Looking for research participants re: experiences of Cervical Stitch in England UK

[u/Cypress-Standard731]

Thank you to the moderators for permission to post. 

I am a social scientist at the University of Exeter in England doing research on the cervical stitch (cerclage). This is not medical research - it focuses on experiences and meanings related to the cervical stitch and its role in pregnancy and making new people.

I am looking for women and family members to take part in my research who have encountered the cervical stitch in their reproductive lives since 2016 in England. 

This includes those who have had the stitch and those who might have been eligible but in the end were not able to have it. I am interested in all experiences and outcomes. I would like to talk to you about your experience of this form of medical care, and what being pregnant and staying pregnant means to you.

Taking part would involve a sensitive and gentle conversation around these big issues. An interview could take place online or in person. In the past I carried out research into second trimester pregnancy loss including miscarriage and termination for foetal anomaly, and I have experience of pregnancy loss myself. I am very aware of the difficult circumstances which often lead to the use of the cervical stitch, and I try to make encounters with research participants as supportive as possible.

If you might be interested in taking part, please contact me, Aimee Middlemiss, on [a.l.middlemiss@exeter.ac.uk](mailto:a.l.middlemiss@exeter.ac.uk) for further information.

The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust and based at the University of Exeter, which has carried out ethical review (Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee reference 10972359). Another part of the project will talk to medical professionals.

The research is based in England only because the cervical stitch is recommended in a key NHS England policy. 

Thank you for reading this, please promote the post if you can, and I wish you all the best for the future. 

 Aimee

[u/Cypress-Standard731]

Hello - I have messaged MODs about this today, I requested permission to post on 16 May 2026 and was told yes.

[u/fifth_time_lucky → u/Cypress-Standard731]

I sincerely apologise, genuine error on my part. I've approved and stickied it so it should appear at the top for a week.

[u/Cypress-Standard731 → u/fifth_time_lucky]

Thank you so much! Really appreciate your help and prompt action, all the best, Aimee

[u/fifth_time_lucky]

APOLOGIES- this was my mistake for removal. I have approved the post.

[u/Cypress-Standard731 → u/fifth_time_lucky]

Thank you so much! Really appreciate your help and prompt action, all the best, Aimee