preterm labor at 30 weeks

Hi everyone. Here's a little refresher on my situation. I am currently 30 weeks, 5 days pregnant with b/g twins. Baby A is the girl and she has IUGR. She is in the 3rd percentile for weight and had little to no fluid for four weeks, but it has since increased. Her placenta was compromised, probably from back in week 15 when I suffered severe bleeding for four weeks. Baby B is the boy and is in the 80th percentile for size, but he has a 1 in 9 chance of having Down syndrome. We declined the amnio, so we won't know until they are born.

Anyway, on Saturday I went into preterm labor and was hospitalized. Terbutuline shots didn't help, so they went to Nifedipine, which calmed them down a little, but not enough so they kept me until Tuesday, after administering steroids for the babies' lungs and performing the ffn test, which came back positive. But on Tuesday my contractions had all but stopped, so they felt safe sending me home. Well, last night I had three hours worth of strong and close-together contractions and almost called or went back in, but luckily they slowed down on their own. I'm still on nifedipine, but this is my fourth pregnancy and I just FEEL like my body is trying to deliver these babies.

My doctor did say that he won't aggressively try to stop my labor at this point, especially with the steroids on board, because of Baby A's IUGR and that this may be my body's way of saying she's gone as far as she can inside.

I'm just curious about others preterm labor experiences and what the outcomes have been. Especially if anyone has had a positive ffn test and what the outcome was (I know the negative is much more reliable than the positive, so it leaves me with uncertainty). My doctor would love to see me get to 34 weeks, but thinks I will probably deliver in the next two to three weeks (which would be close).

Thanks for your input!
Elizabeth

 

I can't tell you in regards to a twin pregnancy but I did have ptl at 30wks with my daughter. I was on mag sulfate, then terbutaline, and then was sent home a couple of days later with a Rx for Procardia. I was put on bedrest because every time I stood up I would start to get contractions. My ffns always came back negative, though. I ended up delivering at 38wks after my water spontaneously broke. I also had the steroid shots at 30wks.

I hope that you can bake your little ones for as long as possible. Keep us posted and I will keep all of you in my prayers

 

I started having PTL with my twins at 29weeks. I stayed in the hospital 4 days and came home on niphedipine. I stayed on bedrest until week 34. From week 29-34 I had to go back to the hospital 1-2 more times to get terbutaline shots in addition to the niphedipine I was already taking regularly.
I always had a negative FFN test though. My doc let me off bedrest at 34 weeks and said the babies could come anytime. Needless to say I was induced at 37 weeks. Hang in there! Keep your feet up, drink your water and relax as much as possible.

 

My Baby B had IUGR and I went into labor at 33 weeks (I know, a lot different than 30) but when they did the examination of his placenta, it was black and diseased. I truly believe that I went into labor to save his life. It will be a long NICU stay if they are born soon, but it may be for the best.

 

My water broke at 29 weeks and I ended up having the boys at 29wks 6days. They kept me on mag. for 2 days so the steroids would have a chance to work, but after that said they wouldn't try to stop my labor because my water had already broken. It was a long haul in the NICU (7wks), but we had no major issues while they were there. 30 weeks is a huge milestone. Everyday counts tons once you get to 30. Keep them cooking!!

 

Lots of hugs to you!
I never got the FFN that I know of, but I had a hard time starting around 30 weeks as well. I lost part of my mucus plug (sorry TMI) and then a couple days later my troubles started. I was in and out that hospital so much for weeks, those nurses knew my voice when I called to tell them I was coming in. I went on terbutaline shots and steroid shots when I came in my contractions were every 2 minutes. The hosptial that I had to go to didn't have a NICU and the closest one was over a hundred miles away and in another state! They put me on the Magnesium sulfate IV which I THE worst. I was dialated to 4 cm and told if I dialated any more I was going to be air lifted to the other hospital. The mag ended up working and I was sent home on terbutaline pills to take every 6 hours. I was put on moderate bedrest which was almost impossible because my DF still expected me to do everything around the house as usual. The pills worked for a little bit but I kept ending up back in the hospital and put on regular IVs which calmed down the contractions as well as terbutaline shots. A couple weeks later I ended up back in there and put on IV fluids and then was told to take the pills every 4 hours. I was put back in the hospital again after my NST showed a lot of contractions that I didn't even feel. Overall I made it to 35 weeks and didn't have to be air lifted. I delivered the day after my OB told me to stop taking the terbutaline. Technically no NICU time but they were kept in the nursery for the first couple of days on IV fluids and oxygen the first night and tube fed for about 4 days. They are doing wonderful now and about 12 lbs each at 3 months!

So from what I learned DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS. Those IVs were a godsend I truely believe. They slowed my contractions so well everytime. Stay off your feet as much as possible. See if you could get terbutaline if possible, that helped a lot even if it did make my heart rush all the time.

Good luck, you are doing a wonderful job!