Congratulations aechopeful amazing news!! Best of luck with it all. If you do some careful googling the internet is FULL of people who have gone onto have children after trachelectomy! As a fellow trachy girl who is yet to start trying to conceive - can I ask how long it took and if you had any help??
Thanks Nellie. That is sooo good to know! I haven't seen much on successful stories. It took us like two years. We went through 4 rounds of IUI and then went to IVF and were successful. It has been a long road and I am hoping this journey turns out well... How you started trying?
WOW! so pleased you are now preganant - it can't have been an easy jouney - all worth it though i'm sure!
I'm just 4 months post-op so waiting (praying!) for the 6 month green light to start trying. Fingers crossed we will be lucky. Periods are back like clockwork (in fact I didn't miss one) so i'm desparately hoping that's a good sign and I'm also dosing up the hubby and me on on conception vitamins ;)
Keep us updated on your pregnancy - i think there are more of them out there than people realise, it's just people go quiet online when there's good news!
Best of luck, in my prayers.
Nellie xx
Thank you! It's been a long, emtional journey, as you can relate to; however, it will all be worth it when we are able to hold our happy, healthy babies :).
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. That is so awesome your periods are normal. That is a VERY good sign!
I will definitely keep everyone updated.
XOXO.
Hi,
I had a radical trachelectomy in January 2014 for adenocarcinoma.
I am now 25 weeks pregnant after trying to conceive for 6 months. I can't believe it but everything has been fine. I get a check every two weeks and a swap and take progesterone daily.
Had bleeding early in the pregnancy but I think this was unrelated to previous op
I am posting this to give some hope for those who have had the RT. I have a two year old daughter who was born 8 months before my diagnosis.
I never thought I would get pregnant again. Never even dreamed they could aave my fertility when I was diagnosed so I feel so lucky.
I haven't had any more difficulty gettinf pregnant this time since cancer than I did before cancer.
The only major difference this time is the concern about premature labour but I am really positive that I will carry the baby safely till the c section which they will do between 34 - 36 weeks.
So I was a bit more carefree with my pre cancer pregnancy. This time I am trying to take it a lot easier and I am avoiding swimming and baths just to be on the safe side but everything is fine so far and baby is well. I am positive everything will be fine. It is in most cases and after all
this is why they do this amazing op!
All the best to everyone
Julia
That is awesome news Julia84. Congrats!
Have any of you ladies that are or have been pregnant after the RT had uterian irritability? I am currently 29 weeks and 2 days and have been having tightening in my uterus. The tightening hasn't changed my cervical length, which is good, but still unsettling... Also, I had a little bleeding this past weekend, which was so scary. We went to the hospital and everything has been OK since. Anyone out there experienced that?
Just praying he stays in there a little longer.
Thanks!!
Congratulations. I hope everything is still going well. Is the tightening perhaps Braxton Hicks contractions? This is normal and i have had them too in both pregnancies. i have felt a lot heavier this time and sometimes really uncomfortable hence the taking it easy but i am nearly 35 weeks preg and getting my c section next week.
Everything has gone really well. i hope for you too and that things have settled down.
J
Hello Lou,
I had a cervical cancer 1B1 and had a radical trachellectomy August 2014. We are now trying to concieve and having problems. Our fertility specialist has suggested IVF. Can I ask you a few questions about your scar tissue and going through IVF?
Wow! I'm literally in tears reading these posts. I'm currently waiting for a final stage diagnosis, at 33 I don't yet have any children and fertility is my main concern. These posts have given me so much hope. I'm so pleased that so many of you have had successful pregnancies following surgery and I keep everything crossed for those of you that are still trying. Good luck and thank you xx
JUST TO SAY...19 days ago my daughter was born at 35 weeks plus 2 days. She is perfectly healthy and didn't need any special care. She came straight to me and was able to feed by herself. She weighed 5lb 13 and we were home after 3 days.
My section was planned for 35 plus 3 days but my waters burstthe day before and had an emergency section!!
Can't believe how well everything has gone. Now i understand why they prefer to do c section around 35 weeks for us trachy girls!
Every cloud has a silver lining...we are very lucky to have our special daughter. Thank God for the amazing surgeons who can do this op! Always ask for a second opinion...some docs wanted to do a hysterectomy on me! Soooo glad that didn't happen!!
Good luck to all xxx
Ahh Julia, congratulations! Your post will bring hope to lots of people who are trying post trach. brilliant news x x
Hello ladies, for those of you who have fallen pregnant after a trachelectomy, can you tell us which type of surgery was performed (vaginal, abdominal, robotic, laproscopic, open) and how much cervix was left behind, if any?
I had an open radical abdominal trach in Jan 2016. Medical journals and case studies seem to indicate that pregnancy odds for a vaginal trach tend to be ~70%, compared to ~30% for abdominal trach. Also, women who have at least 1cm of cervix left have higher chances to conceive/carry. I am curious about our statistics in this community and our success rates. My doctor removed 100% of my cervix, which worries me for future pregnancy. I'm hoping someone who had an abdominal trach and all cervix removed has had success with conception!
Thanks so much for the insight. It will be incredibly helpful to me and to all women in our shoes one day.
Hi Alicia
There is a fantastic facebook group with about 97 women who have had trachelectomies. LOTS of pregnancies on there in women with no cervix and amazing support which is very specific to our situation. Let me know if you would like to know how to find it and I will PM you. xxx
Hi Nellie, thank you for reaching out. Yes, I would like to be a part of that community and am interested in finding it. It would be very beneficial to have a common place to relate with others.
Thank you!
Hi Alicia
I had a vaginal trach and laparoscopy. My understanding was that this may be preferred as you don't have the scar/opening to heal as you do with a c section. I've never heard of any difgerentiation between trachelectomy procedure types and pregnancy success rates. I would try not to worry about that but I remember reading a lot also about different stats when I was trying to conceive. My oncologist/surgeon once told me that there are not really enouhj stats to go on and each case is just what individuals should focus on.
All of my cervix was removed. My obstetrician who looked after me during my pregnancy could see no cervix left at all and she was looking for it during an ultrasound. I carried my baby till just over 35 weeks despite this. The stitch they put in is strong.
I wish you luck and I hope you fall pregnant. What a blessing that would be. I can't believe how well my pregnancy and delivery went poat trachelectomy but I always try to remember that this is exactly why they have this op and the odds are in your favour.
Julia x
Hi,
I had a simple vaginal trachelectomy, cervix 100% removed but no lymph nodes. Mine was more of a preventative cancer operation than being diagnosed with it. One of the lucky ones you could say. I've just found out I'm 6 weeks pregnant after not trying for a baby and it being au natural! I had my periods pretty much straight away and regular as clock work after the operation two years ago. I had an operation this year as I had some stenosis and this was cleared. All my smears come back clear now with no further issues.
Been to see my consultant today who was great, no covering things up with cotton wool. I'm going for another scan in two weeks time to see if baby has grown and if I had a stitch put in at the time of my first operation. If not it'll be an op to have this done and then we'll see what happens. In a nutshell if I can get passed 24 weeks and then 29 weeks anything else is a bonus. So fingers crossed :-)
I'd just say it can happen naturally and just take each day / week as it comes.
Hi Domino
Out of interest, how long were you trying? Did the stenosis prevent you from conceiving and is this why you had the op to remove it?
xx
Hi nellie,
We weren't trying at all. I was under the impression and told that pregnancy was unlikely so didn't really think it was possible. Having said that it was probably a few months.
I had the op to clear the stenosis because I was in a lot of pain and no periods. You have to have it cleared else it'll all get infected in there because your cervix is completely sealed up and there's nowhere for the blood to escape. I didn't get it done for any pregnancy issues.
Hello I was wondering how long did you wait until you tried to become pregnant ?
Thank you Kate for starting this thread and everyone else for your stories. i am awaiting clinical grading (MRI shows 1b1) and hoping like anything that trach is an option as we'd love to add to our family. Sounds like a tough road but a very rewarding one! X
