Kolkata woman successfully delivers baby after two miscarriages

After enduring the heartbreak of repeated secondtrimester pregnancy losses and the uncertainty of a condition that made carrying a pregnancy extremely difficult a 34yearold Kolkata womanrsquos journey to motherhood found hope through a rare and highrisk surgical intervention by doctors in the City of JoyIt began as a critically fragile pregnancy but was successfully carried to term culminating in the birth of a healthy baby girlBidisha Majumder a dietitian by profession and a resident of Garia had a journey marked by repeated setbacks Her first pregnancy in early 2024 ended in a miscarriage Later that year she conceived again but at around 18ndash19 weeks in January 2025 she went into sudden preterm labour and lost the baby in an emergency It was during this critical phase at that she came to Manipal Hospital EM Bypass and met Dr Souptik Gangopadhyay at the hospitalSubsequent evaluation revealed that she was suffering from cervical incompetence a condition where the cervix is too weak to hold the pregnancy beyond a certain stage leading to recurrent secondtrimester losses In her case the condition was attributed to a congenital weakness of the cervical musclesDetermined to try again the couple planned a third pregnancy and she conceived around mid2025 Given her history she was closely monitored and underwent a prophylactic cervical cerclage commonly known as McDonaldrsquos stitch which is a preventive medical procedure used during pregnancy to reduce the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth at around 13ndash14 weeks this is a standard preventive procedure performed vaginally to help keep the cervix closedInitially the pregnancy progressed well However at around 20 weeks a routine ultrasound revealed a critical complication the cervical length had drastically reduced from a normal 35ndash4 cm to nearly 1 cm and the amniotic sac a thin fluidfilled membrane inside the uterus that surrounds and protects the developing baby during pregnancy had started bulging through the cervix signalling an imminent risk of another pregnancy lossWith limited options available the medical team recommended a laparoscopic rescue cervical cerclage a rare and highly specialized procedure performed through minimally invasive surgery Unlike the conventional stitch this involves placing a suture higher up near the internal opening of the cervix through the abdomen offering stronger support The procedure is technically demanding and carries significant risks including bleeding need for transfusion and complications due to surgery during an ongoing pregnancyAfter extensive counselling the couple chose to proceed with the surgery as a last resort The procedure was successfully performed on December 19 in 2025 Following this the patient was kept under strict observation advised complete bed rest and monitored through ultrasound every two weeks to ensure stability and foetal growth As the pregnancy progressed safely and with the baby reaching a healthy weight the doctors planned a timely delivery to avoid any lastminute complications On March 28 this year they performed a planned caesarean section The woman delivered a healthy baby girl weighing approximately 22 kg Both mother and child are currently doing wellWhile discussing Dr Souptik consultant Obstetrics amp Gynaecology said ldquoThis was a complex case of recurrent secondtrimester pregnancy loss due to cervical incompetence where even a prophylactic cerclage failed as the cervix continued to shorten and dilate In such situations laparoscopic rescue cerclage becomes the only definitive option despite being a technically demanding and highrisk procedure during an ongoing pregnancy This is the first case in our hospital where this procedure has been performed and it remains a rare intervention with only a handful of such cases around twondashthree reported across eastern India After detailed counselling the couple opted for the surgery as a last resort The procedure was successfully performed in midDecember following which the patient was kept under strict observation advised rest and closely monitored through fortnightly ultrasounds to ensure stability and healthy foetal growth As the pregnancy progressed without further complications and the baby attained a healthy weight we planned a timely delivery On March 28 a planned caesarean section was performed and the patient delivered a healthy baby girl weighing approximately 22 kg Both mother and child are currently doing wellrdquoSharing his experience Ronit Das a software engineer and the womanrsquos husband said ldquoWe had been trying for the past twothree years and going through two losses was emotionally exhausting for us When the same complication started happening again in the third pregnancy it was extremely stressful Dr Souptik explained everything very clearly and gave us the option of this rare surgery It was a difficult decision but we trusted the team and went ahead with it Today seeing both my wife and baby healthy feels like a dream come truerdquo