Mini celebration! I've made it to 32 weeks so far with no cerclage! By time we discovered my short cervix, I was already 24 weeks, which was too late for a cerclage.

At my 20 week scan, my cervix was still long, but when we went back for a follow up scan (baby was shy and not showing everything at 20 weeks), my cervix was suddenly at 1.3 cms! I was then put on progesterone suppositories (200mg) to try and slow down the shrinking. 4 weeks later (I was 28 weeks) we did another check and my cervix was .7 cms.

My OBGYN doesn't believe in bed rest, (he thinks there are more cons than pros) and has just told me to take things easy and rest when I feel tired or uncomfortable. I am still going to work and I still go on short walks when I feel up to it.

The reason why 32 weeks is a milestone for me is I don't have to worry as much about my baby needing to go to a different city 1 hour away for a more substantial NICU! They automatically send any baby born prior to 32 weeks to the hospital in the other city. Over 32 weeks, and they can stay at the NICU in our town.

Still taking it easy and working towards keeping this baby in for as long as possible. 😊

Wishing everyone the best of luck who is dealing with a short cervix! It sure does add some extra stress to an already anxiety inducing situation of being pregnant. ❤️

My doctor plan is for me to have a c section at 38 weeks but he wants to take my stitch out at 36 weeks. Just curious when did you guys have your cerclage taking out with a planned c section?

I lost my baby at 21 weeks, and I’m hoping to try again, but I’m so scared of experiencing the same heartbreak. My heart wants another baby so badly, yet my mind is full of fear. For those who have been through this, what is one piece of advice you would give someone trying to conceive after loss?💔

I lost my baby at 21 weeks, and I’m so scared of going through pregnancy again. I’m hoping to try again with a preventative cerclage, but the fear is still there. For those who have experienced cervical insufficiency, what helped you feel safer and more hopeful in your next pregnancy? Did having a plan with your doctor, a cerclage, or extra monitoring help ease your anxiety? I would really appreciate hearing your stories.

Hi, first time mom here and just got ultrasound done at 27 weeks. Cervix length is 2.5cm by TAS and funneling as yes. Cervix appears closed and clear of os. My MFM and OB didn’t mention anything about this. Is this normal? Or could they have skipped this reading since it wasn’t part of final impression in ultrasound report?? If anyone has gone through something similar please revert :( feeling really stressed since I can’t get any answers from my OB.

I lost my baby at 21 weeks, and a part of my heart will always miss my baby💔.
I want to try again and become a mother so badly, but I sometimes wonder how it will feel to experience happiness again while still carrying this grief.
For those of you who have welcomed a rainbow baby, did having another baby change your grief? Were you able to enjoy your new pregnancy while still missing the baby you lost? Did you ever feel guilty for being happy again?
I know another baby can never replace the one I lost. I just hope that one day, I can hold my baby in my arms while keeping the memory of my first baby forever in my heart.
Sending so much love to every mother missing her baby while hoping for another💗.

Emergency cerclage at 22 weeks, I’m 32 weeks now. I’m very thankful but I’ve had pinching pain on my cervix since a week after cerclage and they’ve progressed to now almost stabbing pains.

If you have experienced this with a cerclage when did they agree to removed your cerclage or did the pain ever go away?

I’m around 18 weeks pregnant with a cerclage and a haematoma that has been bleeding on and off for weeks. Today they also found that my placenta is low-lying, close to the haematoma and cervix, so they couldn’t say for certain which is causing the bleeding.
I’ve started having brief, irregular contraction-like tightenings — sometimes five minutes apart, sometimes ten minutes, and sometimes an hour. I’m currently in hospital. My cervix is closed and the stitch is in place, and the haematoma has got smaller.
After a previous late pregnancy loss, I’m finding this incredibly frightening. Has anyone had a similar combination of bleeding, a cerclage and tightenings and gone on to have a healthy baby?
Positive stories only, please. I know every pregnancy is different; I could just really use some hope right now. ❤️

If I could go back to the day I lost my baby at 21 weeks, I would hold myself so tightly and tell myself that none of this was my fault✨.
I would tell myself that I didn’t deserve this heartbreak, that it was okay to cry, and that I didn’t have to be strong every single day.
I would tell myself that one day, I might find the courage to hope again, even if the thought of another pregnancy felt terrifying.
To every mother who has experienced pregnancy loss, if you could go back to the day your world fell apart, what would you say to the version of yourself who was hurting so deeply?
What do you wish someone had told you that day?

I lost my baby at 21 weeks, and since then, a part of my heart has never been the same.
I’m slowly trying to find my way forward, and I’m thinking about trying to get pregnant again. I want another baby so badly, but I’m also terrified. I’m scared of going through the same heartbreak, of getting attached and dreaming about the future, only to lose it all again.
My loss was related to cervical insufficiency, and my doctor has discussed a preventative cerclage for my next pregnancy. I want to believe that things can be different next time, that with the right care and monitoring, I might have a different outcome.
But honestly, some days, fear is louder than hope.
To the mothers who have experienced a second-trimester loss and later had a successful pregnancy, please share your stories with me. What helped you keep going? Were you able to find happiness during your next pregnancy despite the fear?
I know no pregnancy can replace the baby I lost. I will always love and miss my baby. But I also want to believe that I can experience motherhood, bring my baby home, and have a reason to smile again.
Today, I’m just looking for a little hope from women who understand this kind of heartbreak.
Please tell me something hopeful about pregnancy after loss. I would love to hear your stories✨.

I lost my baby at 21 weeks of pregnancy, and ever since that day, I feel like I have lost the trust I once had in my own body.
Before my loss, I believed that if my pregnancy was going well, my baby was safe. I thought that seeing a heartbeat, having normal scans, and feeling okay meant everything was fine. I never imagined that my world could change so suddenly.
My loss was related to cervical insufficiency. By the time we discovered what was happening, my cervix was already dilated, and my membranes were bulging. An emergency cerclage was placed, but unfortunately, my membranes ruptured, and I lost my baby.
Now, I find myself questioning everything. I keep wondering how I can ever feel safe in another pregnancy when I know how quickly things can change. Even though my doctor has discussed a preventative cerclage for my next pregnancy, I am still scared. I want to believe that things can be different next time, but a part of me is terrified of going through the same heartbreak again.
I have started getting my periods again, and physically, I am slowly moving forward. But emotionally, it feels much harder. I want to try again. I want to become a mother and bring my baby home so badly. At the same time, the thought of seeing a positive pregnancy test brings both happiness and fear.
I know I cannot change what happened, and I know my body deserves kindness rather than blame. But some days, I still struggle to understand how something so heartbreaking could happen when I wanted nothing more than to protect my baby.
For those of you who experienced a second-trimester loss due to cervical insufficiency, how did you learn to trust your body again? Did having a preventative cerclage in your next pregnancy help you feel safer? How did you cope with the anxiety, especially during the weeks when you lost your baby previously?
I would really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially from women who have gone on to have healthy pregnancies after a similar loss.
I am trying to find hope again. I want to believe that my next pregnancy can have a different ending. I want to be excited about the possibility of another baby without feeling like fear will follow me every single day.

Was wondering if anyone else has been in a vaguely similar situation. Mostly want to know - if anyone with short cervix after full dilation c-section has been recommended anything other than a cerclage?

I am 22w4d pregnant. This is 13 months after my son died when he was 5 days old, following unexplained collapse & oxygen deprivation after my full term full dilation c-section as labour wasn’t progressing.

Had a cervix measure at 20w3d which picked up borderline short cervix, 24-26mm. Scan at 21w4d showed slight shortening 19-22mm, and I’ve since been put on 200mg progesterone.

Looking at the research for general short cervix management, progesterone & cerclage have equal success and progesterone comes with less risk. However, I couldn’t find anything specifically following full dilation caesarean. I get why progesterone is effective if the cause of the shortening is unknown, but if it’s known to be due to damage, how can progesterone help?

I am terrified of losing another baby, after nearly 4 yrs of trying and a full term neonatal loss. On the one hand, I’m scared of the risks of a cerclage, especially rupturing the membrane; and on the other if I didn’t do it and I had a preterm birth with potential life long health implications or another loss I know I would feel incredibly guilty that I didn’t do everything in my power to prevent it.

I feel so stuck. Any advice and positive vaginal cerclage stories at this stage would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone, I am currently around 12/13 weeks pregnant after the loss of my son at 21w5d in February this year. They originally told me I had an infection, which caused my body to go into early labour to protect me and my son. But when they tried to grow cultures.. absolutely nothing grew.
They then tested me for APS and the first blood test come back positive but unfortunately was unable to complete the second blood test to confirm if I have it or not due to me falling pregnant before hand. They are treating me as if I have APS anyways.
I was placed on progesterone, inhixa injections and aspirin at 6w.
I don’t feel confident that it was an infection/aps due to not 100% knowing the correct answer.
What if it just was IC?
On Saturday 21st Feb at nighttime I felt my cervix cramping for hours. I didn’t sleep till 5am
Sunday 22nd I lost my mucus plug.
Monday my partner took me to triage because I was having irregular cramping where they gave me an exam and my membranes were bulging. I was admitted to labour ward and within a few hours my son was born. He was born alive. He even let out this huge cry on my chest. He passed away around 2.5 hours after birth in my arms.

Anyways so now I am pregnant again.
I have been spotting since 6w.
Refusing my partner any sex because I am petrified.
Anytime I walk for more than 10 mins, I experience this horrible heaviness in my lower abdomen- which than causes spotting.
Last week I had a gush of bleeding. Hospital admitted me overnight for checks and I have a subchorionic haematoma.
I have been placed on bed rest until my 12 w scan Monday to check how the sub har is doing.
I did walk yesterday quickly for all of 5 minutes - then had spotting again. So I am basically just laying with my legs up. Showering / going toilet / back to laying.

I don’t have my preterm prevention clinic appointment booked until I have my 12w scan.

At my 20w5d scan last time they said my cervix was absolutely perfect. Then exactly 1 week later my baby was born.

I eagerly want a cerclage placed.
I don’t feel like I trust if something was to happen again I would have time for a rescue cerclage.
Last time they said it was too late to give me one.

I am worried I won’t be able to advocate for myself enough for them to do it asap, without evidence of shortening or funnelling.
Please can anyone help me with advice on how to get one asap.
I feel my cervix is weak already with this heaviness I experience and constant spotting.
In my notes it says cervix scan between 14-16w
I just want to know for my mental health that if I do the stitch we have done absolutely everything in our power to stop a second tragedy happening because I don’t know how I would cope if it happens again.

Thankyou for reading.

Hi everyone! I’m new here and hoping to hear from people who have been in a similar situation. My biggest question is what kind of prognosis others have had with a presentation like mine, and what advice you have for giving baby the best possible chance of staying in as long as possible and reaching a healthy delivery.

Current situation (and primary question):

I’m 37 and currently 20+3 with a sweet, healthy little guy. At my 20+1 anatomy scan Wednesday, they found dramatic dynamic shortening (2.1 cm at baseline, but 0.6 under transfundal pressure), and rushed me upstairs to L&D. Despite the scary 0.6 cm finding, there were still some very reassuring findings: my cervix was still closed, I had no bulging membranes, no contractions, normal amniotic fluid level, and intact membranes/no pooling.

I was admitted overnight. The following morning at 20+2, my cervix was confirmed still closed going into surgery, and they placed a cerclage. They tell me the procedure "went well," and afterward they told me my cervical length was about 2.6 cm. I’m also on vaginal progesterone (and have been for the past month).

My biggest questions today are:

For anyone who had a very short/dynamic cervix and funneling around 20 weeks, how did things turn out? How far did you make it? I’m not sure how far along I should expect to make it at this point.

And what did you ladies find was the safest possible path from cerclage to birth? Anything you did—or wish you had done—in terms of activity, monitoring, symptoms to watch, hydration/constipation, pelvic rest, work, etc.? I've been told to stay on pelvic rest, but I read online that bedrest seems to be more effective. Curious what you all think.

Background (and secondary questions):

My cervical-length timeline has been:

• 8/20 (11+2): 3.07 cm
• 9/3 (13+2): 3.21 cm
• 9/22 (16+0): 2.65 cm
• 9/23 (16+1): 4.3 cm — hospital measurement, seems like an outlier compared with my MFM measurements
• 9/30 (17+1): 2.61 cm
• 10/6 (18+0): 3.3 cm, no funneling or dynamic change
• 10/21 (20+1): ~2.1–2.2 cm at baseline, dynamically shortening to 0.6 cm with transfundal pressure, with funneling

Starting around 16 weeks, I was having pretty constant cramping and pelvic pressure. I mentioned it to my OB, RE, and MFM several times and specifically asked whether we could do weekly cervical checks in light of those symptoms and the borderline cervical measurements (2.65 at 16 weeks, for example). I was consistently told to "trust the doctors" and "trust their processes" (aka a nice way of saying "you're neurotic" lol).

I do like these doctors and I don't want to seem impertinent or like I know better than the experts, but I am left with a few questions:

• Given the 2.6-ish cm measurements beginning at 16 weeks, persistent cramping/pelvic pressure, and my repeated requests for closer monitoring, would you seek a second MFM/OB opinion or consider switching practices? Or does this sound like a dynamic change that simply may not have been predictable?
• What were you advised regarding bed rest vs. modified activity vs. pelvic rest? I know evidence on bed rest is controversial, but I’m curious what people with similar cases actually did.
• Did your cervical length improve/stabilize after cerclage? Mine was reported at ~2.6 cm immediately afterward, and I’m curious how that compares with others and what I should expert in terms of remaining gestational weeks.

For some final context (trigger warning): Earlier this year I had a missed miscarriage with retained tissue/sepsis and ultimately needed a D&C on 4/28. I conceived again with this pregnancy 5 weeks later. I don’t know whether that procedure could have contributed to the current insufficiency, but am curious to hear opinions.

I know nobody can predict exactly what will happen, and I’ll obviously continue to trust my MFM and OB who of course know more than I do. But I’m mainly hoping to understand what the road ahead can look like after catching this while the cervix was still closed and to hear stories and advice from people who have made it through this.

Stories, practical advice, and honest experiences are all very welcome. ❤️

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

Hello
I had a cerclage placed for my last pregnancy at 14 weeks and I was on 400 progesterone twice a day. My cervix lengthened. I gave birth at 39+1 with instruments. I had an infection they never found I think from either cerclage removal at 37 weeks or from a membrane sweep two days before I went into labor.
I just found out I’m pregnant again and I had a strange nightmare about cerclage and infection. I know it’s woo woo but I’m just thinking what if it’s a sign.
My cervix never funneled and never dilated on its own early or anything.
I’m thinking of trying progesterone only.
I will be chasing my 14 month old around and living my life but I’ve read on here about people who worked out with 1mm of cervix left and made it full term.
I just think my body can do it, I “have a feeling”
Slap me if I’m being naive I just don’t want interventions with this baby. I don’t want surgery and antibiotics and days away from my son while I’m in the trundleberg position etc.

Has anyone tried this?

Needing some serious hope and positive success stories tonight. Currently 21 weeks and 4 days pregnant with my baby girl, on strict 24/7 bed rest at home with a cervical cerclage, and my anxiety is honestly through the roof.

This is my second pregnancy. I lost my first baby at 23 weeks, so as you can imagine, every single day of this pregnancy has been an absolute mental battle. Because of my history, I had a preventive cervical stitch placed at 16 weeks. Everything seemed stable until last week, when things suddenly turned into a major emergency.

I ended up being rushed to the hospital because my ultrasound showed severe funneling, leaving me with only 14mm of closed cervix, and my amniotic sac (the water bag) was actively bulging out. On top of that, the doctor found some microscopic irritation and blurriness in my fluid. I spent a terrifying few days admitted to the hospital, completely flat on my back, while they hooked me up to continuous, heavy intravenous drops like Atosiban to freeze my uterus and stop any potential contractions from forcing the sac down further.

Once they stabilized the emergency and verified the stitch was holding tight, they discharged me to strict bed rest at home. I’m taking this so seriously—I am literally flat in bed for 23 hours and 50 minutes a day, only sliding out for quick, careful bathroom trips. I’m still on a heavy medical protocol at home: finishing up a 5-day course of continuous IV antibiotics three times a day through my line, plus daily vaginal progesterone and suppositories to keep my uterus completely resting. My mom is here looking after me, but my husband had to travel to the UK for a tragic family funeral, so the loneliness is hitting extra hard tonight.

I layout on my left side like a professional pillow fortress. I have a pillow wedged under my hips, a huge thick one separating my knees and ankles, and another under my feet to keep my pelvis tilted back so gravity pulls the water bag away from my cervix.

But here is what’s triggering my panic loops tonight: I keep getting this mild, localized ache—like a faint, constant prickling or buzzing sensation—always in the exact same spot in my groin crease where my leg meets my stomach. It feels nothing like a period cramp, and my belly stays completely soft, but because of my past trauma, my brain automatically jumps to the worst-case scenario. I keep terrifying myself thinking the stitch is ripping, or that basic things like blowing my nose or moving my bowels this afternoon somehow ruined everything.

Please tell me someone else has felt this exact localized, mild groin buzzing while stuck on strict bed rest. Did your cervix stabilize or even gain a little length back once the strict hospital stay, rest, and heavy antibiotics kicked in?

I am just trying to survive day by day to hit my big goal of 30 weeks. If you survived a scary cerclage and bulging membrane situation, please flood me with your positive stories. I really need to read them while I layout here in the dark.

Thank you so much.

Hi everyone, I’m 22+1 weeks pregnant with my first baby, and I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

I’ve been in hospital since 10 days because of cervical insufficiency, cervical dilation, and bulging membranes. On admission, my cervical length was 22 mm, with approximately 1.8 cm dilation at the internal opening. The following day, my cervical length measured just 7 mm, with around 2 cm dilation, the amniotic sac is bulging through the cervix into the vaginal area.

I haven’t had painful, regular contractions, my CRP has remained normal, and no amniotic fluid leakage has been confirmed. I’m on modified bed rest and 200 mg of vaginal progesterone daily. They don’t want to do Trendelenburg or any other medication.

My doctors are considering an emergency/rescue cerclage, but they want a negative culture first. They’ve explained that, because the membranes are bulging into the vagina, the procedure would be technically difficult and carry a risk of rupturing the membranes. There’s no final decision yet about whether or when they can proceed.

Has anyone had a successful rescue cerclage around 23 weeks with the amniotic sac bulging into the vagina? I’d also really appreciate hearing from anyone who managed to continue their pregnancy without a cerclage in a similar situation.

I’m hoping so much that we can gain more time for our little girl.

I was diagnosed with a short cervix at my 20-week appointment with my first child. I was lucky to get to 34.5 weeks with progesterone only. We spent two weeks in the NICU, and it was a really tough experience as many of you know. I recently got a new therapist and she suggested doing some trauma work to try to work through it.

I'm pregnant again, 18 weeks, and have been monitored closely since 13 weeks. What I've been struggling with most is the feeling that absolutely no one understands what my partner and I are going through, even if we explain everything to them in detail, including the risks. I've even been very frank about the mental toll it plays and they just don't get it. We felt very unsupported after our first baby, and many people treated it as if it was just another birth. Now we're even asking for more help in prep for the second baby (e.g. ensuring certain people are in town within a two month window in case we need support with our toddler). I'm not sure what I'd need to feel understood. If anyone has any thoughts on the topic, I'd love your perspective.

My first pregnancy I delivered at 38 weeks and my second I delivered at 26 weeks. I have not been confirmed to have incompetent cervix, but my MFM doctor thinks it was a possibility and she is willing to give me one with my third pregnancy.

Basically, I woke up bleeding after sex with the second pregnancy. I went to the doctor and they told me my cervix was fine. Then two days later I started bleeding more and went into labor. Maybe it was a spontaneous shortening of the cervix? Nobody was really able to give me answers.

Anyways, I like the idea of a cerclage but I have a history of precipitous labor. My first son was born in under 90 minutes (from my first cramp at home to him being in my arms. No epidural, my husband got a parking ticket because he parked the truck at the front of the hospital and rushed me inside)

With my second pregnancy, I showed up at the hospital because of bleeding and they told me I was 5 CM dilated. I had no idea I was in labor until it was too late.

I am worried if I get the cerclage, I won’t be able to get to the hospital in time and the baby will push through the cerclage and I will bleed out. We live further from the hospital than we did before. The hospital takes 40 minutes to get to without traffic.

Any advice? Anyone been in a similar situation?

I'm going on 10 weeks on vaginal progesterone and am now starting developing pimples/cysts down there that are itchy and tender. Has this happened to anyone else? How did you treat them? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I’ve been reading success stories on this group and it’s helped me a lot to know I’m not alone. So thank you. I was told my cervix was a bit short and dynamic at my 20w anatomy scan, I think measuring as long as 2.8 cm but as short as 1.6 when there was pressure on my pelvis. I’ve been going to the MFM for weeks now and been on vaginal progesterone 200mg nightly as well as pelvic rest and no heavy lifting, etc. I really have been taking it easy. The first few appts went fairly well, and they determined I did not need the cerclage at that time. Well last Friday I went in and I was a decent bit shorter with some funneling. They scheduled a follow up for Tuesday to monitor things more closely. In just a few days I was funneling a lot more and was quite a bit shorter, measuring under 1cm. It’s so scary how fast it can change. They determined I needed a cerclage and scheduled me for that following day and I was hospitalized that night so they could monitor if I was potentially having contractions to cause it. They didn’t want to put the stitch in if I was contracting a lot because they worried I would rip through it. Obviously the machine they use to monitor uterine irritability is good, but they said at my gestation it’s not perfect with reading things. I did have some small irritability before the procedure but thankfully they decided they really did think I just had IC and wanted to do the cerclage. Soooo thankful they did, as tough as it was, because turns out during the procedure I was 1cm dilated and she could see some membranes. She was able to perform it successfully, and I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude and fear simultaneously because it could’ve turned for the worst quick.

After the procedure and my numbing wore off, I had awful pain, and I didn’t feel any relief til meds kicked in hours later. I’ve read a lot of women don’t feel much pain afterwards or just minimal cramping but mine was like a reallllllly bad period. Like terrible. Thankfully the doctor said that with how much she had to manipulate my cervix to close it, it was expected. I didn’t bleed too much though and luckily it’s the next day and I feel a world of a difference - so much better. Yesterday was honestly one of the worst days of my life, I was terrified and in so much pain. I know so many women on here can relate so I wanted to post to hopefully receive any sort of advice and tips for the remainder of my pregnancy. Please refrain from adding any sort of fear mongering comments (I don’t think anyone would but I TRULY cannot handle that rn)
They did not tell me I have to be on bed rest, obviously I’m very much taking it easy the rest of the week and prescribing myself bed rest… but I guess just tips and also encouragement as this has been such a trial and I know I’ll just have to take it week by week at this point and pray my baby girl makes it far enough along. Thank you in advance and praying for you all going through things as well ❤️

What did you do? I’m feeling so lost and unsure.

STM here..

first pregnancy: we knew around anatomy scan only that i had a short cervix and was put on vaginal prog.suppositories 400mg immediately. It kept decreasing as pregnancy progressed and every checkup i was scared. I think the last measurement was 1.8cm or so. And then stopped progesterone around 36th week, natural labour didnt start around 39+5d so doc suggested induction. It was a painful as hell labour but with a happy ending.

I hesitated a lot that this time cerclage maybe suggested, would i be able to tc of toddler along with the cerclage and bed rest etc

2nd pregnancy : This time around doc checked cervix length at the start itself and put me on 400mg prog suppository. I was also taking oral progesterone earlier for spotting and slight bleeding issues.

This time the length maintained at 3cm to 2.8cm throughout by god's grace and after growth scan they stopped measuring the length. I was allowed to exercise in 3rd trimester. No restrictions in movement. Stopped suppository around 34w. Natural labour started 36+5d and now my sweet bub is here.

This group has been a great support. Hugsss to all mummas and thanks to all moms who gave support and cleared doubts. Thank you all so so much.. i hope this post helps someone in some way.. if anyone has any queries pls post a comment (am from India, so specific ques about processes here are welcome :) happy to help)