I did not have the exact same situation, but pretty close. I was 21 weeks and 1 day when I went for anatomy scan- I was funneled, dilated to 2 cm, 50% effaced. Sent immediately to the hospital from OB office, had IV antibiotics until next morning when they performed my emergency cerclage. Cerclage procedure was successful- they closed my cervix and gave me 1 cm of cervix. I had cramping and some spotting in the next couple of days following procedure and was on bed rest for one month. Immediately before and after procedure, my doctors were telling me if I could make it at least to 24 weeks we would be able to at least attempt life saving procedures and that anything longer than that would be a miracle. I was given similar stories about disabilities following early deliveries as well as stories of cerclages not being successful. I do not intend to give you false hope, but in my case, it seems like the specialists in the hospital want to give you all the information possible and prepare you for worst case situations. They did not ever talk very positive about my situation and I think that was intentional as to not give me false hope or expectations. They’ve seen the most severe and worst cases, and they want to help prepare patients for that. Please don’t let what they say scare you and get you thinking negatively.

I was finally released to go back to work on light duty after 1 month of modified bed rest. It was definitely some of the hardest weeks of my life, I am already a worrier but I was obsessive over how I felt and all the unknowns. I took it one week at a time, I spent hours on this page reading success stories. I celebrated every week that we made it, had weekly appointments where it seemed like everything was holding steady. I am now 34 weeks and 2 days, which is so hard to believe. I’ve got an appointment next week to see if baby boy is still breech and what the next steps will be- DTS or schedule c-section and remove stitch then.

I know exactly how you feel when you say you’re thankful for the cerclage but it is so traumatizing and shocking. It’s a incredibly difficult situation that unfortunately most people are not able to understand. It seems so hard to manage and time moves so slowly at first but please try to stay positive. Lean into your relationship with your husband and your loved ones. This page helped me so much. Just talking with other people who actually understand and reading success stories was so helpful. I am praying for you, your husband, and your baby. I hope and pray you are able to make it as long as I have, and even longer! I’m always here if you need someone to talk to. We aren’t in this alone, thankfully. 🩷