Wednesday Follow Up

My follow up appointment on Wednesday wasn't a good one. The ultrasound showed baby with a great heartbeat and being cute as anything. As soon as she inserted the trans-vaginal ultrasound I saw the funneling right away. My cervix shortened from 2.8cm to 2.1cm.

I rememeber saying "Oh, that's not good," while the tech replied "You still have some length left though." That doesn't help when you've already been there and done that.

The doctor came in shortly after I broke down for a second and said "So we will be considering a cerclage, is that right? I replied "Yep." The surgery was scheduled 2 days later (Friday) at 20 weeks 1 day. I quizzed him on everything I have come across, studies and what not.

I brought up what type of stitch he would be doing and if it were possible to go higher than a macdonald, a cerclage pessary combo, double cerclages, administering antibiotics, bedrest. I was shut down by their aren't any studies that have proven this or this works BUT I did get my way with a couple requests.

Surgery day I go in fill out all the paperwork and finally speak with the doctor once again. We agree in antibiotics, and he agreed to place 2 macdonald cerclages but after his "studies this and that and higher risks speel" I was on the fence. he left and came back and asked me if I wanted the two because if I did he would do it for me. I told him I was on the fence still, he then said well if you don't say ONE I will do two. He ended up doing two.

Here I am 3 days POST OP and just like before I'm terrified of everything. I have no idea what cervical length was left at placement. I never got to see baby surgery day but I did hear his heartbeat. I have no idea if there is any less funneling or more. I don't know how high he got the stitches. Maybe it's better not to know?

I will go in tomorrow for my follow up and if things look good in his words I will be released to my OB and continue about my pregnancy, no extra monitoring because they have done all they can for me and the hope is that I remain asymptomatic until delivery.

20 weeks 2 days

    I had two appointments an ultrasound to check cervical length and a post op with my doctor to talk about whats going on. It took a whole to hours between waiting and being seen. Anyways the ultrasound showed the usual funneling, short cervix, and the bag dipping past the stitch. I was .6 last week now i'm .488 which he considers fine and no change since last week. He did a manual which is never pleasant and says from what he could feel no dilation, good. He can feel the length of my itty bitty cervix then the stitch and doesn't feel the bag of water also good. He brought up a second surgery for a cerclage and felt that being somewhat stable right now he doesnt wan to disturb things. So we decided, that way it won't be too late to see him in 5 days and not 7 to check out the cervix and put the possibility of another cerclage back on the table based on those findings. He said my cervix could hold for a few more weeks even months but again nothing is definite.
      They also found that my blood pressure/pulse was high. They re-took it with me lying on my side and the blood pressure came down but my pulse was still up there so we will see what happens with that. It was semi good news the doctor is still conerned as I am but I am to keep to my strict bedrest and weekly progestrone shots and see where it takes me.