My first pregnancy was fine until we
discovered my cervix shortening at 25
weeks. We did an emergency cerclage
and I was put on bedrest and
tocolytics for the remainder of the
pregnancy. We induced labor at 37
weeks because of my blood pressure.
They had to break my water.
Going into the second pregnancy I
insisted on seeing a maternal fetal
medicine specialist, the one who
consulted during my emergency cerclage
the first time, and I absolutely loved
him. He did not insist on doing the
cerclage right away, but at 24 weeks
my cervix was down to almost 1 cm so
we did the cerclage. I had an almost 2
year old so bedrest wasn't really an
option as my dr. told me over and
over. I didn't have any limitations,
sex, stairs, lifting, etc. Sunday
night, Jan 9. 2005, I felt a little
tightening in my abdomen and I
thought, is this a contraction? Then
Monday morning I had the same feelings
and I went to my dr to check my blood
pressure(I was and am way paranoid
about my ecclampsia from the first
pregnancy). My bp was fine and they
said it was okay if I was feeling some
contractions. Actually, my dr. said he
was surprised how well the cerclage
was working. Well, later he said that
jinxed it. Tuesday Jan 11, I woke up
about 3 AM and had to go to the
bathroom. I stood up and felt fluid on
my leg and when I sat down on the
toilet water was gushing out and just
kept coming in trickles. My cerclage
was still in at this point. I thought
I would have bleeding if I was
contracting and it was doing anything.
Apparently not. We dropped my daughter
off at my parents and went to the
hospital. They put me on antibiotics
IV even through my GRoup B strep was
negative. They took my cerclage out at
7 AM and I immediately dilated to 4cm.
I went fairly quickly, but was in a
lot of pain at 7 cm so I had an
epidural and an hour later I was at
10. At 10:47 AM our second daughter
was born. She was 5 lb. 12 ounces and
the nurse said she was "pulling a
little" which meant she was sucking a
little too hard to breathe so they
waved oxygen in front of her face for
about a minute but then she was fine.
She nursed right away and went home
with us a few days later with me. It
was wonderful! I am pregnant for the
third time and this time we are in a
different city and new doctors. They
did not want to wait on the cerclage
so we put that in at 12 weeks when my
cervix was around 3 cm(it started at
4cm). I am almost 16 weeks and am
paranoid about the blood pressure
issue, but also because the doctors
here keep referring to my last two
pregnancies as pre-term labor and my
membrane rupture in my second
pregnancy. They have also greatly
recommended the progesterone shots
which we would start at 20 weeks.
Currently I am afraid to have sex,
orgasm, or anything that might
stimulate contractions. I also am
hoping that the odds are in my favor
this time since my cervix was longer
by 2 cm when we put the cerclage in. I
have a feeling that the next five
months are going to be very long and
filled with anxiety, but every week is
one week closer and 30 weeks is my
goal right now. Since I'm over halfway
there I have to take heart in that. I
have been comforted by the stories
here on baby survival.
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