Will it happen again???

[dinkyboysmum]

i just found out i'm pg, very but a little quite worried.
ds1 was born at 34 wks, no reason, waters just broke spontaneously in the night. he was in SCBU for two weeks whilst jaundicee settled & he learnt to suck/swallow. The whole separation thing still daunts me now. and am still hugely guilty about not taking it easier and going to term. i think it's because there was no reason for the prematurity...unresolved issues in my mind i think.
am now worried the same will ahppen. how ill i cope with ds1 whilst dc2 may be in SCBU? how will dh cope? i was a mess last time!
i know 34wks isnt terribly prem by some other stories i've read, but it was still an emotional trauma i wasnt prepared for & dont think i'm properly over. tears in my eyes even writing this.
will i be given any extra antenatal checks? is there anything they can do to stop it happening again? or do they not intervene as it was 34 wks?
any advice would help at this point. it's still very early days, am now 5wks pg.

[lizzytee]

Hi there and congratulations on your pregnancy. I'm mum to a gorgeous naughty nearly three year old born at 27+5, now 18 wks with my second.

I suspect that unless you ask, you may not be offered any additional care in this pregnancy - as you know 34 weeks is now not considered very prem in clinical terms.

I would ask your GP to refer you to see a consultant so you can be seen early and to discuss whether consultant led care may be helpful.

I too am worrying about the possibility of having to cope with a baby in SCBU - what has already happened is that lots of people have offered to help.

Take care

[LiegeAndLief]

I'm feeling just the same! Ds born at 34 weeks (had respiratory distress and in SCBU for 8 weeks), just pg with second. Bit different to your circumstances though as ds had to be born because I had pre-eclampsia, so at least I know why it happened and will be closely monitored this time. Am still panicking though... just the logistical arrangements with a toddler and a baby in SCBU seem almost insurmountable, never mind the emotional impact.

Can't offer you any advice about extra care etc, but I do know how you feel! Have you got friends or family nearby to help you out just in case? If it's any consolation, I have two friends who had their first babies early for no apparent reason but the second one at term - I think they had an appt with a consultant to discuss possible reasons for the first premature birth and the risk of it happening again. Am sure you could request this from gp or mw.

Good luck - and also to lizzytee - hope both your babies stay put!

[lizzytee]

Thanks LAL - do you also post on the bfing board?

All ok so far- I have a short (22mm) cervix for no reason anyone can fathom and had a stitch placed at 12 weeks. Now starting to brick it a bit....

[pophas2boybeans]

Hi lizzytee. I'm 29 weeks pregnant with twins and last week my cervix was measured at 24mm. The consultant says this is well with in the normal range and has no worries about me not making it to my c-section date at 36 weeks. I'm now worying that my cervix should be classed as short, being only 2mm more than yours.

[forevercleaningdogploppers]

I had 2 out of 3 born at 36 weeks.

All fine now though.

[Tiggiwinkle]

Hi Dinky- my DS3 was born at 32 weeks after spontaneous rupture of membranes. He was actually very ill because he was quite big for his gestation and was in SCBU for a month.

My waters went at exactly the same time with DS4, but it was at a different hospital and was managed very differently. I was given steroid injections and they kept me in hospital, delivering at 34 weeks when I showed signs of possible infection. DS4 was fine and we were able to go home the next day because his lungs had matured as a result of the injections.

DS5 was born at term-I was monitored closely throughout the pregnancy as my blood pressure went up a few times but no signs of waters breaking early.

You should discuss your worries with your consultant and ask what will happen if the same thing happens this time.

[LiegeAndLief]

Hope the stitch holds lizzytee! I used to post a fair bit on the bfing board but now only look at it every now and then... bfing days are behind me for now!

[lizzytee]

Thanks LaL! Stitch was looking good as of yesterday so here's hoping.....

pophas, really sorry I did not mean to spook you! Cervical length varies during pregnancy - basically the length reduces as the pregnancy progresses and as the cervix ad os softens and starts to funnel in preparation for birth. So do be guided by what your consulant says not some madwoman on the internet.

The length I gave was the length of my cervix outside pregancy

[pophas2boybeans]

phew - thanks for clearing that up. I've been scouring the net for cervix lengths ever since I read your post. DH seems to think I have an unhealthy obsession with other womens cervix

[lizziebeth]

Hello, I also had premature rupture of membranes and DD was born at 33 weeks and thought I would tell you what I've found out.

We are trying for our second now and I went to my GP to see what we could do to prevent the same thing happening again.

She referred me to a OB who soles deals with high risk pregnancies

(I had researched his name myself but she was more than happy to refer me to him).

When I saw him he felt that the PROM was caused by an undiagnosed minor infection and that when I get pg again he wants to give antibiotic doses at 9 weeks and 16 weeks as an aggressive preventative measure.

I would definitely ask for a referral from your GP. An OB might come up with a slightly different plan of action for you depending on your exact circumstances. But it's nice to know that someone's monitoring you and has a plan in mind.
Good luck.

[slalomsuki]

You can never tell

DS1 was 34 weeks, DS2 at 32 weeks and DD was induced at due date even though they expected her from 32 weeks and I was in hospital and had all the steroid injections etc.

No reason was ever given for why my first 2 were prem and I was told that it was rare for a thrid to go to term but it had happened.

For both DS2 and DD i was consultant led at the local hospital and didn't see the community midwife at all after the booking in appointment. To be honest I thought it was great and it gave me more opportunity to ask questions and get info as well as being reassured. There is something nice about seeing your baby on a scan

Good luck to you all.