but my m/s just went away this Monday
maybe i should go in on monday... sorry to hijack and vent on your post...

 

At 24 weeks I was measuring at 2.9cm, funneling, and I was contracting regularly. I was placed on hospital bedrest for a week until they could get things under control. At 28 weeks I was down to 1.8cm, beginning to dilate, and had a positive fFN test. I was readmitted to the hospital for three and a half weeks. I was discharged at 32 weeks with a home health nurse (2x/week) and home uterine monitoring (2x/day). I delivered two healthy babies in my 34th week and miraculously escaped the NICU!

So yes, there is hope!!! Just take it easy!!!!

(And e mauro, with your history, I would demand close monitoring.)

 

I really need to get over here and visit you girlies.

In answer to your question, I had a cerclage and PTL issues with the twinsters. I was hospitalized for 5 weeks because of PTL before I delivered. The good news about the cervix is that once Baby A got a little bigger, his head,began to rest on my pelvic bones and not on my cervix. That helped a lot, but I remained on bed rest.

In 2004, we had another twin momma whose cervix measure 0.86 and she was on strict bedrest, she delivered she made it to 34 weeks, I think. So you can do this.

Major Hugs!

 

I had an emergency cerclage at 16w5d, when my cervix was down to 0.2cm. It lengthened back to 3.5cm but went down to about 1cm around 22 weeks due to contractions. They had me on Procardia and Indocin (stopped the Indocin at 26 weeks).

My cervix stayed at 1cm from 22 weeks on, very short but stable. I delivered at 31 weeks because baby A's water broke, and she was footling breech and trying to push her cord out with her feet. Otherwise they'd have tried to keep me pregnant until 32 weeks, despite her PROM.

I spent from 24-28 weeks on hospital bedrest, but because I had no changes that whole time, they sent me home at 28 weeks. They measured my cervical length upon admission and again before the discharged me. Prior to that it was measured weekly or bi-weekly.

 

QUOTE(twoin2005 @ Dec 1 2007, 12:25 AM) [snapback]516423[/snapback]
(And e mauro, with your history, I would demand close monitoring.)


I completely agree!!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Dec 3 2007, 01:28 PM) [snapback]518258[/snapback]
I completely agree!!


Me too!!!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Dec 3 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]518258[/snapback]
(And e mauro, with your history, I would demand close monitoring.)


I completely agree!!



Me too!!!

I didn’t want to hijack any more of SoBlessed post… but I called my Dr. after all the comments and he has put me on 2 day bed rest and a prescription form of Motrin ( I haven’t picked it up yet)… he said its an intense 2 day program, that hopefully it will stop the contractions… along with the bed rest… hopefully will just relax my mussels for 2 day… I only take the RX for 2 days (6 pills in all, one every 8 hours)… he said he hasn’t had any luck with the medicine for preterm labor to work this early in pregnancy’s, but this has done the trick…
Thank you… and again I’m sorry to hijack your post… I will be more polite in the future…

 

You're funny, you're not hijacking! It's fine! I don't know much about handling PTL at 16 wks either, but that doesn't sound very intense to me. I would be putting myself on bedrest for awhile at least until you figure out if your cervix is going to behave and insisting on ultrasounds weekly to check cervical length. I'm not trying to scare you, but I would be very cautious. (I'm paranoid when it comes to this stuff if you can't tell, but I figure safe is always better than sorry ) Do you work full time and have to be on your feet? When do you go back to check your cervical length? Make them keep an eye on it!!

 

QUOTE(SoBlessed @ Dec 3 2007, 01:32 PM) [snapback]518831[/snapback]
You're funny, you're not hijacking! It's fine! I don't know much about handling PTL at 16 wks either, but that doesn't sound very intense to me. I would be putting myself on bedrest for awhile at least until you figure out if your cervix is going to behave and insisting on ultrasounds weekly to check cervical length. I'm not trying to scare you, but I would be very cautious. (I'm paranoid when it comes to this stuff if you can't tell, but I figure safe is always better than sorry ) Do you work full time and have to be on your feet? When do you go back to check your cervical length? Make them keep an eye on it!!

Thank you :hug99: …
I go to my peri next Monday (a week from today)… and I am typing this on my laptop as I lay in bed… I am very blessed… I am a SAHM and my DH works from home so he can pick up my son and pick up my slack… and my son is 9 and understands all that is going on… so he bring his homework to my gigantic bed and does it next to me if he has any questions… and he is very quick to get me water or food… anything to get those little brothers he always wanted…
I did stay home in bed after a noon brunch yesterday for the rest of the day… and that’s what made me realized I need to call my Dr today… I was really able to focus on my contraction… when your running around you don’t realize how often you’re having them… or maybe I’m easily distracted… “Wow I think this might be a contraction…. Oh look something shiny… :blush: .”
Thank you again… your post really educated me

 

That's great that your son is old enough to understand what's going on, that has to help. I know what you mean about the contractions. When my PTL started this time, I went to L&D for pressure and "maybe a couple contractions" and on the monitor I was contracting more than every 3 minutes. SCARY!

 

Kate,
Your post is reassuring, I will be 29 wks tomorrow and was admitted monday to the hospital for 24 hrs due to flu symptoms and cervix dilated to 1 cm and 30 % effaced. I am a little confused though he said my cervix was still long though. How can that be when I am dilated. FFN test was also negative. I would love to get to 34 wks. I also am concerned because I had my cervix checked digitally (finger) on Monday then again while in the hospital twice and then again tomorrow. Isn't this stirring things up?

Angie

 

Angie-
You can be dilated and still have a good cervical length and cervical length can be dynamic and go back up also. Also- cervical length by U/S is more accurate than being checked internally which is more subjective. The only thing is that it is hard to determine dilation with U/S. I have only been checked internally since my PTL started one time and that was when we couldn't get the contractions to stop. My old Dr checked me internally every appointment I think (had preterm labor then too) but my Dr now is more conservative on it, every MD is different. I appreciate that they aren't stirring things up too much. Sometimes I wonder if I have dilated more, but for me, it's not worth getting checked unless things are looking bad because it starts my contractions up like crazy! I know it can be scary to go through all of this, I've been a basketcase!!! Hang in there!

 

hi i'm new to this forum. just got put on bedrest at 23w after a cerclage this weekend b/c i was 2cm dilated. how long is the cervix supposed to be? they told me mine was 1.5 inches but from reading these posts, it seems like that is not really very long at all...

thx!

 

I hope to make you feel a little better -- at 25 weeks, my peri discovered my cervix had shortened to .9 and she
felt it was too late to do a cerclage. Anyhow, I immediately went on bedrest, but after 2 1/2 months of worry,
I will officially be 36 weeks tomorrow! They let me off of bedrest this past Friday at 35 1/2 weeks.
Somehow, my little guys have managed to make it this long!

I truly believe that following my doctor's strict orders about bedrest made a difference. They didn't expect me
to make it to 30 weeks.

Good luck!

 

QUOTE(SoBlessed @ Nov 30 2007, 03:23 PM) [snapback]515822[/snapback]
Okay, so for those of you that don't know. . .. I'm going on week 6 of bedrest for PTL. Originally I was 1cm dilated and my cervix had shortened. After bedrest, my cervix went back up quite a bit and I had not dilated anymore. Well, my contractions have picked up a bit and yesterday, my cervical length was back down to between 2.5-2.8. This was on US and I don't know if I've dilated anymore. I know it could be a lot worse, but it still worries me. Have you girls have your cervical lengths measured? Any stories to share of making it far in spite of a short cervix?


Hey there- heres what I know from the experiences I've dealt with so far (I'm almost 21 weeks)- My cervix was 4.6 and is now 3.6, the Dr. said if it gets as low as 2.5 or lower they'll have to sow me up. This thursday I see the specialist to
see how things are going. That's my situation now. Now for my bestfriend (not to scare you!), her cervix was .7 when
she got admited to the hospital. She was on super strict bed rest (couldn't get up to use the bathroom) for 30 days.
She had her babies at 26 1/2 weeks. The baby boy didn't make it, but the little girl did, she just brought her home.
All of this worries me too. So how many weeks are you?

 

When I originally went on bedrest, I was 23 weeks pregnant with dilation/cervical shortening. As of a few wks ago, my cervical length was around 2? Something like that. I'm almost 34 weeks now and my cervical length went back up to 4.6! Crazy! I won't be checked anymore for cervical length, only dilation at this point. It would be normal for my Cerv. length to go back down at this point.

 

Way to go Momma! Bedrest does work!

 

QUOTE(SoBlessed @ Nov 30 2007, 12:23 PM) [snapback]515822[/snapback]
Okay, so for those of you that don't know. . .. I'm going on week 6 of bedrest for PTL. Originally I was 1cm dilated and my cervix had shortened. After bedrest, my cervix went back up quite a bit and I had not dilated anymore. Well, my contractions have picked up a bit and yesterday, my cervical length was back down to between 2.5-2.8. This was on US and I don't know if I've dilated anymore. I know it could be a lot worse, but it still worries me. Have you girls have your cervical lengths measured? Any stories to share of making it far in spite of a short cervix?



I hope this helps but at week 25 with my twin pregnancy I was down to 2.8 cm had cerclage and was put on hospital bedrest with mag and terb for 8 weeks due to contractions never stopping. over the course of 8 weeks cervix became smaller and smaller until finally cerclage broke and cervix opened. So if you are 33 weeks now and at 2.8 it seems that you have a good chance of going quite a bit longer, (plus the fact that many who are even dialated and with no cervix left can go a couple weeks extra too.) Good luck, your doing a great job!

 

QUOTE(angeez @ Dec 12 2007, 05:53 PM) [snapback]531326[/snapback]
Kate,
Your post is reassuring, I will be 29 wks tomorrow and was admitted monday to the hospital for 24 hrs due to flu symptoms and cervix dilated to 1 cm and 30 % effaced. I am a little confused though he said my cervix was still long though. How can that be when I am dilated. FFN test was also negative. I would love to get to 34 wks. I also am concerned because I had my cervix checked digitally (finger) on Monday then again while in the hospital twice and then again tomorrow. Isn't this stirring things up?

Angie


Hi... after reading the posts here i just wondered if someone could clarify a few things for me. I get the dialation part, and i get funelling, is cervical length related to effacement? Could someone decribe the difference please...sorry to sound dumb

 

I am new to the community postings. I am currently 17wks w/twin boys w/a cerclage and was just put on complete bedrest.
They put in my cerclage at 13wks due to an incompent cervix (it didn't hurt). At the time of the procedure, my cervix was a 3.2, then Post Op it was a 2.4, then on Thursday (17wks) it went down to a 1.5. I am scared to death...!!
I have had two MC before 7wks. They have me coming back in a week to recheck the cervix to see if the bedrest is helping.
I'm hoping to hear of success stories with short cervix with twins.... this is the most difficult thing I have ever gone through!
Good luck to all!
Tonya