Urgent Delivery Questions

So as thankful as I am to see 33 weeks and almost the 34 week mark. I am extremely nervous. As of last Thursday I am 4cm dilated, I feel like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to go off! At my 32 week ultrasound the babies were measuring 3 lb 15 oz, and 4 lb’s.

My question is how long can I possibly hold off labor after being dilated to 4 cm? And at this point do most people start contracting or should I expect my membranes to rupture first?

 

There's no way to tell. I'm sorry, that's so unhelpful, but some people will deliver quickly and some will just hang out with nothing else happening. I was 3cm dilated for a good long while before my water broke. I did some partial bedrest which may have helped keep them in longer.

Good luck!

 

I had regular,strong contractions, went in completely convinced I was delivering - went from 1- 4cm but nope. 16 days later they came out (at 38w2d).

Good luck!!

 

Yup, pre labor cervix unfortunately doesn't mean much. Some women walk around 3, 4, 5 cms dilated for weeks before active labor kicks in. Other women will be completely tight & closed & have babe in arms 24 hours later. As Michelle said, not spectacularly helpful.

As for your water breaking, only about 1 in 10 women will experience a spontaneous rupture of membranes as the first sign of labor. Most women, in undisturbed labors, will have their membranes rupture spontaneously late in the 1st stage (7-10cm dilation) or sometime during the 2nd stage (pushing). I really wanted a baby born in the caul (membranes still intact) but so far no luck. Laboring with your membranes still intact is usually less painful as the cushion of amniotic fluid helps distribute the pressure of the contractions evenly across your uterus.

Last, but not least, while it's not ideal, 34 weeks is very good. My girls were born at 34w1d & while they did spend two weeks in the NICU, it was mostly just to feed & grow. They are healthy & thriving 4.5 year olds now. :hug:

 

Thank you for your responses, I went this morning for another check up and I am now 5cm. And both my dr's are leaving for the holidays. How worrisome.......... hopefully these precious babies will hold on till Monday!

 

I walked around for 3 weeks at 4cms with my first set of twins. I had them at 37 weeks. With my 2nd,3rd,4th pregnancies I was dilated and walking around for weeks. You just never know.

With my last set of twins my water broke at 33w 5d and I had them once I was 34w. They gave me steroid shots for their lungs and they were completely healthy. They spent 2.5w in the NICU but were grower/feeders.

 

Well I think I have almost made it past the point that my Dr's are out of town. I have an appt tomorrow morning at 7:30 and I have now been 5cm for 6 days! But at 34 weeks 5 days I'm feeling pretty blessed. When they told me my CL was only 5mm at 25-26 weeks, I was praying to just make it to 28 weeks, and then 30 weeks, so to see almost 35 I'm exstatic. I am concerned about their size though, I just don't seem to be getting as big as I expected. Granted I'm huge and have gained a good 50 lbs, but in the last 2-3 weeks my belly just doesnt seem to be changing much.

 

Don't necessarily go by your weight gain to figure out the babies' weight gain. I only gained 30 - 35 lbs (and only a pound or two the last few weeks, if that) and my girls were 6 lbs 8 oz and 6 lbs 3 oz. Granted that was after 39 weeks but I just don't think you need to worry about how much weight you're gaining here at the end.

 

Take a deep breath and relax You just never know what is going to happen, that is nature's way.