Cerclage removal

angelsnight

I get my cerclage out in two weeks, and I'm nervous.  I can handle pelvic exams and transvaginal u/s, but anything involving the speculum makes me so scared.  I plan on having MH come to this appointment so I can squeeze his hand to death and hopefully be more relaxed.

I'd like to hear your removal story, good or bad, I think knowing what to expect will help.  How long did it take, was it better or worse than you expected and was it painful, or just uncomfortable?  Did you have a lot of bleeding afterward?  Also, just for giggles since I know everyone is different, how long after removal did you go into labor?

tracint

I haven't had mine removed yet so I'm interested to see other's responses. I still have about 7 weeks before I can have mine removed and I'm nervous about it too because like you I find the speculum very painful...which is why the Dr won't do many cervical checks.

Congrats on being so close to ditching the stitch!!

kneenah1231

I got mine removed at 36wks. We attpemted at the office first but since they have to use the metal heavey spectrum i couldnt handle it. They sent me to the hospital where i was given Morphone, i still couldnt handle the pain. Finally i was given a spinal and it was out in 5mins  (  I am a sucker to pain so dont let my experience scare you (you said good or bad stories) I spotted for a few hrs. I ended up with an elective c-section as 39.2 wks. I never had any signs of labor. I am FTM and my daughter is now 3months.. 

Good luck ladies.. ALOT of woman suck up the pain and have it down at drs office. Just understand its very uncomfortable because of the heavy spectrum..

PerkyErky

I am getting mine out on Monday. I will report back. I am pretty nervous. My mfm said I can decide day of if I want heavy sedation or a spinal and that with sedation I might feel a little tugging/pulling. He doesn't remove them in office, but in L&D.

bcnoelle

The whole cerclage removal in office with no pain meds, but placement in the hospital with a spinal confuses me. I guess regular stitches are removed without anesthesia, but cervix stuff makes me nervous. Please report back to us PerkyErky! I have the option to get mine out at my c-section date (39 weeks) or schedule an appointment slightly earlier at my ob-gyn. I'm just nervous about going into labor slightly before 39 weeks and having contractions pull/tear the cerclage and my cervix and having to wait awhile in labor and delivery to have this addressed.

angelsnight

bcnoelle said:

The whole cerclage removal in office with no pain meds, but placement in the hospital with a spinal confuses me. I guess regular stitches are removed without anesthesia, but cervix stuff makes me nervous. Please report back to us PerkyErky! I have the option to get mine out at my c-section date (39 weeks) or schedule an appointment slightly earlier at my ob-gyn. I'm just nervous about going into labor slightly before 39 weeks and having contractions pull/tear the cerclage and my cervix and having to wait awhile in labor and delivery to have this addressed.

I'm scared about this too.  Everyone keeps telling me they think she will come early, but I'm like no, I don't want her to come before her scheduled induction, or at least not until the cerclage is out.  Contracting against the cerclage makes me very nervous.

PerkyErky

I had mine removed yesterday. Like I said my MFM removes them in L&D and not in his office. Of course his office is literally in the building next door and he just walks across the sky bridge. I opted for heavy sedation and not the spinal since it was only supposed to take maybe 15 min and it would take hours for the spinal to wear off enough for me to go home. I was so sedated I was pretty much out, I don't remember anything once the meds kicked in.

My procedure was scheduled to start at 12:30 and I had to check in at 10:30. I walked into the OR at 12:44 and was rolled back into my room at 1pm. Baby was monitored for an hour (they started monitoring around 1:30) and I was discharged and heading home by 3.

Afterwards I had some minor spotting that had basically stopped by the time I got home and I am a little sore. However I have been having back aches and mini contractions for about a week, so I am not sure if the soreness is cerclage related, late prenancy related or a combo of the two.

I took it easy all afternoon and evening yesterday and plan to relax as much as possible today (if only I didn't have work, boo). He did tell me I am 2cm dilated but my cervix is still long. Now it's just a waiting game and he can come whenever the time is right for him.

I was worried about going into labor before the cerclage was removed for the same reasons, I don't want to damage my cervix at all.

Good luck, ladies! Someone did tell me to take some Tylenol before the procedure if I was allowed (I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything prior).

tracint

@PerkyErky yeah!! Congrats on ditching the stitch!! And thanks for coming back to let us know how it went.

presh116

My son is now 2, so two years ago my mfm tried taking the stitch out in the office but I was having so much contractions that the stitches were embedded. So off the or I went. She gave me medication but nothing strong it came out in 5 mins my son was born two days later but this was an emergent cerclage and I was on strict bed rest. I am now 31 wks my stitch comes out 5 wks this one was a preventative cerclage and no bed rest required and no contractions I'm anxious to see how this will be different but planning in office again.

angelsnight

So I thought I would update with my own experience since I had it removed a couple of days ago.  I would say I had the best possible experience I could have.  It was quick. almost painless (but very uncomfortable).

I am not a fan of speculums, so that was uncomfortable going in and opening, but I just tried to relax as best I could.  I closed my eyes and it helped that MH was with me and I squeezed his hand through out.  I felt a slight pull and my doctor said, it's out!  She used a swab to see if there was any bleeding which there was not, and I did not end up bleeding at all. 

So took the speculum out and used her fingers to check dilation (I was fingertip dilated) and that was it.  From start to finish it took maybe a minute, if that....just like 20 seconds longer than a pap smear and only slightly more uncomfortable than one. 

MissChanandlerBong

Thank you for updating, and glad it went so well for you!  Congrats too!!