Threatened pre-term labour questions (34 weeks)

hello lovely BB people!

Sooo, was admitted to hospital on wednesday with threatened pre-term labour. the test came back positive for the fetal fibronectin (a very loose guide to indicate preterm labour), they let me go home as I am under the care of my IM and they work closely with the hospital (planned HB)...otherwise i would of been admitted overnight for more monitoring etc.

Anyway, (trying to cut a long story short...'cause i love a chat lol), at the hospital i was told to rest and take it easy. cool. Was told that cervix was closed (YAY!)...

but despite my resting, today i had some more mild and very sporadic cramping (nothing major, more annoying) but with it has been parts of my mucous plug. Do you think this could mean some cervical change is happening? Does this mean, that my definition of resting should be curtailed further (so far i am sitting alot and lying on the couch alot...tough, i know lol). what does 'rest' mean for you??

Do you think it's worth a text to my IM (to update her...i really dont feel labour is imminent), or should i wait until i see her on the 8th?

so many questions! Sorry!

I'd text her Cassius, just to be safe! No idea about the other questions ;)

8th is still a while away hun, I'd send her a message, see what she says. Hoping it's nothing major :hug:

ETA: I've heard you can lose bits of plug for a while with no real drama as it can regenerate, can happen for weeks apparently. The concern is if it is large or contains blood - then it is possibly a "bloody show", which indicates labour could be imminent.

As for my definition of rest: lying on the couch. Doing nothing. Nigh on impossible for most mums I think :)

I seem to go into labour around 34 weeks, was clueless with dd1 and had her at 34. With dd2 I realised what was happening and was on medication from 35 weeks to stop the contractions and told to rest at 37 weeks I had one day running about doing errands and dd arrived. With ds labour started at 34 weeks, he was fully engaged and lying on my bladder so my ob warned me to lie down as much as possible or incould risk permanent damage, I had to rest a lot which was difficult with two toddlers but the contractions would get really strong if I was up and about. I got to 39+5.

So I guess I would say your definition is different to what you have been doing, are you on medication to stop the tightenings?

I agree that sending a text sounds like a good idea.

The cramping plus plug could mean there is something going on so getting checked out might answer those properly.

Hopefully bubba can keep cooking a little while longer.

I text her just to let her know. Hoping bubs stays nice and cosy for good few weeks yet xxx

You should sms her and let her know what has been going on and keep her informed.

Hope all ok xoxo

Text her. I went into labour and delivered at 34 weeks. I to had that test the previous day and it was negetive to labour and had a high closed cervix.

It does sound like things are certainly starting to move along and I really doubt you will make it to term. I'd be surprised if you get to 37 wks. I started losing my plug with A from 37 weeks on and it did take another 4 weeks for him to be born, but I wasn't having contractions and you are and that's probably more of a sign than anything. Each one on their own doesn't mean much but when you have them both together then that's more than enough reason to at least send her a text and see what she thinks.

I texted her when I had my incident after the gastro the other day. No harm in just letting her know ;) Make sure your lying down when you send the text though haha.

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So I guess I would say your definition is different to what you have been doing, are you on medication to stop the tightenings?

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No medication. they told me that they wouldnt stop labour now (being that i am 34w+). Bubs is engaged and all that, has been for a couple of weeks...maybe i should lie down more...with two small kids :rofl: seriously, i swear that the moment they see me lie down it's like the hounds have been released and have declared a game of: "Pile On" hahaha.

Oceanprincess: yeah this is what i read too: that it regenerates, there has been no blood tinged stuff yet, so my thinking is that it will regenerate...right lol?!

Ok, I will text her...in the morning. now seems a bit late; if i feel things ramp up or i lose more bits with blood i'll text straightaway. DH is going to a birthday party with the girls' tomorrow and the mum of the kid is a midwife at the womens and i can get him to get the low-down from her too.

Thanks guys xx Seriously i am one of those people that dont really like to annoy others and well, dont want to bother people with unimportant info. but i guess if i treat it as a 'heads up/update' then i dont feel so bad...

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I texted her when I had my incident after the gastro the other day. No harm in just letting her know ;) Make sure your lying down when you send the text though haha.

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hahaha, knowing our IM she will be able to 'tell' if i am resting or not just by the texted word hahahaha! she knows me too well....

Yes, let your midwife know. A text message is not going to be bothering her!

If she will stay in there today/tomorrow (past the full moon) then I think she will make it the 10 days that you need :hug:

She is a typical Me3 third child already - doesn't want to miss out on a September birthday :)

Hope it's eased up for you this morning. I went into preterm labour after a bout of gastro at 34 weeks. Presented at ob with contractions and was fully effaced with bubs head right there. But they still put me on meds to try and stop it. I'm surprised you weren't tbh. 34 weeks is still quite prem. whilst they're not really in danger these days at that gestation they can still have breathing and feeding issues :/

I agree that losing plug and tightenings at the same time is more worrisome than just one at a time.

And I think im's are accustomed to being 'bothered' :) they wouldn't have it any other way I don't think! I had a great relationship with my IM (preg #3) and she was always at the other end of a text at any time.

Text her hun, definitely. The 8th is ages away.

And I can't help with 'rest', it's such a loose term. When I was 'resting' at 24 weeks I couldn't work out if it meant just slow down or if it meant only get up to go to the toilet, or where in between 'rest' actually fell. You'll have to do what I did, and ask for a very detailed explanation complete with examples LOL!

Cass,

Please tell us you have texted her this morning! Even if it is just a 'heads up /update' text :D

Hope you havent lost any more plug / had any contractions and you can actually rest when the girls are out today ... xxx [I]Try[I] and take it easy :) xx

I too was surprised at how casual the OB was about it all. he also told me that if born now baby would come home with me...i was like, ahhhh I dont think so. And the midwife on duty had just entered the room and politely informed him that the baby would actually need to spend quite significant time in SCN. I'm so glad that i have BB and have read their stories of babies coming at 34 weeks otherwise I can imagine that I would of been really confused by the information.

Amen to the hun, the amount of conflicting information you get at the hospitals is frustrating!

Did you text your midwife?

All texted :) I got my big girl knickers on and did it lol.

Cass did they give any steroids for bubs lungs?

Also how are your tightenings going?

With my last bub I had TPL due to irritable uterus. I was put on meds from 32 weeks until 36-37weeks. Luckily like you my cervix was still closed until bub was born at 38 weeks. Also I was losing plug from 29 weeks. As long as there isn't blood in the plug the cervix might still be 'closed' (less than 3cm dilated)

Would love to hear what your IM thinks about things.

Oh Cass!!! What did you IM say? How are you feeling today? Must be so hard to 'rest' when you have two little ones to look after xoxo thinking of you and bubs!!
Bub- you need to stay snug as bug xoxox

Still crampy, nauseous etc. but I actually feel quite positive and upbeat that we can get to 36 weeks...power of positive thinking HAS to work right :lol:

Still losing plug...thankfully no blood tinged stuff. IM replied that it is normal to lose plug, but that she wants me to keep up with the updates...she totally knows that I like to downplay stuff lol.

My friend went and saw her TCM yesterday and asked about me and they reckon there is an acupressure point on the top of the head that is meant to help relax muscle cramps etc and is used for women that are at risk of TPL...anyone heard of it? They wrote down the instructions, so i might get DH to give it a go with me today.

Arte: I swear, it did cross my mind that it wouldnt surprise me if this bub also wanted a september birthdate lol. But i reckon that if i get through tonight then we will be home and hosed for a full-termer!

I keep telling myself that the majority of TPLs end up going to term...it's a nice little mantra!

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I too was surprised at how casual the OB was about it all. he also told me that if born now baby would come home with me...i was like, ahhhh I dont think so. And the midwife on duty had just entered the room and politely informed him that the baby would actually need to spend quite significant time in SCN. I'm so glad that i have BB and have read their stories of babies coming at 34 weeks otherwise I can imagine that I would of been really confused by the information.

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Ugh I hate when Obs do that. They really shouldn't offer any promises. DD2 was born 35+1 and we were in hospital 2.5 weeks. She certainly didn't come home with me, what rubbish. 34/35 weeks may be a decent milestone, but it doesn't guarantee no issues. DD2 was on TPN for quite a while.

I hope your bubs stays in a lot more for you. Get the steriods if you can :).

Thinking of you cassius. X

My ob prefered 36 weeks but with ds he could see how much of a toll the tpl was having on me so he said he wouldn't intervene after 35 none of us expected him to stay baking so long after the girls.

Cassius,

I hope you are 'resting' as much as possible. If your little one is born 'early' I hope all is ok. Will you still be able to have a homebirth?

RCC: no, no HB before 37w :(

Hope your little one stays baking as long as possibe, Can your mw attend if you go early and have a hospital birth? DD1 and DD2 were early, 35+6 and 36+1 so not as early as you are ATM. Their birth stories are in my sig :)

I went through group practice and my MW said one of her ladies had her little one at 33.5 weeks and while she was reccommended and accepted telemetry CTG she had an active labour and birthed on a gym mat on the floor with the neonatologist sitting on the floor with her :) I hope if your bub does arrive early you will have similar support and a short SCN stay for bubs but I hope even more you make it past the 37 week milestone xx

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Hope your little one stays baking as long as possibe, Can your mw attend if you go early and have a hospital birth? DD1 and DD2 were early, 35+6 and 36+1 so not as early as you are ATM. Their birth stories are in my sig :)

I went through group practice and my MW said one of her ladies had her little one at 33.5 weeks and while she was reccommended and accepted telemetry CTG she had an active labour and birthed on a gym mat on the floor with the neonatologist sitting on the floor with her :) I hope if your bub does arrive early you will have similar support and a short SCN stay for bubs but I hope even more you make it past the 37 week milestone xx

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I had a very active labour with my 35 weeker. It can be done :D.

yeah thankfully there is a really good working relationship between my IM and the hospital, so she will be there without a doubt. it was an important factor for us when choosing an IM that a transfer could be done smoothly and with continued support.

So i;m guessing nothing exciting is happening then? All nice and boringly normal?

very much so! as long as i dont move :rofl: it sucks that even sitting up causes tightenings and after like only 10 minutes it comes with the low back-ache and period pain. The most annoying part is just how wearying it all is. I have never had a 'difficult' pregnancy before...so i guess i am simply ticking that box lol.

:-( I hope that bubs can stay put for the next 2.5 weeks then, so you can have another homebirth. x

That's a bummer - I thought HB was ok from 36? I guess she will have to stay put a bit longer. I am sure I have said before, these italian babies of yours are drama queens right from the start!

I had my second boy at 37 weeks LMP dates or 35 weeks baby age scan dates and he was perfect ....and the hospital agreed to induce that labour as i was having on and off again labour for 2 weeks prior and then my bp went up so the gp sent me to the hospital where i eventually had a baby.... 48 hours later we were home :)

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very much so! as long as i dont move :rofl: it sucks that even sitting up causes tightenings and after like only 10 minutes it comes with the low back-ache and period pain. The most annoying part is just how wearying it all is. I have never had a 'difficult' pregnancy before...so i guess i am simply ticking that box lol.

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Ummmm...I'm having this too. The only way I can describe it is totally draining. Period pain, lower back aching and aching, very tight feeling. It's not full on or anything, just pretty constantly there if I'm doing anything other than lying down (and even then sometimes it's still there). Been like this ever since I had gastro. I think it's just prelabour but man, it's early this time. Maybe I should text Nicola again too :lol:

Arte: now that you mention it i *think* it could be 36 weeks :think: (i'll have to check their info booklet...because now i have vague recollections of the 36 week birth plan meeting being the one where it was all action stations from there....i hope so. could take some of the pressure off ITMS).

PZ: yeah see i thought that it was prelabour stuff too. until tuesday night when it became full blown cannot move searing pain across the abdomen with the cramps. keep an eye on it.

In most places 37 weeks from LMP is considered the cut off for low risk care so I would be surprised if your homebirth plan was from 36 weeks, but the best person to check this with is your midwife. I hope everything settles down though and your baby can cook a few weeks longer :)

I was having acupuncture to protect preg #3 and yeah there is a point in the top of the head. Certainly can't hurt to try :)

DS was a High Risk pregnancy thanks to Incompetent cervix and preterm labour was something we had to deal with also. Despite an agonising journey full of courage and fear, he was born at 38 weeks.
Positive vibes for you xx