Made it to DTS! Cerclage Success Story
Hey everyone I know the success stories were an encouragement to me in the beginning of my cerclage/short cervix journey, so I wanted to share my story too.
At my 20 week anatomy scan with MFM, my cervix measured between 2.6–2.3 cm, and they explained that this was right on the cusp of a short cervix diagnosis. Since I had previously carried my first child to term and my cervix was never measured during that pregnancy, we discussed the possibility that this might simply be my anatomy. We decided to do weekly measurements before starting any interventions.
One week later my cervix measured at 1.6-1.3, so we opted to schedule the cerclage because my team and I were worried about further shortening and silent dilation.
Three days later, I had my cerclage placed (21+3) and at the time of placement I was at further shrunk and 1cm dilated.
My MFM team didn’t make any promises and carefully explained all the possible outcomes after placement. They told me that cerclages, on average, prolong pregnancy about 4–5 weeks, which at that point would have only gotten us to viability. They also explained that some women make it much farther and some make it to term. At the time, making it to 28 weeks or term felt almost impossible to imagine.
We made a plan about which hospital I’d go to if labor started early and depending on how many weeks gestation I was. After the cerclage I took it much easier at home and reduced my overall activity by a lot. I stopped working out, I stopping carrying things up and down the stairs, I stopped hiking and taking long walks, I stopped picking up my five year old, etc.
Honestly, the mental battle at the beginning was the hardest part. Losing my sense of normalcy was incredibly difficult. I hated not feeling like a productive member of our household and felt guilty about the extra burden my restrictions placed on my husband. But with each passing week, coping became easier.
Once we hit 28 weeks, I finally felt a huge sense of relief and started to truly believe I might make it to term with this baby.
Two days ago, we hit 36 weeks and the cerclage was taken out successfully. The procedure was about five minutes and was uncomfortable but bearable. Now we just are patiently awaiting the arrival of our baby.
If you’re early in this journey and scared, I know how overwhelming it feels. I remember searching constantly for hopeful stories, so I hope this can be one for someone else too.