High-Risk Pregnancy

can cervical length increase?

Is it possible for a cervical length to increase?? I am just about 31 weeks, my cervix has measured 1.8 for 2 weeks now (I'm on bed rest), and my doctor said that seeing no change is the best case scenario. He made it seem like the shortening is irreversible, and the goal is to prevent more shortening. FWIW he took several measurements over a few minutes, and only "counted" the shortest one (I had a couple close to 3 when my uterus relaxed. Shortest was 1.8).

So is a best case scenario that bed rest can actually increase my cervical length?? If so, that gives me a new goal....because I'm an overachiever like that :o)

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Re: can cervical length increase?

  • My doctor described the slight differences as operator differences, the angle of the instrument can cause slightly different measurements and such.
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  • I'm wondering the same thing and hoping that the cervix is able to get longer and reverse the funneling. I'm in a similar boat but not nearly as far along! I hope your cervix lengthens!!!!
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  • FWIW, Mine got longer after my cerclage was placed. From what the nurses said that meant the cerclage was doing its job. I'm still pretty new to all this so I don't know if it's something that should be expected in general, and I'm also not nearly as far along as you.
    ~ Me, 30 DH, 32 ~ TTC since Oct 2009 septum resection 3/2010 stage IV endo 8/2011 IVF #1 1/25/12, 2 transferred, 2 frozen - BFN FET 2/22/12, 2 transferred - BFN IVF#2 5/12, transferred 3, froze 5, BFP! Beta 1: 151, Beta 2: 282 Cerclage placed @ 17 weeks due to shortening cervix, modified bed rest until delivery SAIF/PAIF always welcome image It's a girl! ~ Clare was born 1/31/13
  • When I asked my nurse, I was told that it can't lengthen but that the pressure that is being exerted on it and that operator differences cause different measurements. One of my measurements, the baby's head was pushing down on the cervix, for example, and that one was a little shorter. I still like to think that it can lengthen. It can't hurt to hope, right?
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  • well, mine has lengthened. i went from one day having a range of 1.1-1.4, to a range of 1.4-1.6, to a range of 1.5-.1.8 at 3 separate ultrasounds. so it's like while the increase is minimal there is a steady climb upwards.
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  • The biggest difference I've had was from 3.1 around 22w to 4.0 around 30w - last check at either 32 or 34 w.
  • My Dr explained that the cervix is "dynamic", that it can change slightly from day to day and the measurements can vary depending on who is measuring. My cervix lengthened when I went on bedrest. It was a 1.8 and lengthened to a 2.5 after a week of bed rest, til it suddenly dropped to 8mm at 22 weeks. After my cerclage it's been measuring at 2.8 to 2.9!
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  • Based on what my Dr said and some other research, it sounds like a cervix cannot lengthen once it has begun to shorten, but it can seem like it's getting longer depending on a bunch of factors like you girls said - the time when it's measured, if the uterus is relaxed, operator variances, and accuracy. It sounds like a cerclage can increase the length, but without it the cervix can't lengthen in its own.

    Basically, in the 3 minutes that they probe and measure, they look for the shortest measurement in that time. If the uterus is relaxed that whole time, the measurement will seem slightly longer, so it's kind of a luck of the draw with how everything happens to behave during those two minutes.

    I'm no expert but I'll keep hoping! :o)

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  • Mine went from a 4.9 to a 1.2, after meds and bedrest I'm at a 3.2  However, I was told that while the cervix now appears to be longer, it isn't strong like it used to be. So the length can be deceiving. 
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  • Mine went from 2.6 to 3.5 after being on bed rest and medication. So I would assume that means it can lengthen back to where it was originally. Makes sense that it wouldn't be as strong though as someone mentioned.
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