Shortening cervix?

lhcass

Today was our anatomy scan and the baby looked great.  Unfortunately, all of my happiness over the baby was instantly pushed aside when the tech told me that my cervix had gone from 33 mm to 27 mm (in the past 2 weeks).  I knew that this was a possibility and it is looking like a cerclage may be in my near future.  She sent us right up to my dr's office and my dr wants us to come back in next week for another check.  I'm so scared.  I really don't want to lose this baby and the thought of preterm labor is terrifying me.  The tech asked if I have been having contractions and I thought I was going to have a heart attack (I haven't felt contractions).  Does anyone have experience with a shortening cervix (due to LEEP procedure) or a cerclage?  Thanks.

chelsanne

I had a LEEP a little over a year ago. At my 20 week ultrasound my cervix was looking great. 4.5 cm. Then at 24 weeks it had shortened to 3cm. Too late to do a cerclage, but still not "too" short yet. Then at 28 weeks it had only shortened down to 2.7 cm. My doctor told me I just needed to be taking it easy, which I did. I sat at work all day and then had my feet up when I got home as well. At 31 1/2 weeks I started having very frequent contractions so I went to L&D and they did an ultrasound and discovered my cervix had shortened to 0.5 cm. They immediately checked me into the hospital and I have been here on bed rest ever since. You are fortunate where they can still do a cerclage so I would definitely recommend it. You do not want to end up in the hospital on bed rest if you don't have to. Take it easy this week and good luck with your follow up cervical check!

lhcass

chelsanne:

I had a LEEP a little over a year ago. At my 20 week ultrasound my cervix was looking great. 4.5 cm. Then at 24 weeks it had shortened to 3cm. Too late to do a cerclage, but still not "too" short yet. Then at 28 weeks it had only shortened down to 2.7 cm. My doctor told me I just needed to be taking it easy, which I did. I sat at work all day and then had my feet up when I got home as well. At 31 1/2 weeks I started having very frequent contractions so I went to L&D and they did an ultrasound and discovered my cervix had shortened to 0.5 cm. They immediately checked me into the hospital and I have been here on bed rest ever since. You are fortunate where they can still do a cerclage so I would definitely recommend it. You do not want to end up in the hospital on bed rest if you don't have to. Take it easy this week and good luck with your follow up cervical check!

Thank you for your response.  Do you know when it is "too late" to do a cerclage?  Luckily, I will be having my cervix checked at 19 weeks, 20 weeks, and 22 weeks.  Hopefully, they will put the cerclage in soon if they notice a decrease!  THANKS so much!

April320

I had a LEEP about a year before getting pregnant with twins.  At my 20 week anatomy scan, they found that my cervix had decreased from 3.6 cm to 2.5 cm.  My OB and MFM agreed that I was not a candidate for a cerclage because the risk is too great that far along with twins (but I think it would be okay w/ a singleton).  I spent one night in the hospital on the monitor to make sure I wasn't having contractions, then was sent home on bedrest with progesterone suppositories.  I've been on bedrest for 5 1/5 weeks now, and my cervix is still holding strong at 2.5 cm.  My doctors consider 2.5 to be the very lower end of "okay" - if it drops any lower or I start having contractions, they'll give me steroid shots for the babies lungs, but for now things seem okay.

If you're not officially on bedrest, try to keep as much weight off your cervix as possible by lying down whenever y ou can.  Lots of people go on to carry to term with either a cerclage, bedrest, or both and 2.7 cm is still a decent lenght, so don't get yourself too stressed.  You might ask your doctor about progesterone supplements - either the suppositories or shots.  Recent studies have shown good results in halting the shortening, and I think the results are even better with a singleton than with twins.

farrellashleigh

I had a shortening cervix last time which was monitored with constant ultrasounds every time we went in, luckily it shortened and then held strong so we didn't end up having to do anything else. Hopefully yours will just stay put!

chelsanne

I think after about 22 or 23 weeks with a singleton they don't like to do the cerclage because the risk outweighs the benefit at that point because there is a change it can cause your water to break or something like that.

jojobean1977

They will do them upto 24 weeks, depending on the circumstances. I have a shortened cervix because of a tramatic delivery with my first, so I needed a cercalge for that.

Temp984666312503071

I also have a cervix that likes to shorten.

With my DD it was 2.8 at 20 weeks and they measured it bi-weekly until 30 weeks when it was down to 1.5 or so.  I didn't get a cerclage because in my MFM's opinion, late cerclages shouldn't be done unless the circumstances are dire.  The literature indicates that the risk of pPROM (membrane rupture) for the proceedure is actually higher than the risk of PTL or pPROM from the short cervix.  The only intervention I had with DD was modified bed rest (including pelvic rest) and a course of steroid shots to mature her lungs.  She was born healthy at 35w4d due to pPROM that may or may not have been because of my cervix.

With DS I was put on 17-P as a preventative measure.  My cervix was 4.5cm at 20 weeks but shortened to 2.5 by 30 weeks.  I ended up being induced at 39w4d after walking around 5cm dilated and 90% effaced for 4 weeks.

I know it is super scary to hear your cervix isn't cooperating.  I never had a LEEP or cone biopsy so my cervix problems were a shock when I was pregnant the first time.  Just take it easy and make sure you are seeing a good doctor who you trust and who deals with high risk situations.  My OB is great - but she wasn't that great about answering questions about my cervix issues. My MFM was the one I would call when I had anxiety about PTL, pPROM, or anything else related.  S/He will give you the best advice about interventions that are prudent and make sense.

Good luck! 

P.S.  Do some research (not chat board ... but in journals)  It actually made me feel better to know that even with a short cervix your chances of having a healthy, full term baby are overwhelmingly in your favor.  Read the "Results" section here: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199602293340904#t=article