Question2005 my daughter gave birth to a little boy(brae)870grams stillborn.
at 18w her waters broke,she stayed in hospital until she went into early labour, at 26w baby was fine until labour began, he slipped and was stuck and stopped breathing and came out feet 1st.as my daughter didnt dillate ,so they gave her a d&c cutting her cervix,which we have now found out has left damage.2007 my daughter was pregnant again same docter and hospital,doctor told her she would need stitch put in to hold baby,he did this cutting her stomache at 18w trying to put stitch in place but couldnt as placenta was low laying.he then waited a week and putt stitch in vagina,we then thought everything would be ok.
at 20w she began to bleed heaviy,she was to bed rest and stay in hospital.23w she went into early labour and gave birth to another boy(rockie) he lived for 4 days.6 months after this as a mum i could see she needed answers and her heart is broken,she is 27y and has no children but really would live to be a mum herself. she needed to see a different doctor and hospital,she agreed and this new doctor ran blood tests to find she has hymosistine(needs extra folate)causes placenta to clot and go into labour early.she now has this blood at a normal level,not knowing this before.this new doctor gave her a ultrasound telling about damage done to her cervix and said if she is to fall pregnant again he would put in stitch vaginaly between 13w and 16w but still is 50% chance.do you think new doctor and hospital that is more caring and knowing blood disorder she could have a baby alive in her arms.thanks karen.
AnswerDear Karen,
Although there is no way to know for sure, it does sound like this new OB doctor is making himself very well informed of her risk factors prior to another pregnancy, so as to be as prepared as possible.
The cervical cerclage - the stitch placed in the cervix to keep it from opening too early - IS typically placed between 13 and 16 weeks. There's actually some controversy about whether cerclage should be used beyond 16 weeks, after the cervix may begin to change. Bedrest may prove to be better in situations where cerclage cannot be done before 16 weeks. Women who seem to benefit most from cerclage include those who've had three or more unexplained 2nd trimester losses or preterm births or who have a known incompetent cervix.
Again - obviously there is no way to know for sure, but I would say that it seems from afar that this new doctor seems quite well prepared and has (at least) found the high homocysteine levels which will require the increased folic acid supplements. I would suggest that she begin folic acid supplements while trying to conceive rather than waiting until she actually finds out she is pregnant, but that is something she can talk to her doctor about. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that women who take the recommended daily dose of folic acid starting one month before they conceive and throughout the 1st trimester reduce their baby's risk of birth defects such as spina bifida by up to 70%. That research alone is swaying enough to do so, but with the high homocysteine levels, the reasoning would become even more convincing.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you and your daughter well and will have a good thought for her!
Brenda
