Question about thinning cervix and bedrest

Hi Girls ~

I will be 28 weeks preggers with twins this Friday. A couple of months ago when my cervix was good and long, it measured 5 cm. On July 21 it measured 3.5 cm and I was put on modified bedrest. It had stabilized at 3.6 cm up until last week when it measured 2.5 cm (it lost 1.1 cm in 2 weeks!). I go to my OB again on Monday 9/8 for another cervical length check and OB appt.

My question is, for those of you that were on strict bedrest or hospital bedrest, at what point did they put you on that (cervical measurements, etc)? My DH thinks that if my cervix gets any smaller at all, they will make me do hospital bedrest. I am just curious to see what others have experienced and I want to have some idea of what my future could bring!

Thanks in advance!

 

hmmmmm...unfortunately, i don't remember what my exact measurements were, but i have been on COMPLETE bedrest for the past 7 weeks because of "funneling". i went for a 20 week appt, and was admitted into the hospital that very same day, and had a cervical cerclauge (stitches) placed the very next morning. i stayed in the hospital following the procedure for the next 4 days.

i hope things work out for you....

 

I measured in the 2cm range when I was put on strict bedrest. I was hospitalized twice for PTL (@27W & 31W). I think it will depend on your measurement & if you are having contractions.
Good luck. Hang in there.

 

I went on strict bed rest at 26 1/2 weeks for funneling and cervix length of about 2.5 I stayed on strict bed rest for about 5 weeks. After that the funneling went away and we are holding steady at about 2.5 I am not on "modified" bed rest just to be able to feed my two older children during the day. The DR said i will stay that way until 36 weeks then i can do whatever i want.

 

I was originally put on hospital bedrest at 24 weeks at 2.9cm, but was having contractions that were not responding to meds and she wanted to monitor me for a full week. I was discharged, but readmitted at 28 weeks at 1.9cm. I stayed in the hospital until 32 weeks, when I was discharched at 0.9cm. They finally discharged me because not much was changing and they found the right combo of meds to keep things quiet. I delivered in my 34th week.

Good luck!

 

I don't remember what my exact measurements were, but I was put on hospital bedrest at 24 weeks for PTL, and funneling (along with some other things). If I were you I would stay off your feet as much as possible, drink lots of water and try to get some rest.

:hug: Bedrest is so hard, but well worth it! GL!!

 

My cervix was fine up until 24 weeks when they did a check and it was 1.3cm, I was funneling too. I was put in the hospital for 3.5 weeks. At 28 weeks it had shrunk down to (0.3cm) that's 3mm and no, not a typo. At that time my MFM's had the concerned look but gave me the option of staying until I delivered or going home on strict bedrest. I was so upset that I just wanted to be home, I made it another 6 weeks with my barely there cervix, so I am glad I didn't opt to stay in the hospital. At my 34 week appointment my Dr. said, "well you sure taught us something about a short cervix". He also told me I could come off bedrest. I took a walk the next day and my water broke the following morning. I wish I had stayed in bed until 36 weeks then I probably would have taken my girls home with me (I am convinced the bedrest worked). They spent a week in the NICU and another week in Special Care just feeding and growing. Good Luck.

 

My advice to you is put yourself on bed rest . If anything feels "funny" go right away to the doctor and have them check you. listen to your heart.

 

QUOTE(jen8675309 @ Sep 3 2008, 09:32 AM) [snapback]960701[/snapback]
Hi Girls ~

I will be 28 weeks preggers with twins this Friday. A couple of months ago when my cervix was good and long, it measured 5 cm. On July 21 it measured 3.5 cm and I was put on modified bedrest. It had stabilized at 3.6 cm up until last week when it measured 2.5 cm (it lost 1.1 cm in 2 weeks!). I go to my OB again on Monday 9/8 for another cervical length check and OB appt.

My question is, for those of you that were on strict bedrest or hospital bedrest, at what point did they put you on that (cervical measurements, etc)? My DH thinks that if my cervix gets any smaller at all, they will make me do hospital bedrest. I am just curious to see what others have experienced and I want to have some idea of what my future could bring!

Thanks in advance!



I was put on modified bedrest at around 1.5cm and hospital bedrest when I was under 1cm. I moved and switched doctors at 27wks and if I had moved sooner and had my second doctor I think I would have been put on strict bedrest and/or hospital bedrest sooner and possibly even had a cerclage put in. My first doctor was good too, I think he just had different philosophies and ways of doing things. I was grateful for my second doctor though. If I have this problem with my next pregnancy I will take it a lot easier and probably put myself on bedrest if my doctor doesn't... you do have to be careful and move around enough that you don't get bloodclots (that's the reason my first doctor didn't put me on strict bedrest).

 

Hi girls. I am new here. I was put on strict home bedrest as of yesterday. I went in for a routine ultrasound and learned that my cervix measured 1.8 cm. I am 25 w 5 d. I knew that was short but I wasn't sure how short it was until reading some of the other posts on here. They sent me straight to L&D to get monitored for contractions. Luckily no contractions! I did get a steriod shot yesterday and was started on Procardia. I have to go back today at 4:30 for my second steriod shot and to get monitored again. I am glad to have found this site!

Gina

 

Hello-
I was hospitalized at 26 weeks due to contractions and cervical length of 1.6. The contractions stopped and my cervical length went up to 2.0 after 4 days. I was discharged and put on bedrest at home with shower/potty breaks. (Also had the steroid shots.)
At my 28th week appt, my cervical length was .6! Yes, point 6. I was certain that I'd be sent back to the hospital. But I didn't have any funneling, no dilation and no strong regular contractions. I was 90% effaced. (30.5 weeks now and am maintaining the same measurements across the board.) But the perinatologist and my OB team felt strongly about having me at home away from the germ-infested hospital (especially with flu season starting). I'm going in weekly for checks and start the non-stress tests this week. I feel like a walking time bomb and am very nervous about missing a "sign" of labor starting, but would much rather be at home than stuck in the uncomfortable hospital bed and relying on hospital food for nutrition. My hospital bag and breast pump are packed and ready by the door :ibiggrin:
I encourage you to just keep your feet up and stay reclined or on your side at every opportunity. I had bent the rules by sitting often and walking around more than I should have prior to the appt that I was measured at .6.
Good luck and hang in there!

 

Reading your posts first let me say sorry for the amount of stress you are undergoing (all of you)

Question- Isn't there a monitor now that they can send home with you so they can keep an eye on the babies at the hospital but with you nice an safe in your own bed?

 

They haven't mentioned a home monitor to me. They just told me if I start feeling any contractions to go straight back to the hospital. A home monitor sure would be reassuring!

 

QUOTE(glpkkg @ Nov 1 2008, 12:49 PM) [snapback]1051393[/snapback]
They haven't mentioned a home monitor to me. They just told me if I start feeling any contractions to go straight back to the hospital. A home monitor sure would be reassuring!



Yes I think it would be too! But Im sure they would not have sent you home enless they thought it was Ok? Good luck.

 

I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant with twins. At 26 weeks I was put on strict bedrest because my cervix was at .8 cm. At 27 weeks I was at 1.6 cm. Bedrest helped. My doctor said I will probably be on hospital bedrest so they can give me steriods for the babies in a few weeks. She hasn't said anything about a home monitor.

 

The home monitor is called a HUAM and my guess is that your doctors might have not mentioned it because a lot of insurance companies won't cover it and it is very very expensive. It can be thousands and thousands of dollars per pregnancy. I've also heard that some smaller hospitals either don't have the technology or the staff to monitor it.

Anyway, I'm in the same situation as many of you too! I was at 1.8cm at my u/s at 26w 6d and have been on modified bedrest ever since. My doctor thinks that it's pretty common with twin pregnancies simply because of the extra weight, and not necessarily a predictor of preterm labor. The research I've found seems to come to the same conclusion, although there isn't much of it.

So I sure hope he's right! I'm now 31w 1d with no contractions, so everyone else hang in there too!

 

Hello everbody,

I found your forum about two weeks ago and have found the information on it to be very helpful. It has given my husband and I significant moral support to hear your stories. I am 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant with twins and everyting was going well until 12/18/08 when I was found to have a cervial length 2.2 cm with funneling. On my follow up on 12/29/08 my cervix is down to 1.3 cm with continued funneling. No signs of PTL. On 12/19/08 I had a FFN that was negative. I am on bedrest and have some questions.
1. How strict does bedrest need to be? Do I need to be complety horizontal or can I sit in the recliner also. I am showering every otherday and aside from bathroom breaks, am not on my feet. 2. I am having a hard time thinking about the trip to the hospital when the time comes, should I still have a hospital bag ready and if so what should it include? 3. I read alot of enteries about procardia and progesterone and I plan on asking my doctor, the impression I got are these meds are used after you begin PTL, is that correct?

Thanks so much for any information.

 

This site has given me a great deal of comfort as well. I was in a similar boat as you - I was 22 weeks and everything was going great until Oct 27 when I went in for an u/s and found that my cervix was funneling and at .6. To top it off, I was having PTL contractions (unbenownst to me as didn't have any symptoms!). The dr did an emergency cerclage (it was really late in the game and he warned me that it might not hold). I was put on a terbutaline pump to stop the contractions and was admitted to the hospital. 6 weeks later, after weekly cervical length u/s (which showed that the cerclage was doing its job and my lenths held at 2.5), they released me to strict home bedrest. I remain on the terb pump and I do have a home monitoring system through MATRIA. I monitor for an hour every am and pm and they call to tell me how many contractions I've had in a day. We stopped doing cervical lengths at 28 weeks when I left the hospital.
I'm now at 32 weeks and take a shower daily. I do mimimal walking around the house (an occasional trip to the kitchen to grab a snack) and move from the bed to the sofa once or twice a day. The most important thing is to keep pressure off the cervix so a recliner is ok if it extends back quite far. you don't want to be upright for too long if you can avoid it.
To answer your question about progesterone - it's questionable as to whether it helps prevent PTL in twin pregnancies. the studies have been promising in singletons, but not enough data re: twins. My peri is conducting a study in which I'm participating - but you have to begin the shots at 16 weeks (you take one shot weekly through week 36). It may be valuable, but it didn't prevent me going into PTL. I don't have experience with Procardia but terbutaline has worked wonders for me. I continue to have contractions due to an irritable uterus but they are stable and not causing labor progression.
Since you do not have PTL, I can't imagine that your Dr would put you on any meds. the best thing you can do for a funneling/incompetent cervix is bedrest. Many women make it weeks and weeks with a barely there cervix and deliver near term.
RE: hospital bag - I never unpacked mine when I came home from my 6 week stay, so it's ready to go. I obviously needed more for that duration that anyone would need for delivery, but I have the toiletry basics: toothbrush (bring one for DH too), toothpaste, mouthwash, face wash, soap, shower gel, moisturizer (I found my skin was incredibly dry in the hospital - bring LOTS!), shampoo/conditioner, shower flip flops (you don't want to go barefoot in hosptial showers, trust me!), slippers, Chlorox wipes (I'm a bit of a germaphobe - felt much better being able to wipe down the bathroom and such), purell sanitizer (as you won't be getting up to wash your hands often before eating). plenty of socks, comfy pants and a loose sweater (if you deliver during the winter). your own nite gown if you don't want to wear the hospital issue. Bring snacks - protein bars, trail mix, etc. CAMERA! My computer and cell was my saving grace during those 6 weeks. I'm sure that's not everything, but it's a good start.

Best of luck to you! I know bedrest can be hard - feel free to PM me if you have questions/want to commiserate!
Rachel

 

Iam new to this site, but I've been on bedrest since 19 weeks, preg with twin boys. I had an emergent cervical cerclage and my cervix has been holding up great. When I had the cerclage my cervix had shortened to about 1 cm, so I've been very blessed to have made it this far. I will be 29 weeks on Friday. My advice would be to stay on bedrest as this is BEST for you to maintain your pregnancy as long as possible.