Getting Pregnant after preemie??Progesterone shots??

[shmeans]

So, I have two sons, one born full term and one at 32 weeks, but since I went into early labor but stopped with the first I am now considered at risk for pre-term labor. My dh wants another....Granted we aren't talking tommorrow as our ds2 is only 7months and we are bfing, but I feel like I must think about it because at this point just the idea of it scares me. I wouldn't mind another child, maybe..but, the worrries, the nicu, the monitors, the seclusion-- this was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. We don't even know what down the road issues we may have. At any rate, if i were to consider it, the dr says I would have to have progesterone shots from like 16-32 wks. Anyone have experience with this??? Effects on baby?Me? My dh thinks it was due to intense family stress the month before he was born so he's not so worried about it happening again. Dr. says it is not due to stress, although she wasn't dealing with my family issues at 7months preggo either. So my next ? is how do you ladies feel about stress causing premature birth? Myth or NO?:

[angie7]

My twins were my first. I never had contractions but started dilating at 27 weeks. 3 weeks later, my twins were born. I asked my doctor at the 6 week check up after birth about having another baby (not anytime soon, just for my curiousity) and he said that he believed that my body just wasnt made for twins but he thinks that I could carry a singleton just fine. He did say if I got pregnant with twins again, he would sew my cervix shut so I dunno..Not really an answer to your question though, just me rabbling.

As far as the stress, yes I believe if you are under enough stress that this can most certainly cause pre-term labor. Stress can cause your blood pressure to go up, your heart rate, your hormones, lack of sleep, etc can all play a role in pre-term labor, IMO...

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I did the progesterone shots with my last (because all the other three were preemies) and to be honest, I do think they helped. I kept him in longer than the previous one The shots themselves, well, the pretty much suck rotten eggs. One shot, once a week, on your behind. I got badly bruised each time, and by the time the soreness/bruise went away, it was time for the next shot (which would then go in the opposite cheek, makign that one sore for a week) Over an over, every week. DH was the one doing the shots, and I swear, I never realized how much that man loves me, LOL! BUt, all the soreness and feeling like a pincushion were worth it to keep Rusty baking a bit longer.

[intorainbowz]

There is a study out there, I don't know where but a peri told me about it, where they compared premature births rates between women living in the Golan Hights in Isreal during a combat time versus women living in Isreael in an area not under combat, bombings and the like. He said there was no difference in the rates of premature births.

He told me this to help me feel better about my super high stress job, I think. However once I went on bed rest and got away from all that, my pregnancy did go much better. Baby grew and all that. It got to the point where my OB basically said I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I took it easy, rested, and relaxed.... well anything except go to work or have anything to do with my job.

[Jilian]

I had lots of pre-term labor but managed to make it to term with my DS. I do think stress can contribute to PTL, I was under serious stress during my preg and it triggered the PTL a few times. I can completely relate to being scared of having another and dealing with the NICU, we dealt with the CVICU and it is not something I ever want to do again. But it is great that you are looking at your options ahead of time. Good luck to you with whatever you decide.

[paulaf]

Maybe it depends on the source of the stress? My DD was born at 29 1/2 weeks, weighing the size of a 25 weeker, so we had two major issues there - the prematurity and the IUGR. Since some extensive bloodwork before we started TTC #2 showed nothing definitive as to why Zoey did not grow en utero, we went into TTC#2 with the extra stress of not having answers, so we did not have any idea if the prematurity and/or the IUGR would happen again. Then I had 4 miscarriages in succession. On try #5, I got very little sleep from the beginning, due to all the self-imposed stress of wondering whether I would miscarry again. Once I got to 20 weeks, I figured, I would be OK, because after all, at least with a preemie, I would still have a baby finally. By 24 weeks (the point at which I started having trouble with Zoey), I knew I was wrong - the stress was not lessened at all. By 27 weeks, I started having panic attacks because I was so sure that something, anything was going to go wrong at some point. I even refused to buy anything new for the baby (so it was a good thing we still had some gender nuetral clothes, since baby #2 was a boy). Actually having a child in the NICU was the only thing in my life more stressful than my pregnancy with Zander, and the pregancy stress was actually more intense for a longer period of time. Despite all that, I had not one (physical) issue during the entire 39 weeks I was pg. My BP was steady the whole time (something that could not be said the first time!) and I had my 8+ lb boy, so his growth was obviously not affected by the stress. By all rights, I should have been a perfect case of stress having a negative impact on pregnancy, yet nothing happened. One thing I would recommend is be sure to get a good doctor. My OB totally understood that even with my physically perfect pregancy, that I needed to be seen often for my own piece of mind. She started seeing me weekly at 27 weeks, just to keep me calm. Maybe that made all the difference...

[sbgrace]

I did progesterone shots with my boys (starting at 25 weeks I think). I felt good about it because unlike all the other interventions this one had research showing it might actually help--or at least it did at the time I don't know where it is currently. I would do it again.
Side effects for me were minimal--I hated getting the shots but didn't really have discomfort afterward that I remember.
Side effects for them are also none that I know of--not sure how you would determine that but your body makes it so it has to be better then brethene and the like I think (those we did too--would not repeat that if I had those decisions to do over).

[susienjay]

I start the progesterone shots next week. I just got approval from insurance for the 21 shot series. They are given from weeks 16-36. I'm optimistic they will keep this one in until 36 weeks. I'm going to have a nurse come out to my house to give the shots so that will be nice to not have to coordinate an extra appointment every week.

I had my twins at 32 weeks and I was so confident with my next pregnancy that I wouldn't go early because it was just one baby. I really wasn't stressed at all. I wound up almost losing the baby at 15 weeks and delivered her at 29 weeks due to a partial abruption. My highest stress pregnancy was #1 and I carried her to 38 weeks.

[kriswrite]

With my first child, my water broke at 20 weeks. She was born at 25 weeks, with the docs saying she wouldn't survive. After 133 days in the NICU, she came home. Then there was the stress of being sequester for about a year and a half, physical therapy, feeding scares, etc. My daughter is turning two next weekend, and I am finally ready to think about having #2. Truly, it just takes time to get over all the trauma.

I also talked with my doctor about what caused my daughter's early birth and what we can do to prevent it. This helped a lot.

Maybe you'll never be ready for another child...but give yourself time, and you might be surprised.

Kristina

[Jamey41205]

Currently Doing Progesterone Shots to Prevent Preterm Labor

I am currently doing the progesterone shots and they're not terrible. I am a huge wimp and dreaded them at the beginning but really they're not as bad as I thought they would be. I started at 18 weeks and I'm 28 weeks along now. Had my daughter at 30 weeks due to an infection called chorioamnionitis. My husband is a doctor and gives me the injection once a week before bed. I was going to his office to have a nurse do it, but when we were on vacation, I realized that if I do it right before bed, my butt muscle is far less sore the next two days. Maybe not moving around as much helps??? I make sure to take two Tylenol about 20 minutes before and that helps too. There was one time that I think he got too close to a nerve because it was excruciatingly painful and burned going in, but other than that I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy they have been. The only side effect I've had is that I get knots that last a couple weeks where each injection has been. My maternal fetal medicine doctor and OBGYN both recommended doing these injections, while my husband who is in family medicine didn't think it was necessary because they will not prevent the infection from happening again. Our daughter was born healthy and breathing on her own at 30 weeks, but was 3 lbs. 10 oz and had to spend 6weeks in the NICU. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if there was something I could do to prevent a preterm birth from happening again and I chose not to do it. So...that's how I decided to do them and hopefully they will work and keep this second little daughter in there where she belongs!!!

[shmeans]

Ladies,
Thank you so much for all your input, support, and for sharing your own stories. Will definitely do the shots if we have another. dh is still committed to the idea (he wants a girl next) although we agree that later would be better. My ob/gyn said progesterone only decreases risk by 27%. I only wish the odds were better, but hey, I carried the first to term and the my second, the preemie, is doing exceedingly well, (minus the cold his big brother gave him by too many kisses.) Here's hoping that clears up in the next day or so, or back to the doc we go!!

[Amys1st]

does dh know he cant really plan if its a girl next time??

Actaully its all up to him and his sperm!

[MamaPam]

DD#1 was born at 32 weeks, DD#2 at 34 weeks and DD#3 at 36 weeks.

During the second pregnancy I took progesterone shots once a week. We were living in New Orleans at the time and DD was born when we evacuated for Hurricane Katrina so the chances of me carrying longer if our circumstances had been different are likely. I liked that the progesterone shots had little/no side effects and was more comfortable with them than other drugs used to stop/prevent labor.

During my third pregnancy I was with a different doctor and specialist. The specialist had me use a progesterone vaginal suppository daily and not the shots. The reason was that progesterone shots usually use castor oil as the carrier oil and since that can be used to start labor it didn't make sense to use them. Also he said the suppositories got more of the progesterone to the uterus. This specialist had been and is involved in studies using progesterone to prevent pre-term labor. I made it to 36 weeks this time.

[shmeans]

Yeah! I know! He thinks we can just plan by special positioning!! Ha Ha! I said "what if we have another boy?" His answer, "I guess we better quit then."

Wow-never heard of the progesterone suppositiories. interesting-will have to research that a bit. Anyone have a big difference in term carried that they attribute to progesterone?? It seems like the help its giving is questionable.

[susienjay]

I've been getting the shots for 4 weeks and in that time my cervix has shortened 1.5 cm. I was kind of hoping the shots would help with that. Right now I'm borderline for bedrest. I go back in 2 weeks. The ultrasound tech put it at 2.7 cm, down from 4.5 cm 3 weeks ago but the Peri said he'd say it was 3 cm but that didn't make me feel much better. They recommend bedrest if it drops to 2.5 cm or lower. I'm not going to stop the shots (I get another tomorrow) but I wonder if they are helping at all. I'm only 20w4d so I have a long way to go.

He also recommended weaning. My milk pretty much dried up in the second trimester anyway but I feel bad not giving dd any breastmilk at all.