question for you all about premature labor...

[nurturebaby]

My sister is exactly 32 weeks pregnant today and was admitted to the hospital with some contractions this afternoon. I'm confused from the stories I'm hearing second hand from my family and was wondering if you all can help me understand if the doctors are thinking this is it and how long she could be in the hospital!!!

So... sounds like they will be giving steroids to help the babies lungs mature and will be starting her on magnesium (that's right, isn't it?) to try to stop the contractions. Do you think this pretty much means that she'll be in the hospital now until the babies are born, or do you think they could possibly send her home? She's been on bed rest since 12 weeks due to incompetent cervix.

I'm worried because she lives several hours from the hospital and they live in the mountains. They are expecting a big snow storm this weekend and I just get scared thinking that they would be stuck at home in a snow storm and she goes into labor (plus the fact that she has a cerclage to keep her cervix shut!). Anyway, I would think that if steroids have been administered and she's on magnesium, they would want to keep her now until delivery??? Do they ever give the steroids if they pretty much are not convinced that you'll be delivering soon? It sounds to me like they are thinking it'll happen...

Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

[yogafeet]

She'll probably have the option of either staying or going. I was sent home with a monitor for contractions and if I had more than 4 per hour I was to return to the hospital. I am sure they will take into account the fact that she lives so far away/weather and keep her there. Yay for steroids!!! Great for those lungs.

[OGirlieMama]

In my experience, if you're pregnant with multiples and contracting regularly, you're going to get steroids. Which really is a good thing!

She's probably on magnesium sulfate, which is really a crappy experience, but can be effective in stopping labor. Whether they keep or release her is obviously particular to her condition at the time they are making decisions, but I would imagine that someone on mag sulfate for PTL who lives hours away from the hospital and has a cerclage is not going anywhere until she has babies. I hope she gets to stay there a nice several weeks.

[4Marmalade]

I was given steroids at 33 weeks because I had fairly regular contracting. I was never given anything to stop them because I was not actually progressing. They were just regular enough that we deemed it the safest thing to do in case I did end up going into labour. I did end up staying in the hospital for 3 days for monitoring but did go home on modified bedrest. I carried them until 1 day shy of 37 weeks.

Like OGirlieMama said, I'm sure they will take all things into account although I wouldn't be surprised if they kept her there at least until 36-37 weeks at which point they may let her go home until she goes into labour on her own.

Good luck to your sister. Hopefully those babies decide to stay put for a little while longer.