On today’s episode of the podcast we have a unique birth story episode from Kalishia. Warning: This episode includes pregnancy loss.
Kalishia had a transabdominal cerclage and a successful full term pregnancy after experiencing a miscarriage at 16 weeks and then a stillbirth at 21 weeks. A cerclage is a stitch that is placed around the cervix (the opening to the uterus) which keeps the cervix closed. It’s something we do for women who have a weakened cervix for whatever reason, whether from prior surgery or genetics. It’s not common and happens in 2-3% of pregnancies.
In this episode, Kalishia walks us through her experience. This episode is a bit longer because you really have to understand her first two pregnancies to understand the 3rd.
In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:
- What Kalishia experienced losing a pregnancy at 16 weeks
- What a transvaginal cerclage is and why she received one during her second pregnancy
- How Kalishia kept a careful eye out for changes and communicated quickly and clearly with her healthcare providers
- How Kalishia dealt with her second pregnancy being stillborn
- How difficult it can be to decide what course to take in the wake of pregnancy loss
- How Kalishia found hope in transabdominal cerclage online forums
- What made her third pregnancy a “perfect pregnancy”
- How important it can be to seek therapy or join a support group in response to pregnancy loss
- Why it isn’t constructive to tell someone who has suffered pregnancy loss what they should have done differently
Links Mentioned in the Episode
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