Threatening premature labour

[Holbol87]

duplicate post-also posted in pre-term labour

Hello all,

Sorry in advance for the ridiculously long post. I just wanted to give context to my question.

This is my first time posting, but just looking for some stories of how things turned out from other people in a similar position to me. I know everyone's pregnancy's are different, but I don't personally know anyone who has has anything similar. So, I'll try to be brief as possible with my story.

I'm 37 and this is my first child. About 10 years ago I had LLETZ surgery on my cervix and have had a couple biopsies since. I was told at the time that if I ever decided to have a baby, I may need a stitch, but it would be determined at the time.
Anyways fast forward and I was referred to the pre-term birth clinic when I found out I was expecting and was booked in for when I was 19+1 weeks pregnant. My pregnancy went without problem (other than bad morning sickness) until I was 15+6 and I experienced brown discharge. I was given anti-d at this time as I'm rhesus negative and they hadn't yet had babies blood type back.

Then at 19 weeks, just before my first appointment at the pre-term birth clinic I had another loss of pink discharge. When I went to the appointment I was told my cervix was 2.8cm and I wouldn't need a stitch, but was put on pogesterone 200mg. I was also sent up to triage for an actim partus test, which came back negative. By this point I found out baby also had a negative blood type so didn't need anti-d again.

At 20+3 weeks I had a proper bleed, which was like a gush and then stopped. I was checked over by triage and because the bleeding had stopped and there was no active signs of labour I was sent home and told to rest.

At my next pre-term birth clinic appointment (21+1 weeks) by cervix was measuring 2.6cm, so they upped my pogesterone to 400mg to see if that helped. Then on the Friday (21+4 weeks) I had another gush of blood and this time was admitted to hospital and sent for another scan and cervix scan and all looked fine and my cervix was showing to be 3.1cm. I was discharged and advised to take some time off work and rest. Which I did and then at my final preterm birth clinic appointment (23+1 weeks) everything was looking fine and my cervix was still measuring above 3cm, so I was left on pogesterone 400mg and was to be reviewed at 32 weeks.

All went fine and I got back to work. Then at 29+2 weeks I noticed i was having a lot of tightenings. They were like braxton hicks, but stronger and much more regular. Was put on the monitor at triage, which showed I was having 4 in 10 strong contractions. They couldn't believe they weren't hurting. They just felt uncomfortable and tight. They did an examination that showed my cervix was still closed and another actim partus and it came back a strong positive for risk of pre-term labour in the next 2 weeks. I was sent for a scan and my cervix had shortened slightly to 2.6cm. I was given my first dose of steroid injections and sent to a hospital 2.5 hours away from my home as none of the hospitals in my area could accommodate a pre 30 weeks baby. The contractions went on for about 48 hours in total and theb just stopped. I had another course of steroids at that hospital and then was discharged after a couple days. They put it down to either irritable uterus (but couldn't specify a cause) or practice labour.

At this point I finished work earlier than planned and just rested and pottered about. I was told to stay on the pogesterone until 36 weeks.

Then on Saturday night (31+5 week) the same regular painless tightenings started again. I went to bed hoping they would settle down, but they didn't so went to triage the next morning and was showing regular contractions again of 3 in 10 mins, but my cervix was still long and closed. I was put straight on to labour ward for monitoring as I was "threatening pre-term labour" and they prepped a bed in SCBU for baby just incase. The contractions continued until 4pm and then just stopped. No other symptoms of labour. I stayed in over night and was discharged the next morning (Monday).

The tightenings started again on Monday night, but were very infrequent so went to bed to see if they would settle on there own and when I got up they had worsened, so went back to triage and they weren't showing any real pattern this time, just spikes. Cervix was still closed and no other signs of labour so was sent home to rest and told to come back if contractions got worse or built up to a pattern or i had any other signs of labour. Again this has all been put down to irritable uterus or practice labour. They did say that they didn't think I would go full term, but could never be certain.

Today I feel fine and no tightenings. I'm really hoping that we can get to atleast 34 weeks.

Surprisingly I have remained relatively calm throughout all of this with the odd in hospital melt down. Baby has always been fine on scans and monitoring and I've never had an infection or anything. They can't say for sure whether everything that has happened is connected, but I'm assuming it must be in some way.

My question really is has anyone experienced these practice labours or irritable uterus as early as me. Did you have pre-term labour. How quick did it happen? I'm worried about these practice labours making real labour quicker and not getting to the hospital in time with a preterm baba.

Thanks in advance to any respondents.

I went into pre term labour with both of mine for a different reason but had them at 34+5 and 35+1 and they were fine.

Steroids will help babies lungs and the gestation where you are things should be absolutely fine.

Just listen to your body and don't be afraid of going into hospital 100 times over if your worried about anything

Hello, my circumstances were sadly very different to yours, but they actually might be reassuring in the meantime in a way.

I started having Braxton Hicks at 16 weeks. I had horrendous pain in my bladder whenever it was full and voiding caused painless contractions. I flagged it across three services, but no one took it seriously because of how early on I was. They never really intensified, just gradually came a bit more often. Initially it was once or twice a day, but eventually I realised I could feel them when standing up or sitting at my desk, whereas before it was only whilst peeing or lying down.

I experienced a very different, sharp pain at 19 weeks and had to bully my way into triage as they weren't that bothered about seeing me. When I arrived, they did Doppler and like a 30 second scan where they said everything was fine. Then they said they'd do a speculum exam just for procedure before I went home. Her face fell and she told me the membranes were bulging and I'd be going straight to labour and delivery with no preventative measures or help to stop it. I was 19 weeks and our baby was alive and well, they just let me go into labour. Our beautiful little boy arrived 19 hours later after a long and painful labour. He obviously didn't survive.

It's not a happy ending, it was horrific, but the fact that your tightenings seem to come and go, and you've not had any active labour thus far certainly seems a good sign. With me, they offered no monitoring, nothing. They knew I was already in labour and that it was hopeless, so it's a very different case for you!

As a separate point, no one ever checked my cervix before the point I went to triage. I'd called previously and was told they wouldn't see me unless I was bleeding or having regular contractions every 20 minutes. I'm currently pregnant again, and as I've had two early losses and a late loss now, they did a routine check on my cervix at my 7 week scan two days ago - they found I only have 11mm of measurable cervix. So if they'd looked, they'd have likely seen a decent reason why I went into early labour and might have been able to help prevent it or at least push it back a bit.

At 32+2, although it would be better for baby to stay put, providing there are no added complications, baby should only need Level 1 care if they come early at this point, I believe, though I could be wrong. My best friend had her baby at 30 weeks in March last year and he's surpassed his older brother in development now when his brother was his age. There's lots of hope for you. I hope you get as far on as possible. Wishing you all the best.

Thank you for your response and glad to hear that your babies were fine. I feel fortunate to have gotten this far a long given all the complications I've had.

Were you in labour long prior to them being born? Did you have noticeable symptoms leading up to their births?

Thank you 😊

Mine was threatening to arrive for about 5 days before she then did at 32 weeks. I think I’d accepted within that time it would happen as my pregnancy had been quite complicated and in those last few days the medics were talking about every day we got through being an achievement so I guessed they were expecting it to happen any day.

Thank you for your response @KittyFantastica I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that, I cant even imagine how heartbreaking that must have been for you ❤️ I really hope that now they have found a cervical problem that you get good treatment during your pregnancy. Have they offered a cervical stitch?

I think I've been really fortunate with the care I've recieved at my hospital. The tightenings are happening again now, but irregular. I guess they're maybe something I'm just going to have to get used to until she arrives 😕

Just want to reassure you that my 32 weeker is now 25 and strong as an ox and 6ft4!

At 32 weeks I had steroid injections and ds was in SCBU for 3 weeks and came home when he was 4lbs.

Thank you for your response @Irvinesv. Was your little one okay when they were born? I'm getting the same from them. Every time I say "hopefully she will hold on for a few weeks", they say "every extra day helps". I think they were surprised things didn't progress on Sunday really. In the 5 days you were threatening labour were you just having contractions, or did you notice anything else? My tightenings started again about an hour ago, but are irregular atm. I've got some pain in my lower back and pelvis, but nothing to write home about. I think I've accepted she could come at any time now. There's always just that worry about getting yo hospital in time isn't there.

@LoafofSellotape thank you so much for this. That's very reassuring. The thought of her being so tiny and having to leave her in hospital is awful, but thinking about the longer term definitely helps ❤️

She was fine, now a healthy primary age child. Shr spent 3 weeks in SCBU but due to the steroids no issues with her lungs.
At some point in the 5 days I lost my mucus plug, the midwife didn’t seem bothered by it though. In the 12-15 hours before she was born I had constant tightenings that never really went anywhere but also didn’t stop whereas before it’d come and gone after a few hours

Also I was told that if I thought I was going into pre term labour and contractions were close together (they said before 35 weeks) then call an ambulance as I lived 30 minutes (in good traffic) from the hospital

I had an irritable uterus in my second pregnancy and steroids at around 31 weeks I think as they picked up contractions and my cervix was soft, had them fairly regularly until she arrived by induction at 39+5. I had them in my first pregnancy too along with a shortening cervix and also had progesterone, slow leak of hind waters at 24 weeks and she stayed put until 40+5, so for me luckily all fine. They're very uncomfortable and worrying when they are regular, do keep getting checked though, hope your little one stays out a bit longer.

I'm pleased she's doing so well 😊 Mine were more irregular yesterday and came and went all day. The one on Saturday/Sunday lasted 24 hours and then just stopped and Monday was most the day. Is such a strange experience because they're so strong and tight when it's happening, but very minimal pain. I'm hoping they stop for a couple weeks like last time, but I'm just trying to go with the flow. I definitely feel more reassured by her current gestation and that she's had steroids. Thanks for your responses ❤️

Thanks for your reply @annlee3817. Ohh that's reassuring to know you went full term. I'm hoping that these settle down. After the 3 days at 29 weeks I only had the odd Braxton hick and then they've been almost constant since Saturday, but they I noticed yesterday that they'd last an hour or so and go away for a bit and then come back. So seemed to be lessening. Hopefully they'll go away again for a few weeks 🤞🏻 It just puts you on guard when they happen to see if they're building up to a pattern doesn't it. I'll just have to go with the flow and hope she stays where she is for another few weeks 🤞🏻😊