Question about your size and PTL

I had a regular OB appointment yesterday. I asked the doctor to go over the u/s with me. He said Baby A is in the 93% and Baby B is 92%. I said - wow, I'm growing some healthy babies. Then he told me his only concern with that is the fact that I'm not a very big person. I'm average in size/weight - I'm no skinny mini.... but I'm only 5'2.

The doctor said he is concerned with PTL because of my size. I know with twins PTL is already a concern.

Any other "smaller" ladies carry their twins 36+ weeks (that's my goal). I start seeing the doctor every 2 weeks and get u/s every 3 weeks now.

 

Hi Jessica,

I can't answer your question as you and I are at the same stage (25w4d), but I wanted to say that I've heard that maternal size may be a factor in PTL. But I didn't think it was correlated only with height. Instead, I thought it had to do with BMI. The lower the BMI, the more likely you were to go into PTL. By the way, I'm also 5'2 and my pre-pregnancy weight was 115 lbs. I get lots of contractions, but they haven't been classified as PTL yet because I don't have any noticeable cervical change (we'll see, though....I have some softening even though my cervix measured 4.5cm and I wasn't dilated).

I'm curious to know how people respond to your post.

I hope you're doing well!

~Malie


QUOTE(lilly_&_hunter @ Dec 4 2007, 12:02 PM) [snapback]520304[/snapback]
I had a regular OB appointment yesterday. I asked the doctor to go over the u/s with me. He said Baby A is in the 93% and Baby B is 92%. I said - wow, I'm growing some healthy babies. Then he told me his only concern with that is the fact that I'm not a very big person. I'm average in size/weight - I'm no skinny mini.... but I'm only 5'2.

The doctor said he is concerned with PTL because of my size. I know with twins PTL is already a concern.

Any other "smaller" ladies carry their twins 36+ weeks (that's my goal). I start seeing the doctor every 2 weeks and get u/s every 3 weeks now.

 

My SIL is 5'2" as well and probably about 120 lbs pre-preganancy. She was able to work until 34 weeks and delivered at 36 weeks. I'm 5'8" about 145lbs prepreg. and have been on bed rest since 15 weeks.
I have heard that size can be an issue re PTL but my SIL did great!!

 

I am 5'1". I delivered at 37 wks, 1 day because I had to. I was nowhere near labor, my cervix was long and closed, but I ran out of space for my amnions, so they scheduled a c/s. My babies were fine, fully mature, full term and 6,9 and 6,13 for weight. I come from a family of short women and we tend to carry long. DS1 was 41 wks, 2 days and 9.5 lbs. Being short does not necessarily mean PTL.

 

I'm 5'1" and carried till 34w 6d when my water broke and I had a c-section. My girls were transverse the entire pregnancy and I never had braxton hicks contractions or any others. Even at the hospital waiting for my OB I never even felt the contractions till DH would say I was having one. I was never on bedrest but did stop commuting to NYC for work 2.5 months (June 10th) before my due date (Aug 22). The girls spent a week in the lowest level NICU till they could hold their temp and eat enough and then came home.

I will say I beleive my pregnancy was not the norm to some of the stories I read here. I never saw a peri (had never even heard of them before this site) or had any NST's (again, never knew what this was either till I joined this board). I also never had my cervix checked till the day I was in the hospital to deliver the girls.

 

I'm 5'3 and 100lbs. I was put on bedrest at 27wks for ptl and cervix. I was let off bedrest at 34wks, I was dilating like a cm a week but still no babies, so I was induced at 37w2d at which time I was 100% effaced 4cm dilated and 150lbs.

I delivered 2 healthy 5 1/2lb babies vaginally with no nicu time!!

 

I'm 5' 2.5" and I wasn't anywhere near going into labor when I had the girls at 35.3 weeks. In fact, my cervix was so shut tight that the induction failed.

I carried my 9 lb 9 oz singleton to 41.6 weeks as well and was only 1 cm dilated when they induced me.

 

I figured there were a lot of success stories for "smaller" women carrying their babies full term. Thanks ladies for your stories. I love reading other's experiences.

 

I'm 5'4" and 125 lbs pre-pregnancy. I carried my twins to 37 weeks. I did have a lot of contractions and got put on terbutaline at 29 weeks, but there was never any indication that I was actually in labor. (I delivered by scheduled c-section.) And my doctor never mentioned that size had anything to do with it. (Though she did say that it might be more comfortable for taller women to carry multiples.)

 

It also depends on where your height comes from...some people are longer in the torso....and some have long legs...so comparing just height is kinda like comparing apples and oranges! I am 31 weeks today...I am very petite, I am 5' tall and was a size 0 when I got pregnant....my uterus is now measuring at over 45 weeks! it is up under my bra (when I wear one) I am on bed rest and have been for 26 weeks! I have gained 29 pounds in 31 weeks.

best of luck to ya!

Missy

 

I am 5'2" and weighed about 120 prepregnancy. I was measuring 40 weeks when I was 31 weeks along. My belly was absolutely huge! I had no problems with preterm labor and delivered my twins at 37 weeks 5 days by scheduled c-section (I was not dilating or anything, my doc just wouldn't let me go past 38 weeks I could have probably carried them longer). My ob told me the entire time that she did not think that I would make it past 36 weeks, but I made it all the way to the end with no problems. Good luck to you!

 

I have never heard that. I am 5'10" and I went into PTL at 25 weeks...

 

I'm 5ft 2in tall and I am also average weight, around 110 when I conceived the twins. I carried my guys to 37 weeks with a bout of ptl at 34 weeks that was easily stopped. I had two very healthy kiddos. Good Luck

 

Im 5'2" also and delivered my boys at 33 weeks.

 

I am 5'4", my prepregnancy weight was 115lbs. At 30 weeeks I had gained about 40 pounds (I'm 31 weeks now)! My belly iwas measuring 45 weeks. It is huge and I've had lots of contractions since 27 weeks but they have not been considered preterm labor because they have not induced any change of my cervix (3.5 cm long at my last U/S). In my case the contractions may be due to the fact that I have high liquid in my placentas (7 and 11 cm) which causes a lot of stretching of the belly. Still, my perinatalogist allowed me to continue working because I am sitting most of the day.

So I don't think you should worry that much about this. There are many other factors that may trigger PTL (stress, infections, ...). Just stay alert: take it easy (easier said than done), pay close attention to the changes in your body, and call your doctor or L&D if you have any concern.

 

I'm also 5' 2" and my doctor told me early on, I'd probably deliver early b/c of my size. While I didn't make it quite to your goal of 36 + weeks, I made it to 35 wks 4 days thanks to bedrest, mag and a two week hospital stay. I also gained 90 lbs because I retained EVERYTHING! I am in awe of how my body held up under such extreme weight gain...I guess preeclampsia was the toll, but still!
Good luck to you!

 

Ok, I was overweight when I got pregnant but I am only 5'3. I do have a long torso (I think). I carried the twins (15lbs, 2oz) until my scheduled c-section (Baby A was breech) at 38 weeks. eta: I had the perfect pregnancy with no PTL!

My mom was probably 115lbs soaking wet, but 5'7 tall. She carried my sister and I until 39.5 weeks (just over 11 lbs).

HTH!

 

I'm 5'1" and started having contractions at 24 weeks, went on bedrest and went into ptl at 30 weeks, but held on until 34 weeks. All the doctors said the girls just ran out of room (I'm short, petite, and don't have a long torso). The last two days I was having trouble eating and breathing, but I still thought I could hold on until 37 weeks. I also have a huge hernia from right until my bra down under my belly button because the girls had no where to go except either side. At the end Ana had her head pressing up against my stomach (and my stomach would pop out of the hernia with each contraction), and her feet pushing on my cervix (ouch) and Meara was on the other side of my belly with her head on the side of my abdomen by my lower ribs and her butt on my cervix with her feet in her face. Poor kiddos!

On the up side, even though the girls were born at 34 weeks, they only spent 2 weeks in the NICU and had almost no health problems (just had to learn to eat and maintain body temp). GL with the rest of your pg. -Leighann

 

I am 5'2" and carried mine to 38.5 weeks and was induced it just depends on your body.

 

I'm 5'3" and about 120 and delivered my girls at 37 weeks 3 days. If my water hadn't of broken I probably would of made it until my scheduled induction (38 w 4 d), since I had to be induced after my water broke since I wasnt dialating or making any progress on my own! I was never on bedrest, I was pulled out of work at 32 weeks since I had protien in my urine/high blood pressure, but it wasnt to bad at all, and my ob mainly pulled me out because I asked him to since I was so miserable!

 

Thanks again ladies!! I'm really going to try hard to make it to at least 36 weeks. I want my babies to stay in and grow as long as possible.

I don't think my height is going to be that big of a factor.

 

I'm 5'4 and was skinny minny at 110 lbs pre-prego. I started dilating to 2 cm and put on bedrest at 27 weeks. But now i'm at 31 weeks with no change. Doc thinks i should be able to make it to at least 34... every pregnancy is different. GOOD LUCK!!

 

I am 5'3 and was about 115 pre prego (and now 7mo post-preggo :yahoo: ). I started having a lot of contractions around 28 weeks and was put on meds to slow them down but I never dialated at all. I guess you can't really consider that ture pre-term labor. I wouldn't even dialate when I was induced at 37 weeks and ended up with a section.

 

I'm 5'1" and 108, now and before I got pregnant. Also, I'm all leg, and no torso. My OB was very concerned because of my petite frame and had me on modified bedrest for much of my pregnancy starting around 22 weeks. Also when Baby A was head down, I was softening at 27 weeks, and also had contractions throughout my pregnancy. Then Baby A turned breech and I had no more softening. My water broke at 35+1, and I still hadn't even dilated. Who knows what would have happend if I hadn't been on bedrest...maybe a very early delivery, or maybe nothing.... Like pp said, I think everyone is just different. Just take it as easy as you can, it definitely doesn't hurt anything!

 

hi, i have heard this to a degree, and have shared your concern...i am only short, petite, short torso, pre preg weight about 110 pounds. I have had two 6 pound boys (2 weeks early)

My dr told me straight off the bat, i won't make it to term (i guess thats the norm for twins) and that my body would probably go into labour when my cervix could go no bigger (cervix thinking it is full term when it is not)

but it sounds like a lot of smallish girls here are making it to respectable gestation length....so i don't know!