cervix very short now. very scared :(

I'm relatively new to this forum. As of tomorrow I'll be 24 weeks pregnant. At 18 weeks it was discovered my cervix was short (3cm) and it's only gotten shorter from there: 2.1 at 19w5d, 1.6 at 21w2d and now it is down to 1cm! I couldn't believe it when the peri checked me yesterday. I had been on bedrest at home for 2.5 weeks and I'm wondering if it is doing any good. I am now on very strict bedrest (getting up for the bathroom and shower only). I am so very scared. I am only 24 weeks along. The doctor still things chances are good I'll deliver somewhere in the 30-32 week range, but I'm so scared it could be much earlier. Every time I see him, my cervix has shortened more and it's more bad news. I guess the one good thing is at least it is closed.

I know a twin pregnancy is very different, but I didn't have this issue at all with my last (singleton) pregnancy. My cervix was short then too (3cm at 18 weeks) and I carried to term. Of course, only that one measurement was taken and we don't know what happened with my cervix after 18 weeks. But I was active until the very end, and I needed help to get labor going.

Is there any hope for me? I know I've read some stories of women here who have had this short a cervix this early on. I guess I'm looking for more reassurance. I'm very scared of delivering in the next few weeks. I'm also very stressed at the moment because I have a 19 month old son and we have very little help. Needless to say, I'm a bit overwhelmed.

 

Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you. Hang in there. Twins pregnancies can be stressful ( I dealt with ttts.) If your doctor thinks it will be fine it most likely will. You are already at viability so every day you keep them in there is good. Keep resting Momma.

 

I would talk to your Peri about the possibility of hospital bedrest. I know that you getting up and down was a previous concern last week. :hug:

 

Oh, I know how stressful this is! Please follow your bed rest guidelines and hang in there. At 24 weeks, I was contracting and down to 6 mm. I was funneling (open at the top) and dilated a little bit. I went on procardia, had the steroid shots, p17 shots, and went on strict bed rest. I was so scared. They thought I would deliver at 24 weeks. I was in and of the hospital about 5 times. We were fortunate and made it to 36 weeks. I was on bed rest 12 weeks.
Yes, it's good that your cervix is closed and you have already had a successful pregnancy.
Do you have a peri or MFM?
did you get the steroid shots?
My twins are 8 months now, and doing great. You can do it!!
Do you have people who can help you? We don't have family in the area. We had groceries delivered and someone come in and clean occasionally. We don't have other kids, so I didn't have to deal with a little one at home.
Hang in there, okay?
Beth

 

1cm is definitely very short for 24w. I agree, I would talk to your OB about hospital bedrest. You absolutely need to take it easy and be on strict bedrest at this point. :hug:

 

Oh I know how scary that is! I went into PTL and had a short cervix around 26 weeks, the Perinatologist thought I would make it about 2 days and then I would have them. I am still pregnant and I am 36 weeks now! I really think that bedrest is what made the difference, though I didn't even follow it as strictly as I should have (I sat up in a recliner for a lot of the time). And I have talked to a few nurses who have said that a lot of the time they will take people off of bedrest or medicine and they will end up needing to be induced two weeks later because the bedrest just strengthened their cervix that much! So good luck, there are a lot of success stories here, you can do it!

 

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. They help a lot. I talked to my doctor about hospital bed rest and he said there is nothing I would be doing at the hospital that I wouldn't be doing at home, and there is nothing they would actually do to me. Well I do think if I were in the hospital I would be forced not to get up at all and it would be nice to have people bring me stuff (like food) which I don't really have right now at home. On the flip side, I have to balance that with not seeing my son and that would surely put me in a major depression (I'm already depressed with how little I interact with him now). In any case, my doctor made it clear that the hospital isn't an option for me right now.

At home, I'm trying to be more and more dilligent about not getting up. But it requires help from other people and we just don't have a lot of help. I did get my Mom to agree to come for a week (she lives in another state) starting Tuesday and then again at the end of May, so that will be a big help since she will be here with me continuously while she is staying with us.

I am very encouraged by stories that started out similar to mine. My doctor also gave me the impression that these babies could come next week. Since I am only 24 weeks, that is very scary. I'm hoping to hold out a lot longer. Twenty eight weeks seems like an eternity away. If I were going about my normal life, it would fly by I'm sure, but laying down the entire time makes it seem like forever. I know, one day at a time.

 

Ask for the steroid shots. There are ladies that had their babies before 30 weeks on here and had the steroid shots and felt that made all the difference. Very positive outcomes. Hang in there. If it gets too dificult to stay down due to lack of help explain it to the doc that you have no one to do meals etc etc and why you need to be in the hospital. You very much have to advocate for yourself with the medical profession theses days.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ May 9 2009, 09:48 PM) [snapback]1307318[/snapback]
I would talk to your Peri about the possibility of hospital bedrest. I know that you getting up and down was a previous concern last week. :hug:


I remember your post from last week, and I agree with Rachel.

 

i'm really confused about the steroid shots. my peri says he doesn't do them until labor is imminent - that if he did them now and i didn't deliver for weeks (in which case he would do them again, i guess, that it wouldn't be as effective. but so many of the women here have had them at 24/25 weeks if they were high risk for PTL??

i'm trying really hard to be very strict at home. these last two days i've only gotten up to use the bathroom or shower (and i<m only showering every oyher day). it is tough though. my mom will be here on tuesday and then it will be much easier because she will get me whatever i need whenever i need it. she will be gone for 10 days at the end of may and then back again for a while. i think she will do a lot to help and keep me off my feet.

2xthefun and betha -- once your cervix shortened at 26 and 24 weeks, did it keep going down or did it stay at one measurement for a while?

thanks again for all your responses. they really help a lot.

 

[SIZE=10pt]Hi!
I am in the same boat as you! I battled early stage TTTS starting at 20 weeks (which thankfully has seemed to resolve itself) and then at 25 weeks my cervix was 0.8 cm (8mm) in length (my Dr. said this is paper thin), funneling and opening and closing while they were doing my cervical ultrasound. They put me on Procardia every 4 hours 24/7 and I have been on complete home bed rest ever since! It totally sucks...I am 33 weeks 0 days as of right now. The last time I went to the Dr. (last Wednesday) my cervix was still about the same and I was dilated to a 1. So, I guess the med. and bed rest are working because I have basically had no cervix left since 25 weeks. THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU!

I have a 22 month old daughter who is full of energy, but I have family members who help me out with taking care of her during the day. It sounds like you may not have this option over the next few weeks, but could you consider day care? I know this is a crappy option (money, etc.), but I really think you can keep your babies cookin' if you do follow strict bed rest.

Also, my Dr. did an fFN test to see if I was likely to deliver in the next two weeks. She has been doing this for the past month...ask your Dr. if you can get this to give you some peace. My tests were negative and I felt much better knowing that!

I will be thinking of you, I know this is a stressful time for you and you are likely super scared (I was at 25 weeks), but you can do this!

Kristy[/SIZE] :good:

 

I'm so glad your Mom will be there soon. If it's possible, have her help plan meals for you during the 10 days she will be gone. I had a little mini refrigerator next to the couch and we put snack food and lunches in there. It sounds like you have done really well staying in bed for the past 2 days. Please do anything you can to help yourself stay in bed right now. It's difficult, but it's only a short period of your whole life. Every day inside is important for your twins.
My cervix stayed at 6 mm and eventually got a bit longer after strict bed rest. It would hover around 1-1.5 cm. My cervix was 'dynamic' so it changed every time it was measured.
My bed rest was mostly at home. My peri wanted me to be at home. He felt like there was a much lower risk of infection in the home environment. My OB made me promise I wouldn't sneak around and get up at home, or he offered to keep me in the hospital. I was really strict with my bed rest. I started getting a bit looser with it later, but that was around 32-33 weeks or so.
ps-if you live in LA, let me know. I'll help with something
Beth