Cerclage consult appointment what to expect?

rlajambe

Hi ladies,

My appointment for my first ultrasound and cerclage consult on the 12th.

For the IC ladies out there, what should I expect? What questions should I ask?

ashbee0223

I had an emergent cerclage so it was a different situation in that we found out at 20 weeks and weren't prepared. My only question then was if it was going to work. We made it to 35 weeks.

You should ask what restrictions you will have after surgery. What percentage you have of a full term birth. What pros and cons come with the surgery. I believe that prevenative cerclages have a higher success rate than emergent. They consider it to be a success if you carry to 37+ weeks.

My cerclage surgery was done with spinal block as out paitent and only took a few minutes. I was on bedrest and pelvic rest following my surgery for the rest of my pregnancy. I wish you the best of luck with your pregnancy and cerclage!!

caden1206

PP gave you some great questions to ask and guidelines. I had a preventative cerclage this time. I had my first few appointments with my OB to see if it was a viable pregnancy. Then at around 11 weeks I saw the MFM for the first time. He went over my history and suggested a preventative cerclage because all signs pointed to IC. We went over what to expect, risks, and basically how good he is at the procedure. I ended up going under general anesthesia and was reassured it was ok for the baby because it was brief. I also asked about what to expect during recovery. I was told that if my cervix starts to shorten I would be put on bedrest regardless of the cerclage. I was also told that I should have my cervix checked every two weeks. I get it every week because my OB is running the show now. My MFM saw me only twice after my cerclage. One thing I forgot to ask is who is going to take the cerclage out. So make sure you develop all the questions you might have during every stage of pregnancy. Good luck and prayers the cerclage works well for you.

jessidoreen

Q's

1. What time of anesthesia would they be using? General or spinal? How long after the procedure would you stay in the hospital (would they keep you overnight?)

2. What time of restrictions would you be on after the cerclage? Bedrest, modified bed rest, pelvic bed rest/ no sex/intercourse? Can you return to work? How long should you be up and active each day if on bed rest? How long will you be on bed rest?

3. What time of monitoring will they be doing after the cerclage--will they do weekly/biweekly ultrasounds to check cervical length? What will they do if your cervix still shortens after the cerclage? Will they consider p17 shots or progesterone therapy?

4. When will the cerclage be removed?  What will happened if it tears or needs to be removed sooner? Will you need anesthesia to have it removed? 

5. After the procedure, what type of bleeding/cramping can you expect? When should you call the doctor if the bleeding/cramping worsens?

Here's my cerclage story: I was 14 weeks with a preventative cerclage. I had a spinal. The procedure itself took 15-20 minutes but I had to wait about 3-4 hours after to be able to leave due to the spinal. They required that I could walk and pee before I left. I had minimal cramping and bleeding. They gave me a prescription for vicoden for pain. I had bi weekly transvaginal ultrasounds until 32 weeks to measure my cervix. I was on modified bed rest--still told I was allowed to work, I work at a desk all day, I was told no sex. at all. until it's removed.  I had the cerclage on a Friday and went back to work on a Monday. I did limit what I did outside of work. I haven't really been able to be on my feet much, ie no grocery shopping/baby shopping. Any shopping I do is really minimal. No heavy lifting. I was told at 28 weeks to start walking more, and after 3 more weeks of walking I started to bleed/spot and told to go back to taking it easy. If at some point my cervix continued to shorten, the plan was to start P17 shots but luckily it's still kept it's length. It will be removed at my 36/37 week appointment!

rlajambe

Thanks ladies. I know some of the answers to these questions already, but there are definitely a few that I should write down.

I'll let you know how it goes.