Weak cervix (cervical insufficiency)

Are there any women here who have a weak cervix and maybe had a cerclage? (a band/stitch around the cervix)

I suddenly lost my girl at the end of January with a 22w1d pregnancy, probably due to an incompetent cervix. Now I'm trying to get pregnant again, but at the same time I'm really worried about the medical process I'll go through.

Are there people here who had a cerclage? Via the vagina or via the abdomen?
Do you also get progesterone? Did you have to rest in bed?
Are there special hospitals or doctors in the Netherlands specialized in placing cerclages?

I'd love to hear experiences from Dutch or Belgian women. I'm currently on English-speaking Facebook groups and have received a lot of support there. Are there perhaps also Dutch-speaking Facebook groups specifically for incompetent cervix? Thanks in advance.

Hi Chipa,

It's a pity that I'm only reading your message now and there's so little response to it.
Maybe it's for the best though, because I personally wish everyone a carefree pregnancy.
I hope you're back to being happily expecting by now.
I myself gave birth at 24 weeks and 3 days to our daughter Laura.
I'm already 27 weeks pregnant now.
They had already warned me beforehand that they would keep a closer eye on me during any future pregnancies.
I found that reassuring and let everything come as it may.
They started prescribing vaginal progesterone capsules from 12 weeks onwards. I also got more appointments. Specifically, every two weeks. They checked for infections and measured the cervix (bmh). In my case, they didn't know whether I had gotten an infection which weakened the cervix, or if I got an infection because of a weak cervix. At 22 weeks, my cervix shortened from 3cm to 2cm, which is below the minimum of 2.5cm. A cerclage was the only option.
The cerclage went really well for me personally. I didn't feel anything from the spinal block either, though general anesthesia was also an option in my case. The procedure was done in 10 to 15 minutes. They had to do an ultrasound once (a side effect of the anesthesia), but that doesn't hurt either; on the contrary, it's a relief! You might bleed for a week afterwards, but I had very little bleeding. I did have hardening contractions on the day of the procedure, which is normal after the procedure. The next day, they checked everything before letting me go home.
A cerclage will never be done through the abdomen during pregnancy.
I have to take it very easy according to my doctor's advice, but other doctors might have a different opinion on that.
I also decided for myself to stop working immediately when I got pregnant. I communicated that at work, even though under normal circumstances I had to work until 6 months as a nurse on a geriatric ward. They weren't prepared for that. Ultimately, I'm glad I did it, especially since I'm now walking around with a cerclage due to a weak cervix.

Best wishes and good luck.

ps: I'm also in the Dutch-speaking Facebook group 'pregnant with cerclage'

Weak cervix (cervical insufficiency)

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