Can anyone please talk to me about steroid injections to mature baby's lungs? am 29+5 and just dont know what to expect to happen now...

[BarbieLovesKen]

Hi all,

Can anyone help me please? I've had absolutely no experience of early labour as my dd was born 11 days overdue and was/ am expecting the same for this pregnancy for some reason.

Was also induced with my dd so have no experience of going in to labour naturally and what to expect/ look for.

I have been having pains in my lower stomach on and off since Monday. Not a tightening but a pain for a few minutes that subsides and goes away. Not unbearabley painful but very uncomfortable and does hurt.

The pain continued around to my lower back on Tuesday night and was quite painful - to the point I began to cry.

I had put this down to Braxton Hicks.

I woke up at approx 3am on Wednesday morning with a bout of vomiting.

I was experiencing alot of pressure for the last few days but thought this was maybe because this is my second baby???

I was getting into the bath after work last night and lost a clear, jelly - like blob that was streaked with brown and red blood. I read up my pregnancy books and sounded like a show (didnt have one with dd), but it wasnt a huge amount - not as much as I expected from the books anyway.

I rang my mother who came down and, a known drama queen, insisted I go into materity ward to be checked. I rang beforehand and they said I could go in if I wanted. I was checked by a Nurse, who, to be honest was lovely but made me feel really, really stupid for being there. Baby's heart was traced and from tracing I definately wasnt having contractions.

The Doctor came around and was lovely, she completed an internal and cervix is closed, she said she is unsure if it was a show or not - she said that it does sound like it but cant confirm as she didnt see it.

She did however want me to stay in overnight for observations but I refused as I needed to get home to my dd. She also insisted that I had a steriod injection to mature baby's lungs, just incase. I had to go back in this morning and have second injection 12 hours later too.

I am renowned for doubting myself and am now worried that I have made a big deal about absolutely nothing, am embarrased and feel stupid and am now worrying, after everything found appeared to be against (thankfully)pre term later that the Doctor unneccessarily administered drugs (prob had to cover bum as I had presented concerns). I dont feel that I would have went in if had not been pressured from my mother and dh and now feel ridiculous.

Am now worried that internal and/ or injection could encourage the onset of labour (as Ive read bits on threads suggesting this), all completely unnessiarily - because I was being a drama queen. I also think Im going to be signed off work.

What do you think re symptoms???

Sorry so long and thank you for any advice x

you sound as if you did exactly the right thing, and had you rang my hospital for advice I would have asked you to come in to be checked over. There is no evidence of any side-effects for you or baby from these steriods, and they have been used for many years and been subject to much research. The doctor will have performed a very gentle examination which should not (at 28 weeks) bring on labour unless your body was planning to do so anyway! It's not like having a sweep at 41 weeks iyswim. I hope they sent a urine sample for analysis as a UTI can have the same symptoms and assured you that you should ring them again with any concerns, am very sad that the nurse (a midwife in fact) made you feel that way. You know your body best, and you are absolutely right to act on your instincts. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Spent quite a lot of time on ante-natal ward with false alarms in both pregnancies. Had injections early and met loads of other women who did too; am not aware of any case where this triggered early labour.

Thank you both so much for your replies. Am already feeling a bit better because of them.

Reikizen - They did send a sample for UTI and said that there isnt an infection - but think it was the first thing they were thinking of too.

I had steroid injection as a precaution at about the same time as you - as I understood it (as more informed posters have already posted!) there was very little risk, but huge potential benefits if things did start moving early.

I did end up going into slightly premature labour (weeks after my earlier admission), so was very grateful to have had the steroids. Hopefully, everything will settle down for you & you can enjoy the rest of your pg - but if things should start happening early, your baby should be safer because of it

I went into premature labour with DD at 32 weeks and had steroid injections, the baby just have better chances of survival and breathing on its own if you manage to have two sets in 24 hours (and they usually try to delay labout so that you can have both injections). As it was, DD didn't suffer any adverse consequences from the injections (in case you are worrying about that)...and she was 5 days overdue in the end

oh and I think your mum did the right thing and there is not one once of drama queen in that. 100% the right thing to do. And don't worry the internal wouldn't trigger labour on its own

reikizen has given you excellent advice, as she always does

if a client of mine told me they'd had pains, pressure, vomiting and a show, i'd be telling them to get straight to the hospital to be checked out !

steroids won't have done any harm and neither will the internal, the doctor is not covering her bum, she was taking correct precauions to protect your baby should those pains / pressure develop into pre term labour

you do need to be checked for this sort of thing, it is absoluely vital that pains and a show pre term are checked by a MW

I'm 25 weeks and last week I had a slight red bleed which lasted a few hours. I left it until the following morning to ring the hospital (I wasn't going to bother only I was advised to by several folk) who told me to come in. I was then admitted for 36 hours monitoring, had the 2 steroid injections too. All the while, I was made to feel like I'd done exactly the right thing, and the injections were a precaution. Midwife talked me through them, saying they might make me drowsy or confused for a short while but would have no effect on the baby at all.
Just worried incase it happens again though really! I have realised now though that the maternity staff are on hand to help and any query shouldn't make you feel stupid to ask.