Premature baby

[kb16]

My little boy will be 1 next month, he was 6 weeks early. They sent my placenta away for tests and nothing came back, so there was no reason. After I had my baby the midwife told me there's a high chance my next baby will be premature as well. Luckily my little boy thrived and was totally fine. I'm now pregnant again and keep worrying Incase this baby will be even earlier and will struggle don't think I could go through preemie life again it was horrible seeing your baby so small and not being able to cuddle them. Has anyone had a prem baby (and not had a reason) then gone on to have a full term baby?

[TildaTurnip]

Me. My first was 6 weeks early. Completely unexplained and unexpected. Second was three weeks early (induced) so classed as term. I worried a lot but the consultant I saw when I was pregnant the second time (appointment was to discuss my first fast and premature labour) said he thought I was no more likely than anyone else to have the baby early as there was no reason they could say for my first being so.

[kb16]

My labour was so quick too start to finish was around 1 hour. Were you induced because your first baby was prem? After I had my first baby they said with future pregnancies I would have extra monitoring and they would check my cervix regularly. In your experience did you find you had more monitoring?

[Rtmhwales]

Not me (though I have a 31 seeker) but my friend has three children.

First born at 36 weeks, second born at 33 weeks, third born at 38 weeks. So it's hard to say. She's due her fourth and is 33 weeks now so fingers crossed.

The NICU doctor told me that a subsequent premature birth was more likely if I conceived again within the first eighteen months of DS's premature birth.

[TildaTurnip]

KB16-my 1st labour including placenta delivery was recorded as 18 minutes. The consultant said I was likely to have another precipitate labour but not to have another premature birth necessarily.

I didn’t get any more appointments because there was no reason they could ascertain for him being early but I did get swabbed twice for infection in case that had gone unnoticed and caused it.

Second labour I went in for reduced movements monitoring at 37 weeks exactly. They scanned me and the baby measured over 9lbs so I asked to be induced given my history of fast labour (and the damage a big baby could cause when delivered so quickly). I was examined and my cervix was already 3cm so they broke my waters, gave me a minute bit of drugs through the drip and three hours later I had delivered.

No one seemed concerned throughout that I had had a preemie before (more so that I had had such a fast labour and that I must be believed if I said I thought I could push!).

[TreaterAnita]

Hi OP

If I've read your post correctly (so your first baby was born at 34 weeks) I think you've been given pretty duff advice.

The risk of a second prem delivery after a first is quite low anyway (most prem births are unexplained and seem to have nothing to do with maternal factors) and reduces with gestation (because very premature delivery is more closely associated with cervical incompetence which is a reproducible factor in subsequent pregnancies). At 34 weeks, I would say that your chances of having a second prem birth are pretty low.

My first baby was born at 32/40. My second was born at 39/40 (and then only because I had an elective C section). In my second pregnancy I had a few growth scans because my first baby was very small (although there were a lot of risk factors in that pregnancy which weren't relevant to the second) but no checking of the cervix - I can't see why they'd do that unless they thought you had an incompetent cervix which a 34 week delivery doesn't suggest,

I'm not sure where you're up to in your current pregnancy but if I were you I'd request a consultant appointment because of your first delivery and I'm sure they'll put your mind at ease.

[misslinnet]

My first baby was born at 34 weeks.
I had a debriefing some weeks later with the consultant where I was told they didn’t know why DC1 was premature, and that there was no reason to think that any subsequent babies would be premature.

My other 2 were both full term.
Both induced at or a few days after 37 weeks. They weren’t induced because DC1 was premature, they were induced for specific reasons to do with those pregnancies.

[SteadyAreYouReady]

Your midwife is wrong. Your chances of another premature baby after an unexplained premature birth is low, especially at 34 weeks gestation.

I had a 27 weeker, and then a 40 weeker less than two years later.

[CatkinToadflax]

Completely agree with the comments above that your midwife has told you incorrectly.

My DS1 was born at 24 weeks due to incompetent cervix. DS2 was born at 38 weeks (albeit with a lot of treatment to keep him in there!). Incompetent cervix is only diagnosed if the baby is born at (I think) 28 weeks or earlier. A 34 week birth wouldn't ordinarily mean you get much more monitoring in a subsequent pregnancy because 34 weeks isn't regarded as that early, and without a reason for the early birth it really isn't particularly likely that you will have a second premmie (I hope this comment doesn't offend you because you must have found the early birth extremely distressing).

[Sleepycat91]

Im 30+3 with second. My first was a 34 weeker. I went into back labour at 33 weeks, no one listened or believed me and my waters broke at 34. I had to be induced and had the worst birth and after care just due to a shitty hospital. Hes fine, massive 5 year old no development issues or problems in any way and his birth weight was 4lb13oz so again a good weight. Ive seen my consultant and he just said i have to sit and wait and see of it happens again, i have a uterine abnormality which is likely to have been the cause along with a slight water infection. I have no visions of me going full term again so im just on the count down to 34 weeks and well go from there if i get that far. Im at a different hospital this time which i have a lot more confidence in so not worried about another premie if it happens again x