Monday: Galen and I went in for our 20 week ultrasound to do the regularly scheduled anatomy scan of Baby H (actually 21 weeks along). Everything in my pregnancy has been going normally, so we didn't anticipate anything unusual. However, only a few minutes into the ultrasound, our ultrasound tech paused and said, "Your cervix looks short and I'm seeing some funneling. Let's not do the full scan today; we'll get baby's heart and growth and then it's probably best you see your doctor to talk about that shortened cervix." She did a transvaginal ultrasound to confirm and then called our midwife.
That afternoon we met with an OB/GYN in Mankato who told us that my cervix was shortening to concerning levels and is starting to open at the top (the side where baby is). If it continues to shorten, it will open, which can cause preterm labor. Baby H could be born any day if we do nothing. The good news: there's a procedure called a cerclage that can be done to close the cervix and keep baby inside until term. Doctors put in a stitch and when I hit 36 weeks, the stitch comes out and baby makes an appearance whenever he/she is ready. This Mankato doctor wanted to refer us to the U of M medical team up in the Cities because they do 2-3 cerclages a day.
Our appointment time ended up being 8:30 on Tuesday, with the hope we could do our consult and have the procedure the same day. Instructions until then: take it easy, no eating for eight hours before the procedure, no drinking two hours before. Since we didn't know what time the procedure would be, they said I should not eat breakfast and I should stop drinking by 9:30am. That was not fun.
Tuesday: Bright and early, the U of M team redid Monday's ultrasound to confirm a shortened cervix. Since we were there, they did the full anatomy scan too. Good news: Baby H is completely healthy and is growing in the 80th percentile! His/her heart is 'beautiful' according to the ultrasound tech. Bad news: my cervix is definitely shortened and measuring at about 1.2cm. Ideal measurement this point in pregnancy is around 2.5cm. So, the doctor agreed we should go to their main campus for a cerclage procedure to close up my cervix. The schedule was pretty full, but they thought I'd be able to get in in the afternoon.
Once we arrived at that hospital, they checked me in, prepped me for the procedure, and strapped a contraction monitor to my belly. After waiting a few hours, we finally saw the doctor. By this time it was early afternoon and I hadn't eaten or drunk anything since the night before. The doctor had bad news for us: I was having contractions and because of that, they didn't want to do the procedure. The contractions could indicate I was going into labor, and if so, the stitch could get ripped out and cause major complications for future pregnancies. We had two options at that point: go home and take progesterone (recent studies have shown progesterone can reduce contractions) and hope labor doesn't start (no cerclage), or stay the night, get rehydrated, and take medicince that might stop the contractions and see how things are in the morning (and hopefully do the cerclage then).
We decided to stay and try the med option. Interestingly, the contractions never hurt. They felt like a ball was being rolled under my skin across my belly. Honestly, I had thought that was the baby moving around. Good news: I got to eat some food and the contractions slowed down/went away. They took the contraction monitor off for the night.
Wednesday: They got me up bright and early to put the contraction monitor back on and start an IV bag to keep me hydrated. It took a few hours for the doctors to make their rounds to me. When they did, it was not great news. They said my contractions had slowed, but were still happening. Also, they had noticed some sediment in the funneling area of my cervix on yesterday's ultrasound. That could indicate an infection in utero. If there is an infection, the only way to treat it is to give birth and expel those liquids (This is what we presume happened with Bekhor, our first child.). They were afraid that if I got a cerclage, that would trap the potential infection inside and it might prevent my body from getting rid of it in time. So, they were not recommending the procedure for me anymore. Our best option was to go home with progesterone and pray for the best.
So, that's what we're doing. I'm taking progesterone daily with the hope that it will keep my cervix closed long enough for Baby H to be viable outside the womb. We are 22 weeks on Friday. There's a 30% chance of survival at that age, and if survival happens the baby is likely to have physical and mental disabilities. If we can make it to 24 weeks, survival rate is about 50%. 26 weeks= 60%. This is the point where there are fewer complications and health risks. 28 weeks= 80%. Full term for us is Feb. 1st.
That seems so far away.
I need to remind myself to take one day at a time. And if that's too hard, half a day.
God is in control. He can keep my cervix closed, keep me free of infection, and keep me from going into labor. We trust his plan for us and trust that his will is done, whatever the outcome may be. So, please pray for peace and patience for us, and that Baby H stays inside for a long time.
