Premature Labour

[Gillyan]

Hi.

Just come home from hospital. Have been in since sunday as went into early labour at 34+3.

I was contracting every 2-3mins, cervix closed, head 3/5 engaged.

They gave me Nifedepine to slow the contractions and I have had 2 lots of steroids 24 hrs apart.

The cotractions are 1 every half hr now and not hurting and not strong.

Doc has sent me home with a 4 day supply of Nifedipine to try and keep contractions at bay and after the 4 days if they start up they won't stop labour and I'll be 35 + 2 and with the steroids on board hopefully LO will do well with some special care if needed.

Just wondering has anyone else been sent home with the tablets or had steroids? What happended in your case, did labour go away or carry on? Just interested, I'm sure there are tons of different ways it could play out.

Thanks

I havn't had any personal experience But my sister was born at 35 weeks no steroids she weighed 5 pound but didn't even need sc. She was allowed home fairly soon and monitered more closely from home. Hope this makes you feel better. I hope everything works out well with your lo.

I was also going to add that I know of someone who gave birth at around 35wks and, although they kept mum and baby in a couple of days they were both on normal ward and no SCBU.

Also - they often don't do steroids after 33-34wks as the lungs are usually mature nough from 32wks. So you should be fine on that score.

Good luck.

Also - drink gallons and gallons and gallons can help keep labour at bay as - at least in this early "threatened remature labour" stage dilutes the hormones causing contractions. Obviously once labour does actualy kick in drinking isn't actually going to help.