Has anyone had experience with progesterone suppositories to prevent preterm labour?

[Beckanne90]

I am looking for abit of insight. This is my 6th baby, first 3 term (42,40,38wk) last 2 prem at 34 and 31 weeks. I am now 22+4, been having familiar symptoms of preterm labour for about 2 weeks. Consultant wouldn’t agree to cervical length scan until we come to the agreement that she could examine me (on Tuesday at 22+2) she found my cervix to be short at around 1cm in length from what she could feel, soft and central. So she agreed to refer me for the cervical scan to get a more accurate measurement and view of what’s happening internally. From this it will be discussed if I should have progesterone suppositories or a cerclage but she said it’s more likely to be the first option if of course the scan shows the same as what she could feel.

So my questions are if anyone has experienced anything like this, did the suppositories work for you? Did you get further than expected or further than a previous delivery? And anything else that may be relevant really.

I had the progesterone pessaries, four a day from 24 weeks to 36 weeks. I had my cervix measure weekly until 28 weeks and then fortnightly, this was due to it shortening from 3.4cm to 2.4cm in a week. As soon as I stopped the pessaries I started to dilate, but went to 40+5! So for me yes it was successful, but my consultant also had me on rest from 31 weeks as she was fully engaged and low... Stubborn too apparently. Hope all goes ok for you

Thank you @annlee3817, that’s very reassuring. I’ll be 23+1 when I have my scan on Monday so I’m guessing whatever they decide will be sorted from that day onwards. So I’m guessing if it is as she felt that I will be in for quite a few more scans then? I already have fortnightly growth ones from 27 weeks so they may try tie them in with those maybe.

First was born at 24 weeks. Second at 31 but c section due to IUGR not spontaneous labour. With the second I had progesterone pessaries from weeks 12 onwards. Cervical length scans fortnightly from 16-24 weeks and then growth scans fortnightly after that.

I can't say whether or not the pessaries helped or not and the evidence for them isn't conclusive. My consultant was happy to do everything that could possibly prevent it happening again though.

Was you given reasons for premature births? I would expect there to have been more of a plan in place beforehand.

Good luck with everything.

@JuniperNarni- wow that was very early. The reason why I was struggling with my case in this is because my second prem, the placenta abrupted late into labour...id been in the latent phase weeks though and was actually an inpatient for four days before her arrival as they put me on an atosiban drip to stop my contractions. There was no sign of an abruption, ctgs were fine- no bleeding apart from loss of mucus plug which was streaked with blood. I started bleeding quite bad once I reached 5/6cm and not long after that the ctg reading wasn’t good it showed she was in distress. So because the abruption happened they were trying to say that was the cause of my labour. I know it was not though. I’ve really had to argue my case with this- if I hadn’t let her examine me I wouldn’t have even got in for an internal scan as she said I didn’t qualify. My prem before my last one, there was no reason for it was just noted as spontaneous, which makes it all the more likely second was spontaneous too and the abruption was just a risk for me regardless of when I went into labour.