I lost my first baby to early miscarraige, my second baby was born at 35 weeks (after stopping labour at 32 weeks and having bed rest) - she is now 9 and healthy, my third baby was born at 23 weeks and died ten weeks after. I was then allowed to go to a preterm research centre in Victoria (Australia) and went under a myriad of testing during my fourth pregnancy. This research centre only allows women who have had three or more preterm and/ or miscarraiges, and has in the last ten years had a 99% success rate in getting these women's following pregnancies past 35 weeks. So I sought out this centre, and we moved almost 1,000 kms so that I could go. One of the tests was to have fortnightly internal ultrasounds (sonograms) for a more detailed check of my cervix. At 21 weeks with that pregnancy, they found my cervix had shortened from 3.9 to 1.7 cms. They said from research they have found a shortening of the cervix in that amount of time (was 9 days) meant my body would go into proper labour within a week and I would have lost that baby. So they put in a cervical stitch that afternoon. They have found in those circumstances that to put in a BURIED SCHIRODKAR cervical stitch has the best success rate. I had the stitch removed at 38 weeks being told that I would either go into immediate labour, or that my cervix would be so used to being closed that I may be overdue. I was really excited when I made it to fullterm and my family and I brought out the non-alcoholic wine to celebrate. At 40 weeks and 3 days I gave birth naturally to a healthy 8lb 12oz boy! The following pregnancy I had the cervical stitch put in at 12 weeks and had another overdue baby - a healthy girl at 40 weeks 5 days! 9lb! When I went in for that op at 12 weeks to have the stitch put in, I was visited by a man writing a research paper and he told me (in 'confidence' as they only had about 6 years of proof at that stage, and have wait until 10 years of proof before publishing their findings - that was 4 years ago, so hopefully will come out soon) that with every D&C (Dilatation and Curettage) that you have your chances of your cervix being weakened greatly increase. D&C's are performed with early abortions, miscarraiges, and in my case I had one during each of my 7 laparoscopies for Endometriosis. So I was told they are the main causes for cervical weakness. And there is an 80% tp 99% chance of making it to full term pregnancy AFTER a SCHIRODKAR suture has been put in. DO not go for the MCDonald suture, it only has about a 40% success rate. Ofcourse you also have to follow your doctors advice of no intercourse (orgasm is fine - just inserting anything near the suture can cause infection), no lifting, stretching, or deep coughing allowed.
Sorry about the HUGE answer. I have been writing letters to all kinds of government officials etc here in Australia for the past 5 years trying to make this public knowledge immediately as the clinic had a 99% success rate over 6 years and it upsets me that so many women lose their babies when they don't have to. Unfortunately I just get passed onto another department etc.
Anyway, I hope this helps some of you ladies!
Kristy