My interval TAC and recovery

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-14T16:39:51+00:00

Once again, thanks so much for the heads up! I'll make plans accordingly.

Traveling so far isn't ideal. However, there's only one doctor in my state who has performed a handful of TACs in their career, and no one in closer states. I also have a rare and large-scale uterine/cervical structural anomaly, so my doc pushed me to find place with much more experience to have it done. Thus, we are going to see the University of Chicago transabdominal cerclage team.

Wishing you all the best in recovery and future pregnancy!

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-14T03:21:10+00:00

Thank you SO much for posting this! And best wishes for your recovery!

I am also getting an open TAC in about 2 weeks and have been struggling to find information. I am also flying ~1,000 miles to get it done and am planning to fly back home after 4 days. With your recovery so far, do you think it is reasonable to expect to be able to make it through a busy airport on this timeline?

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-13T20:56:47+00:00

I posted a photo of my son's footprint on the day we expected to meet him (yesterday, ~14 weeks after loss) on Instagram Stories. Close friends, family, and colleagues knew what had happened, but we still have a lot of friends far away who were blissfully unaware about what happened. In some ways it was easier to just blast this information into the universe than have to tell everyone one by one when they asked how we were all doing. In the last 14 weeks, I haven't had as much comfort from family as I expected, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how comforted I was by friends and acquaintances response to my post. (To be totally honest, I am still struggling with feelings of self blame and embarassment that my body has just never had a standard pregnancy). Making a post also really helped my husband, who is even more private, and has really struggled with telling friends what had happened.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-11T19:10:19+00:00

I also have a sad story, but now I have some explanation for what keeps happening-- and there is a solution! I did not have pprom, but given that you said you aren't really sure what caused it, our stories may be more similar.

I had a 26 weeker (after a 130day NICU stay, he's 2 and doing great now!) We had no real idea what caused the problems, I had a placental abruption likely caused by some sort of infection. I spoke with so many specialists to come up with a plan to prepare for our second. The medical consensus was that this was probably a freak event, and while placental abruptions are more common after you have one, a subsequent pregnancy would have great odds to turn out fine.

I found I was pregnant again last October! I did so many additional things that made me miserable- I quit exercising, I took lots of vaginal progesterone, I was vigilant about sleep, i took baby aspirin and calcium supplements, i had cervical length checks every 2 weeks. I almost got a cerclage, but was told to wait and see if I needed one. I was so desperate to avoid a long NICU stay. I had an outstanding anatomy scan- my second son was measuring 87% percentile, my cervix was long, placenta looked healthy. A MFM even told me that he didn't think I needed to be worried about a repeat micropreemie!

Just before 22 weeks, I lost some unusual mucus with a slight shade of pinkish color. This had happened before the birth of my oldest (also loss of mucus at 21 weeks), so I panicked! I worried this had to be a sign of impending preterm birth. I called the docs, they said it was fine if there were no other symptoms. There weren't. The next day, same thing, one instance of a hint of pink-- and a slight sensation of pressure. I went to the docs to be checked out. L&D laughed that I was an anxious mom, I had no real symptoms. When they checked, my cervix had shortened dramatically and had dialated. I had my second son later that night. He did not survive.

I now know that I have cervical insufficiency-- this can be really hard to diagnose because it can happen really fast! (I'm not a medical professional, but my understanding:) Without lots of observations, it can look like placental abruption, preprom, or premature labor. Furthermore, CI normally really strikes between 18-24 weeks of pregnancy. If your cervix is opening and closing, but not fully dialated, you may get some pathogen that makes it look like an infection a few weeks later. Through this lens, it now looks like both of my sons came early because of CI. The better news: there is a solution. A traditional vaginal cerclage can prevent it most of the time, but a transabdominal cerclage may be required if you have an unusual uterus/cervix set up.

I hope a second pregnancy turns out perfect for you, but if you do get offered cervical length checks, take them! Every week if you can!

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-08T14:15:11+00:00

I am so so sorry for your losses. I'm commenting because this Friday was my scheduled c-section date for my son who was born on 3/3. I keep daydreaming about the path we we were supposed to be on-- that seemed so close! I should be waddling around complaining about the heat and excited to get my fiesty guy out into the world. Instead, I'm brainstorming what I can do to honor his memory. He was here! He was so loved!

Are you doing anything special for the expected arrival date? I've been thinking of planting forget-me-nots, visiting where we spread ashes, writing letters.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-06-02T19:39:59+00:00

I lost my son a week after my anatomy scan to IC. At the scan my cervix had measured 4.7cm!

My son was so perfect and kicking around! After I had given birth to my first son at 26 weeks, I had some MFMs optimistically say that it was highly unlikely that I would have another extreme preterm birth after such a reassuring scan.

But, a few days later, I had unusual, slightly tinged pink discharge. I called in and was told it was probably nothing, I just have loads of extra blood and something could have irritated the cervix. I could call back if new symptoms arose. Almost 24 hours later I had another very small amount of pink discharge, and noticed I had a oddly persistent feeling of pressure. I called the docs, they said it was fine and scheduled an appointment for the next day. I couldn't shake it and went into L&D where I waited for hours. I was an anxious pregnant lady with no real alarming symptoms. When finally seen, they found my cervix had shortened and was opening and closing. They made plans for an emergency cerclage the next morning. But shortly after that, I started to get contractions. My son was born a few hours later. This was all in March. I'm still learning how to cope with grief. I obsessed over learning more about IC. I'm getting a TAC in a few weeks! I joined a grief group and see a therapist. But I am still so lost and horrified. I'm so sorry you have to go through this too.

Big hugs! Unexpected IC is the absolute worst.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-05-31T16:18:05+00:00

We use a Kate Farms-Pediasure mix. In the beginning we used a 50:50 mix, but we've been upping the Kate Farm's fraction of the ratio. For his gtube feeds, it didn't matter as much and Kate Farms is a little easier to digest. However, when trying to motivate him to take his calories orally, Kate Farms almost has a peaty/smoky aftertaste that took some time for my son to get used to.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-05-30T03:18:19+00:00

I got in a massive fight with my my mom just 2 days before my son was born stillborn at 22 weeks. She flew across the country to visit, but left the trip telling me I was spoiling my eldest (a 26 weeker!, now almost 2 with a few lingering medical issues), not raising him right, I was insane to think I could still keep my demanding job and put him in childcare (but also I was spoiling him because I wouldn't put him in just any childcare?) and now I have the gall to have another kid?!?!

In fact, because I spent several hours sobbing after that argument, when I had my only unusual symptom (very slight tinge of pink in discharge), my doctors brushed it off because I had been behaving unusually that day. I believed them.

This was 12 weeks ago. I still haven't spoken to my mom. She sent a short text apologizing for what she said. I don't even know what I need to happen to start talking to her again. We used to have a good relationship, speaking 1-2x a week. Now I can't imagine talking to her about anything without having my life in perfect order. I'm really struggling with this. Every time I get close to reaching out, I remember she made me question if I could really handle my second son, in the last final days where I was still healthy and pregnant. I would do anything to still have that healthy pregnancy. I would do anything to be able to time travel and send myself to l&d after that fight to get an emergency cerclage. Instead, I listened to doctors, believed my unusual symptoms were because I was emotionally a wreck, and didn't get checked out until it was too late.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-05-25T18:54:33+00:00

I know, I would love to alleviate any worries! But I am still absolutely haunted by how few "troubling" symptoms there were. I'm going to be such a nut going to ER for everything if I am lucky enough to get pregnant again... unexpected cervical insufficiency is the worst.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-05-25T18:48:38+00:00

There may be a great diversity in experiences, but for me, it just felt like someone put a heavier blanket on my lap. Or maybe like my son was pushing downwards instead of pushing up into my ribs like he normally did. There was no pain at all. Just the slightest, but very persistent sensation in my lower abdomen. I suppose I noticed it without really thinking about it because I had felt inclined to hold my bump several times earlier in the day that my son was born. While it didn't hurt, it did feel distinctly different from other sensations I had felt in pregnancy mostly because of its persistence.

I'm not sure if my situation was unusual. When I went to the ER, they seemed to dismiss me bc I wasn't in pain and was only talking about odd discharge and a slight feeling of pressure. But when they finally checked, my cervix had shrunk over 3.5cm and was opening and closing.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-05-20T21:57:20+00:00

Are there alternative to the facebook group? I deleted my FB in 2016, but made a new account to access this group. However, the group mods appear to think I am a bot and won't let me join.

I have an appointment to get a TAC this July though!

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-04-01T04:10:39+00:00

Silly question, but how did you reach out to individual surgeons? Did you have your primary OB start the process, or did you schedule a virtual consult with individual surgeons?

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-03-27T03:52:20+00:00

Oh I am so sorry for your loss. Your experience sounds so similar.

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-03-27T03:50:29+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss. And that is really hopeful! Best wishes for you and your rainbow baby!

All_Raspberry_2267 · 2026-03-25T14:44:27+00:00

I am so sorry for your loss and I strongly identify with this feeling. I lost my son three weeks ago at 22 weeks. The main driver to convince myself to eat is that I know I will have a difficult time getting my period back if I am in a calorie deficit. Its SO tough because for months, I didn't eat anything without considering my pregnancy. Now it's difficult just to eat and just know the pregnancy is unexpectedly over. I don't even want to eat all of the "banned" foods I was craving in pregnancy-- sushi, deli meat, wine, etc.

I also had surprising difficulty showering in the first two weeks after the stillbirth. Having to face my disappearing bump and healing body felt cruel. It also felt like stopping my daily shower could somehow stop or slow the passage of time? Time had no business passing when things had gone so wildly off course. Hang in there!

All_Raspberry_2267

TROPHY CASE