Carol Alvarado of Browns Valley, Calif., is the very happy mother of two
healthy children – but she endured a great deal of difficulty to reach this point.
While pregnant with her first child, at the age of 29, Carol was diagnosed with
incompetent cervix.
Incompetent cervix is a condition in which a pregnant woman's cervix is softer and weaker than normal, and as a result, might open prematurely during pregnancy. In some cases an ultrasound image can lead to the diagnosis of incompetent cervix, but most often, the condition is not discovered until a woman has lost a pregnancy, usually in her second or third trimester. "It is estimated that incompetent cervix is responsible for 25 percent of all second trimester miscarriages," says Dr. Traci Kurtzer, an obstetrician-gynecologist with ENH Medical Group in Deerfield, Ill.
Cervical cerclage has become the standard treatment for incompetent cervix. |
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"The diagnosis is a challenging one. A history of multiple second trimester deliveries or progressively earlier deliveries in successive pregnancies might be an indicator. A physician might also be more observant for signs of incompetent cervix in patients who have had cervical trauma or surgery, who have had exposure to the drug DES in utero, or who have other congenital defects in the uterus or cervix."
During the 22nd week of a pregnancy that was going very well, Alvarado knew something was terribly wrong when she found pink mucous on her toilet tissue one morning. She'd done enough reading during her pregnancy to recognize that the discharge may have been a sign that her mucus plug had dislodged. "I drove myself to the hospital and, much to my surprise, the doctor determined that I was 4 centimeters dilated and the amniotic sac had partially descended through my cervix," says Alvarado. In addition to excessive discharge, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pressure, and heaviness in the lower abdomen are also cited as possible symptoms of incompetent cervix.
I had a cerclage put in place at 12 wks and on August 30,2009 my water broke at 18 weeks and i delivered because i was having contractions without knowing. My OB suggests that I have a TAC in place before i conceive. I'm very discouraged because i've had 4 prior miscarriages all in the 2nd trimester.
i have gone thru this twice....its the most horrible feeling on earth.
its so difficult to digest the fact that a completely healthy baby has to suddenly die....its devastating
i felt so helpless.i was advised to take stiches but since i had placenta previa it cudnt be possible.i was on complete bedrest and had best of treatment but nothing spared me the horror of loosing my 2nd child.now i m 7weeks and hoping for the best and i m scheduled for clerage in the 13th week.fingers crossed
I have one word for all of us with incompetent cervix "Transabdominal Cerclage" Look it up. It has an almost 100% success rate. I too went through a loss at 20 weeks due to IC and when we get pregnant again I will be getting a Transabdominal cerclage done. There is a wonderful group that is very knowledgable about this procedure called abbyloopers on yahoo. I would recommend talking to these ladies and listening to what they have to say. Hope this helps all you grieving mothers.
I too have an incompetent cervix and lost my child in 04/2009 at 20 weeks. It was a horrible feeling, I think the most horrible thing is that I had virtually no symptoms that would warn me of this loss, and by the time I did notice symptoms, it was too late. I am now 18 weeks pregnant and had a cerclage placed at 14 weeks. Hopefully this will allow me to have a child. It is nerve wracking, but I am hoping this cerclage will work and make all the worry worthwhile.
I recently lost my first baby at 22 weeks (july 14th, 09) premature also due to incompetent cervix. By a blessing I got pregnant the following month after I lost my angel. Im currently 9 weeks and will have my cerclage put in Nov. 12th,09. I completely understand your pain to have to bury your child, I won't wish it on anyone. Good Luck
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