Pre-term Labor questions

I am just wondering for all of you who have experienced PTL, what were your main symptoms? Also were there indications that it might happened due to shortened cervix?

 

I am just wondering for all of you who have experienced PTL, what were your main symptoms? Also were there indications that it might happened due to shortened cervix?

 

I did not have any symptoms I could feel. It was noticed I was having PTL issues at my regular appointment. I don't think it was due to a shortened cervix, I think the shortened cervix was a result of my PTL. In other words something has to happen to cause the cervix to shorten, not the cervic shortens which causes something to happen.

 

i have a short cervix (which is why i'm on bed rest, and have been for 4 and 1/2 weeks), but to my knowledge, no contractions or PTL, especially after pushing the water. i'm not on any meds for contractions. the drs. and nurses said that i have some uterine irritability and a few contractions here and there when i was in the hosptial being monitored. recently, i have had some menstrual-type cramping at night, along with backaches, but nothing timed or regular. my dr. said that's because of the hormones. she said i'm likely to get hot flashes, too...oh yes, i have those, as well.

 

good point dianne.

i wonder though, if simply the weight from being on your feet can cause the cervix to shorten, rather than it always being a sign of PTL? thoughts? the reason i mention this is because my cervix was 2.7 (with some beaking), until the ultrasound tech put pressure on my abdomen during an internal u/s, at which time it shortened to less than a cm, hence the reason i was admitted to the hospital for observation and then put on bed rest. just a thought about the weight of being on your feet. this is all new to me, and i've learned so much from all of you!

 

I've been to the L&D so many times already for contractions and threatened PTL and not PTL specifically. Don't know why the LD staff and my doc called it as such. Dianne explained it very well. Usually contractions (depending on the threshold level defined by your doc) will be a good indicator. From what I understand PTL causes changes to your cervix and not the other way around. If the cervix is short to begin with and there are contractions, you will be monitored more closely. HTH!

 

I had an appt at 24 weeks when it was discovered that my cervix was measuring a lot shorter than it had a couple weeks previously. I was sent home and put on strict bedrest. That night, I started contracting like crazy (1 every min or 2). So I went to L&D, was hooked up to the monitors, and given terb shots to stop the contractions. My doctor decided to keep me for a week to monitor me closely and to make sure that the cervix did not shorten any more than it already had. It was her belief that my contractions were causing my cervix to shorten. (I did not realize it at the time, but I had been having a LOT of contractions in the couple weeks before I was put on bedrest. I thought it was just the babies moving).

 

Much like Dianne, I didn't have any. It was discovered at a routine NST at 31 weeks that I was contracting every 2 min. My cervix had minimal changes that were resolved by bedrest.

 

Like Kate - I thought that the feelings I was having was the babies moving - I didn't realize they were contractions - I didn't find out until I went into L&D for a severe headache that I was also contracting every 3 minutes and my cervix had shortened to 2.9 (from 3.5, two days prior)....however I had been on some form or another of bedrest my entire pregnancy (due to bleeding)...and not walking around or doing anything too strenuous....My cervix continued to contract and shorten on and off over the next four weeks - but it wasn't until 28 weeks that it didn't stop w/out meds - I was put on mag - got the steriods and kept for a week - went home for three days - and ended up back in the hospital which is when I had the boys at 29 weeks 3 days. The doctors all said that they thought it was the contractions that caused my cervix to change - but not sure what caused the contractions themselves...

 

I felt alot of vaginal pressure so I went to L&D and sure enough I was having contractions and my cervix was shortened. I was released once my cervix lengenthed and the contractions subsided with terbutaline shots.It took about three days and then I was allowed to go home on modified bedrest and have been on it ever since. I had PTL at 26 weeks.
Melanie- 31 weeks 5 days with b/g twins

 

Thank you for all your input. Diane that does make sense. I am just a little concerned because I have been having what I think are just BH where one side contracts but the other doesn't. The boys are both head down and very low they have been moving alot donwn there and today I had menstural like cramps. I was just at the doctor on Friday and my cervix measured 4.5cm and the Peri said everything looked good. Since these are my first I just have no idea what to expect or what I need to call the doctor over. Thanks for any other input!

 

I think generally speaking docs want you to call if you feel something that might be a contraction more than 4-6 times in an hour and if drinking a ton of water and laying down don't make them stop. Unfortunately, not everyone feels contractions and that is where great medical care comes in and docs notice what is happening even though the mom feels nothing!

 

I had what felt somewhat like menstrual cramping. I thought at first it was yet another round of kidney stones- so I drank a lot of water and took some Tylenol for 3 days and then I couldn't take it anymore- and here it was back labor I didn't know because it was similar to the feeling that i had when I passed kidney stones. I was at 23 weeks when I started with PTL- also had incompetent cervix.

 

I have a friend who delivered at 25 weeks a few weeks ago...she was at my house a few days before and was complaining of lower back pain...we both thought it was just normal pg aches and pains... she had also complained to her mid-wife about a little bloody show...

It turns out that she had an incompentent cervix...she was have back labor which she didn't realize until it was too late. And her mid-wife pretty much ignored her symptoms and complaints...so if you have any worries or concerns be your own advocate...a very simple vaginal ultrasound can tell very easily whether or not anything is going on with your cervix..and it's less invasive than a manual check...instead of spending energy worrying, just talk to your doctor..