Incompetent Cervix
Hi I felt an urge to write about this condition as when I was pregnant with my first child I was not able to find any information on the condition, it’s causes or anyone who had experienced it first hand.
When I was younger I had CINII of the cervix (second stage cancer). I went to my gynaecologist who performed a cone biopsy and laser treatment to remove the cancerous tissue. It hasn’t reoccurred but I am very diligent about my smears. I have one every year. This is apparently a possible cause for an incompetent cervix as is having Dilation &Curetes (D&C’s) following miscarriages or terminations. The other cause is a short cervix.
When I decided to have children I had 3 first trimester miscarriages (and D&C’s) for which there was no apparent cause, or so the doctors said. The fourth time I fell pregnant it held right into the 19th week when I experienced a watery discharge but no other unusual symptoms. I went to the hospital just to have it checked out mainly because of my previous experience with miscarriages (I thought the fluid was amniotic fluid). As soon as the doctor saw me it was panic stations, I was 3cm dilated with bulging membranes. According to him if I’d left it any longer I would have miscarried again.
I was not allowed to sit up, stand or walk. I was reclined so that my feet were pointing on a 45 degree angle up, and rushed up to the ward for emergency surgery to save my little girl. When you are suddenly told that the chances of them being able to prevent you miscarrying are very slim and try to explain why, you really aren’t listening. I was given what they in medical terms call a Cervical Cerclage which in laymans terms is a suture that they put into your cervix (it looks very much like a purse string) to hold it closed so that as the baby grows the pressure does not make your cervix efface (dilate) any further. Your chances of early labour with this condition are very much increased.
I was hospitalised for two weeks with the chance of having to be there for the full term of my pregnancy, not a very appealing position but a necessary one nontheless. However I was lucky and was able to return home, but I was still not able to get up and about for the rest of my pregnancy. My waters broke at 32 weeks, and according to the doctors it was a miracle that the suture held for that long.
With this knowledge I have not taken any chances with my other pregnancies, and have had the suture put in at 13 weeks before the pressure from my growing baby has had a chance to make my cervix efface.
My second child was born at 39 weeks, a happy and healthy little girl. The suture was removed at 36 weeks and my cervix held on its own. I was able to work and do most things that any person having a normal pregnancy could do but just took it very easy, however I finished work a lot earlier than most. There had been a 7.5 year break between pregnancies and a lot of pelvic floor muscle work to try and strengthen my cervix.
I had the same done with my third child who was born at 38 weeks, again the suture was removed at 36 weeks, only this time because my 2nd and 3rd were so close together my cervix was not as strong so It was a case of lots of bed rest again. Very hard to do when you have a 1 year old to contend with. I also ended up with an infection (one of the possible side effects of the suture) which carried on over to my son and made him very sick.
They were all born naturally without any drugs just a little bit of vacuum extraction!!!!!
The first time it happened was a very frightening experience and one which I found difficult to discuss with friends or family because they didn’t really understand what it was that was happening to me. I mean really, I look ill there was nothing that looked physically wrong with me!!!!
It was very difficult to really relax and enjoy being pregnant when I wasn’t sure if I was going to go into early labour or not, and didn’t know of anyone else who had experienced this condition.
I hope that if anything my story will help someone else out there who may be going through or has gone through this situation. There are ways to cure this condition and there are other people out there who have experienced it. Our little ones will make it through and they will be happy and healthy even if they are born early.
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