WEEK 1 : Week by Week Incompetent Cervix Pregnancy Guide - ANOTHER IC BABY

NOTE : For the regular advice on Week 1, I suppose there are hundreds of other websites to tell you how it goes. This blog serves to supplement those sites, my personal favourites being What To Expect, Baby Centre UK and Parents. Do take note, however that I am not a professional physician, I practise law for a living and the only thing I know about incompetent cervix is through my own experience as a mother of 2 and a 16 week old baking in the oven! :)  The purpose of this blog then is just to simply share the joys and heartaches, the blessings and curses, the sadness and happiness and the disappointments and the pleasant surprises of our journey as a mom with an incompetent cervix.

This is your menstruation week. The battle you had with PMS last week is finally over. You may have cramps, but well, we know what to do, don't we? 

After all, if we have been battling infertility problems (and somehow I found out that either by coincidence or by scientific reasons, those suffering from incompetent cervix tend to suffer from PCOS as well - that's Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a condition where you do not ovulate regularly if not at all), the first signs of a period is the most welcoming sight. It means we are starting that journey to holding a baby in our arms!

Yes, Week 1. Some of us may have planned for this baby all our lives.  Some of us may have been trying for the longest time, and the signs of period means another session of sitting on the toilet bowl bawling our eyes out as it means our last attempt about 2 weeks ago failed yet again. Yet to some of us, this is just another cycle, life goes on.  For those who are indeed trying for a baby, do start on those folic acid.  Yup, a good time to start preparing for that journey to motherhood by just simply taking enough supply of the good ole folic acid.

If you are planning for your first pregnancy, you probably wouldn't have heard of incompetent cervix yet.  Sadly, you will first hear or it either when you are already on the verge of losing your baby, or you have already lost one. Or two. Or more. Losing a baby is not something I would wish for my greatest enemy, so if it has happened to you, I am sorry.  Truly I am.  If you are on your 1st pregnancy and you read this blog on time, please ask your OBGYN about this condition when you are approaching the end of your 1st trimester. Ask for a cervix length check. Just be aware.  But if you have lost a baby due to this condition before, or if you are trying for a second baby after a successful cerclage previously, there tend to be some apprehension.

Yes, after the last ordeal, perhaps you don't want to try for anymore children.  Whether or not you already had a surviving child or not, you just cannot imagine going through the ordeal again.  I almost lost my No. 1 at 23 and half weeks and was already bleeding blood clots, but my OBGYN performed a TVC (transvaginal cerclage) anyway, and I was on bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at 38 weeks. Ian is 6 years old today.  And well, many told me that perhaps I should stop there. No more babies. Too much risk.  Too many issues.  Too financially and emotionally straining.  Some gave unwelcomed advice like "You shouldn't exercise when pregnant" (I mean yea, I was hitting the gym 5 times a week 3 hours a day doing kickboxing and step aerobics but that is not the cause of an incompetent cervix!!!) and many thought this is the case where my womb isn't strong, or that I'm simply not a strong enough woman to carry a child.  So at this point, if you are preparing yourself for another pregnancy, just bear in mind that it is yours and your husband's decision. If he is being influenced inadvertently by all those ill informed advice (eventhough may be well meaning) then pull him back and head to your OBGYN's office. Listen to the professional, not the ignorant advice (again, though may be well intended).  YOU CAN HAVE ANOTHER BABY.

So, breathe in, take your folic acid, quit smoking and drinking, and prepare your body for next week... the week for intense lovemaking sessions :) :)