How likely is a second premature baby?

[caramelbunny]

DS was born at 32+4 after my membranes ruptured at 32+2. She was 3lb 13 and in SCBU for 3 weeks. She's 16 months now and fine. Am now expecting again in October and just wondered if it's likely to happen again. Have you had a prem baby then gone full term or overdue?

My DS1 was born - for reasons best known to himself, as he still hasn't shared them with me - at 31+5 and was in SCBU for about 4 weeks. DS2 hung around til 37+2 and was absolutely fine despite having been diagnosed as IUGR - they reckoned 3lb 10oz two days before he was born weighing 6lbs. DT1/2 were induced at 36 weeks so for twins that doesn't even really count as premmie! So it's pretty safe to reckon that if there was no obvious cause the first time then there's no more than the normal risk that number two will appear ahead of schedule.

Thanks for that fiplus4, that's comforting to know.

I had DTDs at 27wks.
I had DD3 at 39+5wks.

Some people do have repeated premmies (SparklyGothKat is hte MNetter that comes to mind, but there are others)

For others it just happens because it happens.

I had increased monitoring with DD3 - but at my hospital this was only offered to mothers who had previously delivered pre-32wks as the risks to baby are much lower post 32wks. On those grounds you would just miss out.

The best thing is to ask your midwife if there is any enhanced care for previous prems.

(the extra tests I had were internal cervical scans every 2 weeks from 20-32wks, lots of vaginal swabs to check for bacterial infection which is normally harmless, close monitoring, pro active agressive treatment for potential urine infections)

Thanks for that SlightlyMad. I did ask midwife at initial appointment but she said to speak to doctor at booking in. Extra testing you had sounds very thorough.

I was lucky enough to be at one of the countries regional neonatal specialist hospitals, which in turn attracts leading prem specialist obstetricians, and lots of funding for research, and to get their subjects to 'research' they have to offer thorough screening to find candidates at risk of prem labour.
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How much that affected my care I don't know and what you would get elsewhere I am not sure.

Thank you SlightlyMad.I'll be at a big women and children's hospital with a large neonatal unit so maybe will get monitoring there.

As SMS said I have had repeated premmies. Ds1 was 35+5 weeks
DD1 was 31+1 weeks
Dd2 was 33+2 weeks
DS2 was 33+5 weeks.

Noone knows why I have premature births, and it just happens to me. Ds1 was only in SCBU for a few days, and was discharged with me, the others all stayed in SCBU, DD1 was 5 weeks, DD2 was 3 weeks and Ds2 was 10 days.

With Ds2 I wanted to get further but it all happened early again.

repeated prems here too

ds - 31 weeks
dd1 - 31 weeks
dd2 - 27 weeks

plus 4 miscarriages

No reasons found -possibly an undiagnosed blood clotting problem. I had weekly consultant visits with dd2(previous 3 pregnacies had ended in miscarriage) - but no actual extra 'care'as such - did take junior asprin off my own back. Started bleeding at 22 weeks and thought that was the end - so to get to 27 weeks and eventually bring my baby home was a miracle. Anecdotally though, i know lots of people who have a prem and then go on to have full termers - i think i was just v unlucky.

I also have had 2 miscarriages. I think it might be a blood clotting disorder. I took asripin (sp?) too, and was given Clexane injections at 24 weeks when they discovered my Protein S levels were low, in my last pregnancy but I think at that it was too late to make a difference

DD1 was 33 weeks, but DD2 hung on until 38 weeks. I do know some people on here who have gone overdue after a prem I think.

Thank you for that. I had missed miscarriage with first pg at 12 weeks but baby stopped developing at 9+5. Were yours in first trimester SparklyGothKat and babyjamas (if you don't mind me asking). Also how did your labours start? Was it rupture of membranes or contractions.

my 1st mc was a missed mc at 9 weeks (stop growing at 5 weeks) and 2nd one was at 5 weeks. My labours always start with contractions

my miscarraiges have all been at different gestations - 12, 14, 9 weeks and a much later one at 21 weeks . My live births all began with contractions and bleeding - in fact my waters had to be broken with all 3.

36 weeks - 5lb3oz
37 weeks - 4lb 13oz
39 weeks - 7lb 3oz (felt like an elephant!)
No idea why born early, just waters breaking.

Sorry about the one at 21 weeks babyjamas, must have been awful.

Thanks Crystal, were you monitored more closely second and third time round?

CB I had DS1 at 34 weeks (4lb 1oz). DS2 was induced at 38.5 wks but I'm sure would have gone full term. They monitored me v closely at a special unit second time around. I'd hope they'd do the same for you. Do you know what caused last premmie birth?

Does anyone know whether it's different if the prematurity is caused by waters breaking rather than labour?

That's what happened to me (didn't go into labour after two days) at 35 weeks (dd 7 lb 12 so I have not experienced what you all have.

It almost feels like it was just a physical accident rather than something my body went into spontaneously iykwim

Thanks twotimetrouble, glad ds2 wasn't early. Waters just ruptured spontaneously and dd was born less than 48 hours later. No idea what caused rupture other than quite stressful job and too much time standing at work maybe.

I'd guess so margo as so many factors involved in premature labour. Wondered if I just had weak membranes rather than my body rejected the baby.

Are you getting more rest this time then?

You should be having at least one meeting with a consultant really I would have thought??!

Yes thanks twotimes, am working part time and now have less responsibility at work so definitely less stress. However, with a 16 month old to chase after and carry around it might not be that restful. Midwife said I'd see consultant so will definitely be asking what they'll do to monitor me.

second time round my consultant was very keen to moniter me almost constantly..but with a 1yr old at home i wasnt having much luck. I had ds1 at 30 wks and ds2 at 34wks ( 20 months later). I have a condition that causes excess growth in-utero, so mine were massive.

I was offered a home moniter to use in the last 6 weeks every night, very sexy!!

My membranes ruptured at 32 weeks with DS3. At 5lb 3ozs, he was big for his gestation, but this caused him problems as his lungs had to struggled more to support his body. He was on a ventilator for 5 days and in SCBU for a month.
With DS4, the membranes spotaneously ruptured at exactly the same time. (32 weeks). This was a different hospital though, and they gave me the steroid injections for his lungs, kept me in and monitored me for another two weeks before inducing. Although born at only 34 weeks, DS4 was able to go home 2 days later.
With DS5, I went into labour on his due date!

DS1 was born at 29 weeks and weighed 2lb 11oz, DS2 was born 14 months later at 41 weeks and weighed 10lb. No rhyme or reason!?!?!?

Thank you all. Doesn't seem to be any pattern. Guess the best thing I can do is not worry too much about it and look out for signs of early labour.