Steroids?

[Rachall]

Hi I am 30 weeks pregnant and had steroids yesterday as the Drs have found i have a short cervix and funnelling. I think my body will
go full term but now I am scared incase the steroids affect my child’s mental well being in the future. Should I have refused the steroids and chanced pre term labour? Has anyone had any experience of this? I am very very stressed 😔

I would haven taken the steroids.

You can't know until it's too late if you'll go to term or deliver very early.

With 50:50 odds of an early birth I'd want to give my child the best possible chance of survival. Not taking the steroids could lead to long term physical issues or death.

It's a really hard question but IMO you did the right thing.

i had them when it was obvious my son was going to be early - they help the lungs develop. He’s great :)

Hope all goes well

I had them... Ds 10 is one very smart dc...

Thanx did you go to full term labour after taking the steroids?

I had to have an emcs at 35 weeks. Dc was absolutely fine... 5.4 oz... Home in a week... No issues at all
.

As one of the people who, in a small hospital, works to stabilise babies I am always so relieved when I hear that a preterm mum has had steroids, and get a feeling of dread if she hasn't. When I first qualified, antenatal steroids were relatively new, and they absolutely revolutionised survival rates, and respiratory outcome, for preterm babies. We still refer to "old fashioned x weekers", by which we mean the ones that hadn't had steroids. And they are so much harder to stabilise. So much more likely to need respiratory support. So much more likely to need actual intubation and ventilation. So much more likely to need care at a level 3 NICU, which depending where mum delivers can mean mum and baby being at different hospitals sometimes many miles apart. So much more likely to end up needing long periods of respiratory support, and even home oxygen. So much more likely to have ongoing respiratory problems for the first couple of years of life. And even, scary thought, more likely to not survive.

You have absolutely, 100% done the right thing for the best odds of a good outcome for your baby. I really hope your pregnancy continues to term, but if not you have done the one thing that may really confer enormous benefit to how your baby does.

I've had steroids for 2 of my children, no apparent concerns. All healthy and thriving

How are you now @Rachall?