Steroids? Need to decide

[Worried2105]

Hi everyone. Doctor has suggested I have the steroid injections due to risk of premature labour. Currently 34 weeks. However, I'm worried about side effects both short and long term, even though I know the benefits outweigh the risks. I'm hoping the baby can hold on another week or two. I've tried googling but there's lots of mixed information. Can anyone help me decide? Thanks.

Hey, I was on steroids for most of my first pregnancy due to an autoimmune condition I have. Bub was born healthy and no issues 🥰 I have had 2 miscarriages since and believe the steroids are what enabled me to hold onto the pregnancy!

The very first question I ask when told we have a 34 weeker being born is "have they had steroids?" because the babies whose mums have had steroids, on average, do so much better. Less likely to need mechanical ventilation. Less likely to need other forms of respiratory support. More likely to be able to start with milk feeds nice and early. Less likely to need shipping out to a bigger centre (and no, parents can't go in the ambulance with them, there isn't space). And, ultimately, though thank god it is unusual anyway on 34 weekers, less likely to die. Every paediatrician I know (scores) loves antenatal steroids. There was a paper, ooh, about 24 years ago suggesting that repeated multiple courses of antenatal steroids might cause problems, but the major confounder was that it was the babies who had threatened preterm labour multiple times through fraught pregnancies that had multiple courses. A one off course? Absolute no brainer: long term outcomes are better if having it.

If you're really struggling to decide, don't ask your midwife/obstetrician. They're not the ones looking after the baby after birth. Ask to speak to someone in paediatrics/neonates. And you'll get a very clear message: have the steroids.

I had twins at 37w0d
i had steroid injections. DT1 still struggled to breathe and needed to be resuscitated / helped to breathe at birth and given oxygen . He is absolutely fine now.

I wouldn’t hesitate to have them again if offered, though it did smart like a bastard!

yes, do it. It makes such a difference to their outcomes.

Thank you all for your response. The doctor just worried me after mentioning the risks long term like lower IQ and ADHD!

If it’s any reassurance, my DTs are both top of their year 😉😘😁

Having watched my son do amazingly and others without steriods not so well. Get the steriods. I had them with each of mine with no issues to the child

I had them for my twins, born at 37 weeks. They had absolutely no issues, their breathing was brilliant and they were just over 5lb each. I wouldn't hesitate.

Im a nicu nurse. Get the steroids, it's a no brainer.

I had steroids at 34 weeks and was induced 37 weeks.
My little chunk of a 6 month old is asleep next to me, he had no problems born at 5am and was home 1pm the same day.
He's thriving and currently meeting all milestones.
Personally I would have them again if needed. It helps mature their little lungs in case

I had steroids on both my boys,both born at 35 weeks (inductions),& both needed no real medical intervention in regard to breathing etc,my oldest had a NICU stay due to his size,he was only 4 lbs he'd stopped growing in the womb hence the need for him to be out,he's 5 now & an absolute star,my second son was over 7 lbs & we were home 24 hours after he was born. For me it really was no questions of having the steroids, I agreed immediately

I thought it was only standard to have steroids before 32 weeks as that's when the lungs are fully developed? My son was born at 31w3days and had steroid injections. They did them over two days. 34 weeks isn't that premmie really and if birth is imminent would there be time for two before birth?

I had steroids at 24 weeks as a precaution then again at 34 weeks when my waters broke. DD didn't need any breathing support at all when she was born. I obviously couldn't say if this was due to the steroids but I would take them if you are being advised to.

Yes have them, my daughter was born at 31 weeks, super bright now at 15. And they helped her massively, she was so tiny and on cpap for a while.

I had steroids at 39 weeks due to suspect pre eclampsia but was false alarm. I didn’t need further dose since by the early 2000s they had worked out that multiple doses were not necessary.
DS has had no health problems as a result and is very bright. He’s also 6’4” and now 18. He was eventually born at 36 weeks. He was jaundiced but his lungs had matured so no breathing problems.

Sorry that should have been 29 weeks not 39 weeks.

I would. The benefit outweighs the risk.
I started contracting at 35 weeks and my waters were very slowly leaking with DC1. I was given antibiotics to prevent infection from the leaking waters, a drug (can’t remember the name of it - started with a “T” I think?) to slow contractions and steroids for baby’s lungs.
The contractions stopped, but I was on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. My waters ended up breaking properly at 37+6 and baby arrived at 38+1, perfectly healthy.

I would get them 100%. I had them with my 28 weeker and he was only ventilated for about 12hrs after birth, cpap for a few days then down to high then low flow oxygen pretty quickly before being discharged with nothing. I met lots of other babies throughout our NICU stay who hadn't managed to get steroids and needed breathing support for longer and/or went home on oxygen.

Steroids before 36 weeks for lung development, normally dexamethasone. Lungs aren't fully developed until 36 weeks.
Magnesium sulphate infusion is given before 32 weeks to protect the brain from injury and bleeds.

I also had them at 34 weeks and DS2 is fine. What swayed me was what happened to DBro in the 80s - my mum didn't have the steroids in the same circumstances because it wasn't known then to use them, and he had terrible lung problems for years.

They do sting a bit but it's over very quickly, not anywhere near as bad as I had screwed myself up to expect!! Nowhere near as bad as the SPD I had been dealing with the whole pregnancy.

If you're really struggling to decide, don't ask your midwife/obstetrician. They're not the ones looking after the baby after birth. Ask to speak to someone in paediatrics/neonates. And you'll get a very clear message: have the steroids

I can promise you that you’d get exactly the same message from midwives and obstetricians.

If your baby has breathing/lung problems after birth then you definitely won’t give a stuff about IQ or ADHD.

I’d quite like to see any literature related to that.

I had steroids because I went to into pre term labour at 25 weeks, so it wasn’t even a question. Managed to keep her in a while longer though, till 30 weeks. I doubt she’d have done as well as she did if I’d refused steroids.

Shes a teen now and on track for a string 9/8s and no signs of ADHD despite me and both her sisters having it.

Also this ^

I had the steroid jabs at 28 weeks, our son was born at 29 weeks. I'm not convinced he would have survived without that headstart.