So I am freaking out a little bit. I am 29 weeks pregnant and I already went to the hospital yesterday for contractions, but they sent me home after monitoring me and giving me three shots of terbutaline. Today I went to the zoo for my birthday and I felt fine but when I get home I start feeling the contractions again. I’m going to try and hold off until tomorrow to go to the hospital or anything and I’m hoping to be able to until hold off until Monday when I have my regular doctor’s appointment. Any advice or experiences would be great. I had my twins at 33 weeks and they’re fine, doing great at 5 years old, but this is even earlier so I am not happy.
Oh, honey. That’s scary.
Why are you trying to wait?
It’s probably not a good thing to do walking-intensive trips like the zoo if you’re having early contractions. I’m not saying bed rest (if the doctor isn’t saying that), but just take it easy.
StG
Take it easy, yeah. My daughter was (as you probably remember 'cause I talked about it nonstop for some time 
) a 23 weeker, and she’s just fine, but it’s not exactly something I’d recommend.
Do call your midwife/doctor in the morning and find out if they want you to do anything. It’s possible they may want to do a shot or two of steroids, just in case. Steroid shots are given to “mature” the baby’s lungs so s/he has less respiratory problems if born prematurely. They goad the lungs into producing surfactant, a slippery stuff that makes them expand and absorb oxygen, before they normally would.
My midwife suggested a single glass of wine when I started feeling contractions, with the theory that a) it would relax me just a little bit (yeah, right!) and b) it can sometimes calm the contractions and get them to quit. That’s not advice, of course, just what I was told for me.
The good news is that 29 week preemies have a very good chance of survival (90+%), and not terrible chances of severe long term disabilities, and the numbers are getting better literally every year (in other words, don’t google too much or you’ll find outdated information which will scare you needlessly). So while I hopehopehope you can stay pregnant a bit longer, please don’t panic if you can’t.
But yeah…if it were I, I’d find a babysitter and spend some time in bed for a few days, or at least putter quietly around the house, rather than going out and doing a lot of walking.
Also…drink water. Sometimes being a little dehydrated can cause contractions, for reasons we don’t really understand.
Hang in there, and let us know how it goes!
Whynot beat me to it but I’ll repeat it for emphasis. Drink more water. That was the primary instruction my friend got when she started having early labour. Rest too, don’t walk around the zoo young lady, rest and take care of yourself.
FYI in my friends case a couple days of laying around being bored and a full water bottle in her hand for the rest of the pregnancy got things under control. Her son was born only a few days early almost 6 weeks after the early labour. He’s now 6 and determined to kill himself. I have never seen a child more determined to defy the laws of gravity
The nurse yesterday laughed because she said “you have the most hydrated urine I have even seen!” So she said hydration isn’t a problem. 
Just to be super clear- I wasn’t asking why you wanted to wait deliver… just why you wanted to wait to call the doc if you’re really concerned.
(I almost had one baby at 28 weeks, so I know all about wanting to wait to deliver!)
Because I went yesterday already and they sent me home, I won’t have anyone to go with me because my husband is would have to stay home with the twins, and there is no one to watch them if he does need to come with me. I would hate to drag the whole family to L&D just to have them send me home again 3 hours later and them all being dragged from sleep and bed just for that. I know it sounds silly but I would rather wait and see if it gets any worse before doing that. I think waiting until tomorrow morning isn’t waiting too long and it won’t disrupt my children’s whole routine needlessly. Does that sound stupid? 
Not stupid, just a complicated situation. You’re a mom. You’re always going to worry about taking care of your family.
Just promise that if your heart says “go”, you dont worry about disrupting other people’s schedules.
Try to rest and stay hydrated. It’s good advice.
Thanks so much. I know babies at this stage may have longer hospital stays but turn out just fine in the end. It would put a damper on meeting my new client goals for this month at work tough, bye bye quarterly bonus! LOL Trying to stay positive and think about my health and the health of the little one before anything else right now.
I’ll make a “sticky” prayer for you in church this morning. I don’t know your IRL name, but God will if I mention April R.
Keep us posted, as we really do care.
It’s my real name, just my last name initial. I am staying home from church today to rest. Hopefully that will help.
And thanks, I appreciate the kind words and prayers.
Ask your doctor about taking magnesium supplements. I had to go to the hospital with premature contractions when I was about 24 weeks pregnant with twins. I was treated with terbutaline at the hospital. My doctor suggested that I take magnesium daily from then on. I also had terbutaline to take at home if I felt like I needed it. My twins were born at 38 weeks.
I will second all the advise for lots of rest, feet up, lots of water, and a small glass of wine or beer.
Don’t hesitate to call or go to your doctor. I know you don’t want to disrupt the family and work right now, but a healthy mother and baby will be the biggest benefit to the family in the long run.
due to religious reasons I can’t do the alcohol, but I am resting. I am timing the contractions today and they are 4-5 min apart. They aren’t painful, so I don’t know if I should be panicking yet.
My husband was awesome this morning. He got the twins washed and dressed and fed before I got up. Then I brushed their teeth and brushed my daughter’s hair. I didn’t want to feel completely useless. I am staying home in bed though, while they are at church. I think I can hold off until my OB appointment tomorrow. My little girl is kicking up a storm so I can tell something is irritating her.
Since this is a medical thread, I’m moving it (at a very gentle pace) from MPSIMS to IMHO, home of medical threads.
HUGS Hang in there! STICKY STICKY STICKY & Prayers!
Does your OB have an answering service? Might give you peace of mind in the doc or nurse can reassure you that it’s ok to wait. They might have good suggestions too, while you wait until tomorrow.
maybe, but this OB tends to be a “better safe than sorry” type, and I hate to run to the hospital just because they don’t want me to accuse them of medical neglect or something. Life is more complicated than that, I have my family to worry about.
I would definitely go to the doctor and keep your feet up as much as possible. Did they check your cervix? I had a pretty scary pre-term labor scare at 22 weeks. My cervix was a scary 1.5 cm. I stayed overnight, got the same shot you did. I did 3 weeks of modified bed rest and took procardia and progesterone suppositories until 36 weeks. Baby stayed put until 39 weeks 6 days!!
My cervix was closed and not effaced at all. That is the main reason why I am trying to ride this out. I am already taking the progesterone shots weekly. My husband is kind enough to give them to me (in my rear end :eek:), I don’t think I could take the time to go to the OB office every week just to get the shots.