Cerclage Removal...

Well, week 36 quickly approached, and Friday September 7 2018 was doomsday for me. It was the day this stitch aka cerclage would be removed. I spent most of last week suffering with very regular contractions, I'm talking every 6 or 7 minutes for at minimum 6 hours a day. I went to labor and delivery for a labor check, even though my water hadn't broke, and I didn't have a bloody show, more so just for peace of mind. Nothing was happening of course, ugggh! The worry more than anything was that if something was to begin to happen, with this cercalge in, it would need to come out immediately, or I would risk major damage to my cervix. My appointment was scheduled in my doctors office, along with my regular weekly visit. Initially the procedure to remove was going to be done in the hospital, with a spinal (same as when it was put in) but last minute my doctor decided to change the plans and do it in the office. He thought I would be able to manage well, and chances were that I would not go into labor directly after since I was not dilating. I was still toughing it out with contractions about every 10 minutes at this point. My vitals were taken, the typical appointment questions as to how I have been feeling were asked and answered, then off to the room I went. A nurse came in and told me she needed cultures at this visit, and I would also need blood work, so we did that first. I was so nervous it was almost impossible for her to insert the speculum because I was so tense. All I could think about was all of the stories I read about how painful removing this cerclage would be, and the ones about the doctors having to attempt 2 and 3 times to remove them. Calm down Angel! I reminded myself a million times. Well the exam is over now, I assume the doctor will be in momentarily to get to business. Another nurse comes in and tells me the doctor had to leave to go to the hospital for an emergency so I would have to wait about an hour for him. Oh just my luck! I decided to grab a lunch and come back. As soon as I did, I was the first person the doctor seen. I positioned myself on the table and scooted down as much as he told me too, this felt almost like another pap smear. I felt the speculum go in, it was the average size ( I had read that a super duper speculum would be used and hurt like hell, but this was not the case), the doctor told me to relax, but I was still very tense. Next I felt a small tug in my cervix, then it seemed almost like something popped. He moved the speculum around a bit I'm assuming trying to get the perfect angle to cut these stitches. He then asked his nurse for something, I couldn't make out what he said, I asked "is it over, are you done, are they out?", he replied he needed longer scissors but wee were almost there. She came back and he went back in, I felt another few snips, then a tug or two, then I felt a rush of warmness down there. For a second I wondered if my water had broke, I began to panic, "what was that?", "are you done", "did my water break".. all my doctor said was "ok, the speculum is coming out." He told me to relax a few more times as he began to put his hand back in and feel around, he needed to make sure all of the stitch as out, and now it was. The nurse told me to continue to lay down. She had me lift my bottom up a few times as she changed the padding underneath me. My water hadn't broke, I was bleeding. And from what it looked like, it was quite a bit. I was already starting to feel some cramping. I layed there for about 2 more minutes while she cleaned me up. She told me I could stand up, and gave me a few wipes. When I stood up blood ran down my leg. I was a mess, I looked on the table and there was quite a bit of blood. I thought to bring a maxi pad with me just in case, and luckily so because I did need it. I went home, and took a tylenol and laid down for the rest of the evening. I was sore below, and felt almost sick assuming because I had been a nervous wreck the whole day. But, at last, it was finally over. The difference I feel now that it has been removed is I no longer feel a pinching sensation when I walk or move, so now I know it was the stitch that caused that feeling. Overall, Painful; YES! Quick; Absolutely! I was told to watch out for the same labor symptoms I had been previously and if the bleeding continued to returned to the hospital to be evaluated. The bleeding stopped in about 24 hours, and I lost my mucus plug within 48 hours. Still no labor. So the waiting games / countdown continues. If I do not go into labor naturally, I will be induced at 39 weeks, Updates to come! Hope this was helpful. #CervicalCerclage #CerclageRemoval #IncompetentCervix #Pregnancy #ArielleGrace #TheArielleGrace #highriskpregnancy