Pre-term labor? [Pregnancy]

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From: Yueyue on 26 Oct 2008 18:06

* 25 and 26 weeks: frequent contractions (once every 5, 6 minutes), no
pain, monitored in hospital, spaced out later on

* 28 weeks: found short cervix, 1.5cm, given two steriod shots

* 31 weeks: dilated 1cm, effaced 80%, -1 station

Do bedrest since 28 weeks. How long can I hold if I continue to do
bestrest? Pre-term labor? Anyone has similar experince?

Thanks a lot

From: Ericka on 26 Oct 2008 21:43

From: Anne Rogers on 26 Oct 2008 22:42

Yueyue wrote:
> * 25 and 26 weeks: frequent contractions (once every 5, 6 minutes), no
> pain, monitored in hospital, spaced out later on
>
> * 28 weeks: found short cervix, 1.5cm, given two steriod shots
>
> * 31 weeks: dilated 1cm, effaced 80%, -1 station
>
> Do bedrest since 28 weeks. How long can I hold if I continue to do
> bestrest? Pre-term labor? Anyone has similar experince?

I don't know if alath is still reading this group, I forget his exact
job title, but he's some kind of nurse or midwife on a high risk
obstetric unit. From what he was saying once the cervix is at 1cm birth
follow is quite likely, 1cm-3cm is a grey area and above 3cm very unlikely.

I wonder if you've had the fetal fibronectin test, I forget which way
round the reliability is, I think if it's negative, then birth within
two weeks is highly unlikely, but if it's positive it's not as strongly
predictive. Negative avoids unnecessary treatment and bedrest, positive
allows you to at least plan for an early birth, do things like give
steroids to mature the baby's lungs, which you've done already.

In general there isn't evidence supporting bedrest, but my understanding
is that with some specific cervical problems, where the cervix changes
without contractions then it is helpful.

You do hear occasionally of women as far along as you are hang on for a
while, but with those numbers and changes I don't think it will be long.
I would try and eat as well as you can, keep hydrated and relaxed, even
try visualising keeping the baby in - anything is worth a try at this
stage!

Cheers
Anne

From: Nikki on 27 Oct 2008 10:02

Yueyue wrote:
> * 25 and 26 weeks: frequent contractions (once every 5, 6 minutes), no
> pain, monitored in hospital, spaced out later on
>
> * 28 weeks: found short cervix, 1.5cm, given two steriod shots
>
> * 31 weeks: dilated 1cm, effaced 80%, -1 station
>
> Do bedrest since 28 weeks. How long can I hold if I continue to do
> bestrest? Pre-term labor? Anyone has similar experince?
>
> Thanks a lot
>

I think it is very individual and hard to predict. First baby, second
or third? Were previous pregnancies full term? Etc Etc.

With my last pregnancy I began dilating early (at 31-32 weeks IIRC). I
don't know the other numbers/info. I don't think that is to unheard of
in woman that have had prior pregnancies.?? I started modified bed rest.
I delivered at 37weeks and a couple days. I was 5cm for at least 5 days
before delivery!! Now, I had two previous full term pregnancies and
this one I was carrying 16lbs of twins so there was a lot of pressure on
my cervix to cause that early dilation. Not that this helps you at all,
other then to share that you can be dilated for quite some time and
individual circumstances make a big difference.

Best of luck to you. Each day counts and you are already at 31 weeks!!

--

Nikki

Wishing you the best.

From: Anne Rogers on 27 Oct 2008 23:13

> With my last pregnancy I began dilating early (at 31-32 weeks IIRC). I
> don't know the other numbers/info. I don't think that is to unheard of
> in woman that have had prior pregnancies.?? I started modified bed rest.
> I delivered at 37weeks and a couple days. I was 5cm for at least 5 days
> before delivery!! Now, I had two previous full term pregnancies and
> this one I was carrying 16lbs of twins so there was a lot of pressure on
> my cervix to cause that early dilation. Not that this helps you at all,
> other then to share that you can be dilated for quite some time and
> individual circumstances make a big difference.

When it's your first pregnancy, the first normal cervical changes are
the cervix effacing - i.e. getting thinner, or shortening, so first time
mums are often showing cervical softening and shortening a couple of
weeks of so prior to labour, but not usually any dilation, but it's not
a hard and fast rule, some first time mums will have dilation first and
hang on for a while.

With other mums, dilation without shortening of softening is normal and
you can walk around for weeks a few cm dilated, what is known as a
multip-os is a cervix that is about a finger tip dilated, which is
normal for a women who's had a previous birth and that's when measuring
cervical length and doing the foetal fibronectin test are helpful, to
get as much information as possible and figure out if what is being seen
is just normal for a multip, or a sign of preterm labour - with twins,
that's a concern regardless of previous history, but some dilation 5
weeks before delivery is still entirely normal for a multip, but given
how much energy is going into maintaining a healthy twin pregnancy,
encouragement to rest is a pretty good idea, though had a ffn test been
done and come back negative, it probably would have help you feel more
relaxed, which in turn might influence the timing of delivery. I
wouldn't be at all surprised if showing some signs, followed by doctors
stressing over things might bring things on faster than a more relaxed
and reassuring approach might have done!

Cheers
Anne

Cheers
Anne

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