One Day at a Time

The cervix is a dynamic organ. And measurements of its length can be quite precarious. And every woman's body changes differently. So what does that tell us? That you just can't predict how it will act or change over time. Oh and don't forget that each doctor has different approaches in different situations.

At our appointment today the cervix measurement was shorter, right around 1 cm. Dr. Conservative had told us two weeks ago that if it got shorter she would admit me to hospital bed rest immediately. But we didn't see Dr. Conservative today. We saw Dr. Nice. And I don't call her nice because she didn't admit me to the hospital. I call her nice because she took a lot of time with us and answered questions and discussed things with us.

Why wasn't I admitted to the hospital today? Dr. Nice said that looking at the ultrasound picture she was confident that the stitches are still holding and my funneling cervix is not pushing through the stitched area. With that being said, she felt that actually my cervix is holding stable and not changing like the measurement would suggest. The funneling is holding at the stitch as it has been for the last two weeks.

She also talked a little about the accuracy of the number. That an angle of the ultrasound or a misplacement of the cross hairs could make it sound worse than it is. She did go back and forth though on what she wanted to do. She was torn. She admitted that if Dr. Conservative was here I would be admitted.

We have appreciated the conservative approach but we also felt very comfortable and confident in Dr. Nice's decision. She decided that I could go home today but not wait a week to come back. I go in again on Friday to check again. If we still get a measurement around 1.o cm or worse then it is pretty guaranteed I will be admitted to hospital bed rest. And the odds on that bet are pretty good since we will see Dr. Conservative on Friday also. In the meantime, if I feel any changes I am to go in right away.

On Friday I will also have a test called the fFN (fetal fibronectin). This is a test that if negative can tell you with 99% accuracy that you will not deliver your baby in the next two weeks. The positive results are not as accurate so really it is used as more of a negative test than a positive one.

And like has always been the case, the good news is I am not contracting and the baby looks good with a strong 150 bpm heartbeat. She has been active and moving around a lot. So much that at least for the time being she has turned breech. Lots of time and room yet to move around but something to watch for.

Another update to come Friday.... Want to place bets? Hospital or Home?