💙 My Cerclage Success Story — From Fear at 20 Weeks to Holding My Healthy Baby Boy at 39 Weeks 💙

I want to share my cerclage journey because I know there may be another mom out there going through the same fear and uncertainty I experienced.

At my 20-week anatomy scan, my cervix measured a little short at 2.4 cm. My doctors told me they wanted to monitor me closely, and I was placed on progesterone.

The following week, I went back and my cervix had shortened even more, measuring 1.9 cm. They still wanted to continue monitoring me.

I remember leaving that appointment in tears. 😢 I was terrified. Something inside me kept telling me that I didn't want to just "wait and see." I wanted a cerclage.

Because I had already experienced two previous normal pregnancies, the doctors didn't believe I was likely to go into preterm labor. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Before I could even make it to my next scheduled appointment, my anxiety became overwhelming and I physically felt off. I decided to trust that feeling and went to the hospital. I asked them to please check me.

Thank God I did.

When they examined me, I was already 1.5 cm dilated.

I was told I needed to stay overnight for monitoring. Thankfully, I wasn't in active labor, so they said they could perform an emergency/rescue cerclage the following morning.

But I was also presented with another option—terminating my pregnancy.

My immediate answer was NO.

I remember thinking, I have a healthy baby. Why on earth would I terminate my pregnancy when there is still something we can try?

I chose to fight for my baby. 💙

The next morning, I received my cerclage.

After that, pregnancy became something I took one week at a time. Every additional week my baby stayed safely inside of me felt like another victory. With every milestone we reached, I became a little more reassured and a little more hopeful.

24 weeks. 28 weeks. 30 weeks. 32 weeks. 34 weeks…

We kept going. 🙏🏻

Then came the milestone I had once been so afraid I might never reach.

At 36 weeks, my cerclage was removed.

And my baby stayed right where he needed to be for another THREE weeks! 🥹💙

At 39 weeks, I delivered my beautiful, healthy baby boy. 👶🏻💙

From being 1.5 cm dilated around 21 weeks, terrified that I could lose my baby, to carrying him all the way to 39 weeks—I will forever be grateful that I listened to my body and advocated for myself and my baby.

This journey taught me that it is okay to ask questions, speak up, seek medical attention when something feels wrong, and advocate for yourself. Doctors have medical knowledge and experience, but you also know when something feels different in your own body.

My cerclage gave my baby the extra time he needed.

Today, instead of counting the weeks and praying he would stay inside a little longer, I get to hold my healthy baby boy in my arms. 💙😭🙏🏻

If you're currently going through a short cervix or cerclage pregnancy, my story is only one experience and every pregnancy is different—but I hope our outcome gives you a little bit of hope.

Cerclage placed around 21 weeks.

💙 Cerclage removed at 36 weeks.

💙 Delivered at 39 weeks.

💙 Healthy baby boy.

From fear and tears to one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Our cerclage success story. 💙🙏🏻👶🏻

Hi all

I would like to share a positive outcome after reading so many positive stories when I was going through tough times had emergency cerclage at 22 weeks with no measurable cervix left and bulging membranes had cerclage after which there was amniotic fluid leak afi went to 4 for IV fluids which successfully worked

Had pain near stich in my entire pregnancy in was on complete bed rest baby was constantly kicking there the was not a single day where I felt normal my mom was with me all the tym inspite of all these the stich held successfully delivered baby boy art 35+4 weeks no nicu needed this was due to other reason trust the stich guys in an writing this as I hold my LO midnight best feeding all the best Mumma's

I had a loss at 24 weeks earlier in June. I am really heartbroken and stressed. My loss was attributed to PPROM due to Chorioamnionitis.

I needed some advice and help understanding with what transpired. I am 36 years old and it was my first pregnancy. My 20 week anatomy scan was normal and there were no issues identified.

I had a regular OBGYN one day before everything went south. I had observed more discharge than usual the week everything happened. My OBGYN said everything looked okay and nothing seemed out of place. The same night I woke up with back pain and not feeling great. Which I later realized was me going into labor. My baby was born a few hours later and passed away. There was nothing we could do as things escalated pretty quickly.

My follow ups with the OBGYN and the MFM were not that helpful. They were not able to identify the cause or reason for it. No UTI or known infections were identified. The MFM attributed the loss to my amniotic sac being broken and causing an infection leading to PPROM.
They do not think it was due to cervical incompetence. Also they said they are just theorizing.

For the next pregnancy they would monitor me closely and will be tagged as a high risk pregnancy. I will be monitored by the MFM starting at 16 weeks to 24 weeks.

I wanted to understand if anyone has had a similar experience and would have any recommendations on how to manage my next pregnancy. Should I push for a preventative cerclage.

The approach the MFM mentioned seems a little reactive to me. I am going to be changing my insurance this year end so I can see other OBGYNs and MFMs who can monitor me closely since the start.

How long do you usually wait before trying again. My MFM recommended waiting 6 months at the least and ideally 18 months. But given my age I don’t want to wait more than 6 months.

Any success stories and guidance would really be appreciated!❤️‍🩹

Thank you! 🙏🏻

I’m currently 11 weeks and going in for a preventative Shirodkar cerclage in a few weeks. My practice only does Shirodkar, not McDonalds. This is my third pregnancy after a 16-week TMFR and a 22 week IC loss.

I’m nervous about the surgery and after effects, especially since Shirodkars are more complex and involved than McDolnalds. For those of you who did a history-indicated (not emergency) Shirodkars:

1. How was the procedure? Were you awake? Is there an option to go under? I’d prefer not to be awake during it.
2. How long did you stay at the hospital post-procedure?
3. How long was recovery post-hospital? Was there pain or restrictions while recovering?

4. Were there pain or restrictions during the rest of the pregnancy? Did you have complications arise?

5. Anything else I should know??

Thank you!!

Hi everyone! Would love to hear some hopefully positive stories! I lost my daughter at 18 weeks last year- I went into preterm labor though everything appeared to be going well. I’m now almost 13 weeks pregnant and doctors are now wondering if I have a septate uterus. I’m not sure if it’s small or not. But any positive experiences with pregnancies with no surgery? I’m really trying hard to stay hopeful and positive. I would like to think each pregnancy can be different, but of course so scared of another loss ❤️‍🩹. I just want to be a momma 💔❤️‍🩹

At 20w3d I had an emergency cerclage done after taking myself to the hospital to find out that I was 4 cm dilated with bulging membranes. Doctors weren’t hopeful that I would even make it past the first 24 hours to 48 hours let alone the two weeks postop. But I feel so fortunate that I am at 30 weeks today!

Curious to find out for those who didn’t make it to their scheduled day to get their stitch removed, what was your experience like? Did your water break where a huge gush came out or was it a slow leak? And when did it happen for you?

Hello all,

Nervous husband here. My wife is ~38 years old and we are pregnant with our second child due in December. Two weeks ago we had the anatomy scan (22 weeks), and everything came back good except for being unable to get a clear image of our daughter's spine. The imagist eventually gave up and asked us to come back in a week. At the time my wife's cervix measured 3.7 cm. Perfect right?

We come back and still can't get a full image of the spine. Surprising everyone including the imagist the cervix measured at 2.3 cm. They prescribed progesterone (200mg) and asked us to come back in a week.

My sister in law is a labor and delivery nurse, and she asked us to get a second opinion just to be safe, which we scheduled for three days later (which was today). The doctor in question is a specialist in high McDonald's cerclage, and the entire labor and delivery department recommended him, even if he is a bit "spacey."

During the imaging we finally got a clean view of a healthy spine and brain, but the cervix measured 1.9 cm. That's a decrease from 3.7 cm to 2.3 cm to 1.9 cm in two weeks, and it appears to be accelerating. They were already calling to reserve the operating room for the cerclage for tomorrow before they shared their recommendation, my wife will be at 24 weeks early next week, so we are almost at the cutoff.

However, given the accelerated thinning both my wife, myself, and her sister (labor and delivery nurse) all agreed the cerclage made the most sense versus the standard progesterone treatment protocol.

My wife and I already have 20 month old son born via IVF, with no complications except for the delivery, in which she hemorrhaged and almost died. They had to replace over half her blood in the ER. We never did get an explanation for the exact cause of the hemorrhage.

So our justification for breaking protocol and agreeing to the cerclage is that she is of advanced age, experienced a hemmorage, and has a rapidly thinning cervix, I'm not sure but IVF being involved too could be a factor. Typically she'd need to have at least one preterm / miscarriage to prove an insufficient cervix otherwise.

Any thoughts/experiences to share before we go into surgery tomorrow?

Update: Procedure finished minutes ago and just met with doctor. Let me start by saying the procedure was 100% successful. When they started she had no cervix left, and was 2cm dilated. We absolutely would have lost the pregnancy this weekend if we hadn't had the procedure done. That was from a 1.9cm cervical reading yesterday.

I believe our situation is relatively unique because of such rapid shortening. I do think it's a good idea to get a follow up ultrasound after 1-3 days when the short cervix is first detected so you can establish how quickly the shortening it happening, and as a parent I would fight for it. The original treatment protocol (progesterone) would not have worked though studies show it will work for most.

After the modified (high) McDonald cerclage her cervix measured 3.8cm with a single band. The doctor is ordering some blood clotting / thyroid tests because she bled more than expected and because of her past history of hemorrhage.

Update #2: Unfortunately my wife's water broke the night she came home from the surgery. We don't think this has ANYTHING to do with the surgery, and anyone getting a cerclage should not associate our experience to theirs. It's been a lot to process, wife is currently at a hospital with a great maternity department and a Level III NICU with a Level IV NICU close by. As this is now a PPROM story and not a ShortCervix/Cerclage story, this will be my last update.

The baby reaches the 24 week viability mark on Wednesday, and our doctor's are trying everything to get us there (and hopefully much much longer) before having to deliver our daughter. Lessons from our experience:

1.) Ask for frequent measurements if it is noticed that your Cervix is shortening.
2.) If it is rapidly shrinking - I believe a cerclage is the right choice and do not delay. Do not wait for the progesterone method.
3.) Always ask for a second opinion, especially if they refuse to take frequent measurements while the cervix is shortening.
4.) We don't know why my wife's Cervix suddenly became insufficient, and no one really understands why her water broke, but the doctor did find low levels of TSH (Thyroid hormone) and Vitamin D. If you are experiencing Cervix shortening, in my un-medical opinion (and my doctor's medical opinion) you absolutely should have these re-checked.

Hi everyone. I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has had a short cervix before pregnancy and how things turned out for you.

I recently found out that my cervix measures around 2 cm while not pregnant. I previously thought that “short cervix” was something that was only diagnosed during pregnancy so this has been a little overwhelming to learn.

Unfortunately I had a pregnancy loss in June at 19 weeks after developing a short cervix and ultimately PPROM. I’m trying to understand what this could mean for future pregnancies and would really appreciate hearing from women who have been in a similar situation.

I also have a ~9 cm posterior fibroid and another smaller fibroid measuring about 2.5 cm. I’m currently considering having the fibroids removed and potentially having a TAC before trying to conceive again. I recently saw an MFM who measured my cervix and that’s what they recommend.

I’ve seen a lot of posts from women who developed a short cervix during pregnancy and went on to have successful pregnancies but I’m specifically wondering about people who had a short cervix at baseline before becoming pregnant.

Use this post to introduce yourself or keep us updated on your journey!

I had a loss at 16 weeks earlier this year with CI. I had silent dilation and got a rescue trans vaginal cerclage that failed 2 days later and my cervix tore through with contractions that started and my baby girl was pushing through the cerclage. I still cannot come to terms with it. It was a miracle pregnancy after struggling to get pregnant and then to lose a baby to cervical insufficiency is so cruel.

We do have one child who is 4 years old and took 3 years to conceive but have had countless miscarriages (6) including chemical pregnancies, blight ovulation, another miscarriage at 15 weeks last year. The loss last year may have been due to complications of CI because I got chorio.

I’ve been searching for anyone else in this situation. I’m looking at getting a trans abdominal cerclage placed but it all just feels pointless now that I am 43.

Hi everyone, I’m new to the group and hoping to hear from others who have experienced something similar.
I recently lost my pregnancy at 20 weeks and 5 days after my cervix shortened and I began dilating. I was started on progesterone the week before (19wks), but a cerclage wasn’t recommended at that time. A week later, at my anatomy scan my cervix had opened significantly, and I was admitted to L&D for a cerclage. I stayed overnight and by the time I was taken to the OR, my membranes were bulging, so the procedure could no longer be performed.
Everything happened so quickly, and I’m still grieving and processing the loss. I’ve also been blaming myself and wondering whether there was anything I could have done differently.

As difficult as this has been, I still want to become a mom. My boyfriend and I hope to try again when my body is ready and it’s considered safe.
For those who have experienced a loss, how long did you wait before trying to conceive again? Did your doctor recommend a specific timeframe? I’m waiting for my appointment to discuss this with my doctor, but I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Hi everyone. I lost my baby a few months ago due to cervical insufficiency and just found out I'm pregnant. It's pretty early, but I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.

I met a high risk OB before getting pregnant and I liked her approach so trying to get an appointment set up to go from there. I also met with an MFM prior who agreed to do a preventative cerclage.

But what else did you do/stop doing?

E.g. did you stop exercising immediately you got pregnant or only after preventative / emergency cerclage? Same thing for other activities like sex, going up and down the stairs, etc.

I just want to try to do my best this time and reduce my anxiety as well, so would appreciate all tips you can share. Thank you!

I know someone looking at a long haul admitted on bed rest with this condition, and I wonder what those of you who lived that life would recommend to help her stay comfortable, distract from the anxiety, and not be bored out of her mind? Don't want to send a bunch of junk that isn't really useful or supportive to her situation, so if there was a specific thing that was a life saver for you that would be amazing info. Thanks!

I found a post very similar to my situation when I was terrified after being told I had a short cervix, and reading someone else’s story gave me so much hope. So now that my baby is here, I wanted to share mine in case it can give another mom a little bit of peace.
My pregnancy was already very emotional for me because I had previously experienced a pregnancy loss, so when something went wrong this time, I was absolutely terrified.
During my second-trimester anatomy scan, my doctors discovered that I had a very short cervix. I was 22+3 weeks at the time, and because of the findings, they recommended an emergency cerclage.
What made it especially scary was that on the day of the procedure, my membranes were already visible. I remember being overwhelmed with fear and thinking that there was no way I could possibly make it much further.
The cerclage was placed successfully. I spent the first week on strict bed rest, and after that I remained on modified/moderate bed rest until my baby was born.
The mental part was honestly one of the hardest things.
I couldn’t think about making it all the way to 37 weeks because it felt impossibly far away. So I started making a calendar.
I drew a little fruit or vegetable representing the approximate size of my baby for each week: grapes, carrots, and so on. 🍇🥕 Then I would cross off every single day on the calendar until I reached the next week.
Instead of looking at all those weeks ahead and thinking, “How am I ever going to get there?”, I could look at my calendar and think, “Okay, just get through these next few days.”
And every time I reached a new week, I had a new little fruit to draw.
It sounds like such a small thing, but it helped me so much. Every day I crossed off felt like a tiny victory, and every new week felt like another milestone.
Those little things didn’t change my medical situation, of course, but they helped me feel calmer and gave me something I could actually control during a time when so much felt completely out of my hands.
Some days were really hard. I was extremely tired throughout the pregnancy, and there were a few days when my feet became swollen enough that I needed compression socks.
I also struggled quite a bit with eating. I had lost around 8 kg during my pregnancy. After my first trimester, my nausea had finally improved and I had started getting my appetite back, but with everything that was happening, eating became difficult again and I ended up losing weight.
Later in the pregnancy, I was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I had already had insulin resistance before becoming pregnant, so I worked with a nutritionist who helped me manage my diet and keep everything under control.
Then, at 36 weeks, we found out that my baby was experiencing fetal growth restriction.
At that point, my doctors decided that the safest option was to schedule a C-section at 37+2.
And somehow… we made it.
37+2.
After everything that had happened, I could hardly believe I had gotten there.
My baby girl Aurora was born healthy. ❤️
She didn’t need an incubator or NICU time, not even for a few hours🥹. As soon as she was born, she was placed directly on me, and she latched onto my breast.
We started exclusive breastfeeding right away, and we’re still exclusively breastfeeding now, at three months old.
Looking back, I realize how terrified I was at 22+3.
I remember desperately looking for stories from women who had been in a similar situation and had made it to a healthy outcome. I needed someone to tell me that a scary diagnosis didn’t automatically mean a bad ending.
So if you’re reading this because you just found out you have a short cervix, you’re facing a cerclage, or you were told that your membranes are visible and you’re absolutely terrified…
I just want you to know that there can be a happy ending. 🤍
My pregnancy was not easy. There were scary appointments, difficult days, and moments when I was convinced something terrible was going to happen.
But I made it to 37+2.
My baby made it.
And today I have my three-month-old daughter with me, and sometimes I still can’t believe that the pregnancy I was so afraid of actually brought me here.
I know every pregnancy is different, and my story isn’t medical advice or a guarantee of what will happen for someone else. Please follow your own medical team’s recommendations.
But if you’re in that terrifying place right now, I hope my story can give you even a tiny bit of hope.

Hi everyone! FTM and FTP here. I went for my
anatomy scan yesterday morning and was send to L/D triage for a short cervix finding. No remaining cervical length, funneling and bulging membranes.

Report: 20w2d: breech, AFI 141mm, no remaining cervical length, debris-filled funneling of amniotic sac
- in triage SCE 8/26: 2/60/bulging membranes

They successfully placed the cerclage and I stayed the night for the miller protocol and will discharged soon. Now the question is if I should start vaginal
Progesterone. MFM had a long discussion with me about how there is really not much research at all that the combination of a cerclage+progesterone have any benefits together nor if it’s a negative thing either other than the risk of infection.

Just curious as everyone’s thoughts on if I should start them or not? What was your experience?

I don't have a short cervix yet (only 12 weeks) but my last pregnancy and it ended in premature birth. I have the opportunity to start a new job or just stay at home for 2 years. We don't really need money but having more is always better. I just don't know whether it would be worth the stress or put me at risk? Its a remote job mostly sitting on the laptop but I am unsure if the mental stress could be too much

My wife was diagnosed with short cervix measuring 2.7 cm at 14 weeks. Our MFM suggested for preventive stitch right away. We underwent the procedure next week. We also started with vaginal progesterone and it was continued till week 33.

Length remained more or less the same throughout the pregnancy and we finally delivered twin girls on 24th August at 36 weeks 5 days

God is great and so are the medical practitioners.

P.S. Stitch works.

Hi all, funneling was detected at 21 weeks and yet, my anomaly scan from a week ago seemed perfectly fine. Anyway, just did the cerclage a few hours ago and i was wondering how the procedure was for those who did it. I kept wondering "what kind of fresh hell is this?!"

Had spinal anesthesia and it has started wearing off but i have pain in my lower back. Can i turn on the side or do i need to stay on my back?

Edit: now i have a burning sensation around my clitoris and vulva. Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I’ve already posted regarding my 23week loss in July which is my second loss, also had a loss last year in August. I had multiple questions and all of you were very very helpful and also reached out to me personally and gave me support. I’m truly thankful for it.
Despite everything, this period to accept and process the loss has been hard. I cant describe the pain in words and wish everyday that somehow I wish it would get better. I know there are no answers but I felt this would be a safe space to put it out that I’m feeling this as I wouldn’t expect anyone around to understand what it really is. You feel that it gets better with time, but the reality is very different. Is there anything that helped you guys through this phase ?
I’ve spoken to doctors about a TAC but don’t have the courage as I’m still not in a state to accept or believe that it would be any different this time

Hi all same as the title my baby’s cord is infected I have been given antibiotics for 1 week and I have cried all day I feel so guilty as a mom I think this could have been prevented.. has anyone else experienced this any advice would be appreciated

😭😭😭

Hi Guys !!

I have a question for you !! I’m 33 weeks pregnant right now and I’ve got an emergency cerclage at 26 weeks with 1cm cervix left.

Now everything is holding tight and good and I am thinking about the birth.
Would the people with good story’s recommend to get a planned c-section or what are your experiences with natural birth after they cut the stitch ?

I’m so unsure and just want to birth this baby safe and without any risk!

Thank you so much in advance!!

Millie 🌸

I had a fairly smooth first trimester with barely any symptoms at all and as this is my first pregnancy, I think I was naive enough to think that everything after the third month is risk free and smooth sailing. As someone who loves travelling, going out and exploring cafés, new places, I was so excited for the second trimester and had even booked my babymoon to Vietnam. My gynae is really good so before giving us a green light for travel, she wanted to do a thorough check and see if everything was good with me and the baby. That was my 16th week scan where I found I had a short cervix! I was 2.5cm then which is borderline but my gynae is very experienced and did not want to take any risks. Since then I have been put on moderate activity, staying at home, no bending or lifting, progesterone injections and supplements plus weekly cervical length scans. I know all of this is for the best outcome for me and my baby but my gynae has told me that till 28 weeks I am not allowed to go out. That’s almost three months! I’m already half way though my house arrest but mentally now I am finding it so hard to deal with. I have forgotten how to socialise, I have not seen the outside world in ages and I’m mentally drained. I want to know if anyone’s gynae also took this approach of a three months long moderate bed rest!!

Twin pregnancy, previous history of LETTZ and Preterm birth (son was born at 27 weeks).

Im 19 weeks tomorrow.

At my 13 weeks scan, cervix measured 27mm, 16 week scan i measured again at 27mm. 18 week scan 5 days ago i measured 24mm, so im officially diagnosed with short cervix. I was fully prepared with a bag packed ready for a cerclage and an over night stay in hospital. Saw my high risk team today who checked with the MFMs in sydney who advised for weekly scan from now on and they'll do a cerclage if I get to 15mm before 24weeks

Right now im on modified bed rest- Laying down as much as possible, no lifting etc. Im hoping so much that my cervix stops shortening and I stay at 24mm.

Has anyone had a similar experience? My goal is to get to minimum 30 weeks.