early labour? re-assurance please

[Crystylline]

Hi all,

had a fall two weeks ago with two separate PV bleeds. admitted, monitored and given steroids for three days. all been ok since, but today pinky/brown discharge and mucus.

phoned the hospital, but as I'm snowed in they've advised me to stay put unless i start getting contractions or my waters go.

I'm 34+4 and worried I might be heading for early labour.

anyone got any tips whilst I wait this out? or anyone got experience with this?

Cryst

I didn't have the same circumstances as you, but my waters broke at 34 + 3 and I gave birth to my DS two days later.
I was really worried about many things, not least about his being unable to breathe unassisted and needing to be ventilated.
My gynae refused to believe me that my waters had broken and I was sent home. DS arrived very suddenly the next day at home.
It was therefore extremely lucky that my fears were unnecessary. He could breathe and was a healthy weight and size for his age.
He was 46cms long and weighed 2450g. He was skinny, but none the worse for his early arrival.

If you are going to go into labour, there is nothing you can do but go with it. But that doesn't mean that you will give birth early.
If you do, the chances are that your baby will be big enough to cope so try not to worry too much.

balls!

Still having a "show". still no contractions.

now have well over a foot of snow too.

do you have a community/practice midwife?

It may be an idea to phone them just to give them the heads-up.

I didn't have any falls or anything, but I had show then contractions at 24 weeks. I was examined by midwife to see if there was any indication of cervic softened/opening. Had i not lived where I live (remote), I would have been sent in for monitoring to see if the contractions were increasing.

I was sent home to sit it out but there were also severe gales (I would have needed a helicopter) so midwife/GP were on red alert.

Ask to speak to someone who can quantify the risks and how quickly they can respond to them in the current snow situation and try to come to an agreement that will provide some reassurance.

thanks ruth - nice to hear a positive story.

thanks teuchnuts - have left message for MW - she's doing rounds on foot nearby.

also waiting to speak to the delivery suite.

they've advised to talk through with MW before making a decision about trying to get to hospital.

I had bleeding and contractions at 32 weeks, after 2 days it all calmed down and she stayed put until birth at 2 days early.

The most reassuring thing was being shown the SCUBU unit and the cot that they had ready for DD at 32 weeks - she would have been the oldest baby in there. I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck and if you end up having a home birth, just listen to your body. xx

My ds was born at 34+3, weighing 5lb4 (he was a giant on SCBU).

He had some breathing problems which kept him in hospital for a while, but probably down to the fact he was born by cs rather than prem birth. Other than that he put on weight brilliantly, bf fairly easily and is now a very healthy 4 year old (and I mean very healthy - he never seems to get anything that goes round school or his family!).

Must be pretty scary going through this in a foot of snow though, will you be able to get to hospital if you go into labour? Great that you've already had the steroids as that should help if your baby does come early. Good luck.

thank you all!

I'm still here waiting, with nothing happening.

Seeing MW tomorrow and hospital didn't want to try and reach me unless it was emergency (waters gone + contractions), as the journey would have been v. stressful and probably dangerous too.

at my growth scan - 32 weeks - he weighed 3lb 11 oz - 5th centile, so i really hope he's big enough to cope well if he does come early.

guess i'll just take it all v. easy and see what the MW thinks (she's v. good, so have a lot of confidence in her judgement).