A STICH in time

If your doctor starts talking about an ‘incompetent cervix’ and orders you a McDonald, she’s not implying that you don’t qualify for motherhood or that you need a burger...

- SISTER BURGIE IRELAND

Cervical cerclage using the McDonald method simply means putting a stitch into the cervix (mouth of the womb) to keep it closed during pregnancy to prevent problems. Having a stitch in the cervix does not necessarily mean that you will have to have a c-section or that you’ll have a difficult birth.

Most women with a stitch deliver quickly and without difficulty once it’s taken out.

A cervix that’s not strong enough to keep the baby safely locked inside your womb for the full nine months of pregnancy is a threat to your unborn baby. Repeated miscarriages or previous prematurity should not be taken lightly. A stitch in time can save an unborn baby’s life.

WHY, WHAT AND HOW?

The cervix, an opening shaped like and sometimes called the ”neck” of the womb, is a particularly strong band of muscles. It also has two security valves (called the internal and external os) that help it to stay tightly closed during pregnancy.

The cervix may be damaged or weakened by trauma caused by a previous difficult or instrument birth or from surgery such as a cone biopsy for cancer or repeated D&C (dilation and curettage – stretching and opening the cervix).

Less common are inherited factors or anatomical abnormalities.