Cervical Incompetence at 8 Weeks: What You Need to Know

Question
I am 8 weeks pregnant and recently had an appointment with my doctor who informed me after my exam that she could see just a hint of red indicating that my cervix was not completely closed.  She said that it was not normal and that she would like for me to see the ob doctor on my next visit which is not until a month from now.  I am concerned as I surfed the web and read something about an incompetent cervix.  Could this be my problem?  Should I make an appointment to go in earlier?

Answer
It is very common to have some staining or spotting at 8-10 weeks gestation. As long as you are not having heavy bleeding with cramps, it is not significant. You should see an obstetrician at 8 weeks from the first day of your last period. There are other ways to diagnose incompentent cervix. We do not treat incompetent cervicl os until 14 weeks or later.