First time to post but been visiting

I am a newbie to posting but have been visiting the site daily for good twin information.
I am currently 32 weeks 2 days pregnant with twin boys.
Here is my story.. Pregnancy had been pretty uneventful up till about 26 weeks. My cervix started to shorten and was put on modified bed rest. At 30 weeks I started to dilate (didn't even know I was contracting) When checked I was 1.5cm dilated and about 80% effaced. The next day I lost my mucus plug, talk about freaked out! It scared me to death. Doctor thought it was time to get steroid shots to help with lung maturity. That night after the shot, I went into preterm labor at 30 weeks 5 days. We were able to stop it with mag sulfate, yuck! Now I am on procardia daily to help stop contractions. They are more intense in the evening and mild thought the day. Being on complete bed rest sucks but I know it's best. I went to the doctor today and the babies are measuring 4lbs 6oz and 4lbs 1oz. I am now 2cm dilated and still 80% effaced. He says that if labor starts again he will not try to stop it. And at 34 weeks he is going to take me off the procardia.
How accurate do y'all think ultrasound measure measurements are? And did any of your doctors tell you the same about not trying to stop labor for a second time? Also, how long after stopping procardia or like drug, did you go into labor?

 

COngrats and welcome to TS!

As for your questions. I went into PTL at 24 weeks, was dialated to a 2 and 70% effaced, had steriod shots, and they were able to stop it, again at 28 weeks, they did the steriod shots again, and were able to stop it, then at 30 weeks, same thing, 33 weeks, and last time at 35 weeks. They stopped it each time. I stopped taking my contrax meds at 34 weeks. My boys were born by scheduled c-section at 37 weeks.

As for U/S measurements, they can be off by a lb either way. So they could be a lb heavier or lighter then what they are saying

 

Congratulations and welcome to TS!!!!!

 

:wavey: and welcome to Twinstuff!! I don't have any experience with those meds you are taking or preterm labor, sorry. I just wanted to tell you I'm hoping you can cook those babies a bit longer!! Good luck momma!! :youcandoit: :hug:

 

Hi and welcome to Twinstuff. :welcome: I have no experience with procardia, but I can tell you the steroid shots will help. :good:

 

Hi and welcome to TS! I was also on Procardia starting around week 32. I missed a day's worth of Procardia and then went in to labor with my girls, so in may case, it was about 24 hours after stopping the Procardia! All pregnancies are different, so who knows, you could go to 37 or 38 weeks! Good luck!

 

Thanks for the help girls. I can definately tell that when I get close to my next dose of meds, my contractions will start to get a little more regular. It's scary to think that they could be here now or in a few weeks. I feel like there are so many things yet to be done but since I am on bed rest I haven't really been able to nest very well! I guess when they pull me off bed rest, I need to nest super fast in case they come shortly after.
Thanks again girls!

 

I was put on strict bedrest at 30 weeks for contractions and took meds every 6 hours and could tell when it was time. i didn't go off them until 36 weeks. I even went to the hospital at 35 weeks and they gave me a shot of ??? to stop them. I would ttalk your dr into waiting until 36 weeks. If they come at 34 they will have NICU time but if you wait 2 more weeks, there is a good chance they will not. I know bedrest is no fun but so much better than NICU babies. I actually had my labor stopped in teh hospital 4 times before on the 5th time at 36 weeks my water broke and they came.

You have to decide but if it was my dr I would NOT let him take me off drugs until 36 weeks.

 

Now my dr is talking about putting me on the terbutaline pump since I am still having cervical change on the procardia. So we will see if insurance approves it. Thanks for the advice about waiting till 36 weeks. Ultimately I don't want my babies going to the NICU so the longer I can keep thm in the better!

 

I took oral terbutaline for 6 weeks. Is that an option?

 

I did not have PTL but ask your doc if you can take a calcium/magnesium supplement to help relax your uterus. I hope your babies can hang out a bit longer for you. :hug:

 

Hey congrats on your twins and making it this far!!

I can relate to your story somewhat. I had what they call irritable uterus which is basically, from what I was told and experienced, constant contractions and PTL. For me it started getting BAD around week 28-29. Prior to that I would find myself in triage every week for the contractions (this started around 17 weeks) and they would give me shots of terbutaline but my system couldn't handle it and sent my heart rate through the roof.

Around 30 weeks they put me on strict bedrest and was given Procardia to take multiple times a day. It helped a little but not a lot and like you the contractions seemed to get worse at night so I didn't sleep much. Even though I was on Procardia for contractions and PTL I was STILL going to triage weekly because of the immense pain I was in. Around 31-32 weeks I was admitted to the hospital for hospital bedrest. I was 2cm and 80% effaced. So I spent 2 weeks on hospital bedrest and was still getting my Procardia every could of hours. I can remember a couple of times screaming and crying hysterically to the nurses that I was in so much pain I couldn't take it anymore so they gave me a terbutaline shot a couple of times on different occassions because it happened frequently.

The time I was admitted for hospitalized bedrest (I had been on strict home bedrest when they found out I was 2cm and 80% effaced for about a month and a half) due to pre-eclampsia. While in the hospital they monitored me daily and the protein in my urine and my toxicity levels kept getting higher and higher.

I remember being on the phone in the hospital with my OB at 34 weeks crying hysterically because I was in so much pain from the contractions and the swelling just kept getting worse and worse. I begged her to do a c-section at 34 weeks. In ALL of my ultrasounds the boys looked perfect and were weighing good weights. She said OK but she wanted to get approval from my Peri. Shortly thereafter I got a call from my OB saying that my Peri wanted to see if we could push it to no later than 35 weeks.

So, 35 weeks on the nose I delivered via c-section 2 healthy mono/di boys weighing 4lbs 14oz and 4lbs 15oz and 19.5" long. Their APGARS were 8 and 9.

In recovery immediately after the operation I was told by one of the nurses that it was a good thing they delivered me when they did because my toxicity levels were reaching emergency levels and if waited much longer my health would have been in danger.

On the day of delivery my OB was surprised I hadn't gone into labor before they cut me open.

I did get the steroid shots about 2 times before I went into the hospital for bedrest. I got it at one of my MANY trips to triage. My original due date was late August and that was for 37 weeks. As time progressed my Peri told my husband flat out "there's no way she's going to make it to August, mid to late July will most likely be the time she'll deliver".

So yeah, I stayed at 2cm dialated and 80% effaced for other a month. I NEVER went into actual labor and rather than inducing me they did a c-section to avoid any emergency that may arise with a natural birth. In fact they scheduled the c-section the second the Peri allowed to AVOID an emergency situation.

Not sure if I helped any but that's what happened with me.

Good luck on the rest of your pregnancy!!!