I am 33 Weeks pregnant. What would happen...?

Question

I am 33 weeks pregnant. I have been having labor pains and having to go to the hospital every couple of days and have my labor stopped. I have not dialated at all however, my cervix remains closed. I have a couple of questions, Any answered will be great!

1.If i were to have my child right now what would he be "Missing out on" besides weight gain? (hes 4.9 lbs as of Friday)

2.Why would I be having contractions but not dialating? I have been told by two different doctors the contractions AREN'T braxton hicks.

3.Is there a certain explination at all of what dialation feels like or a way to tell that way i can stop wasting the hospitals time?

Thank you for any of your answers to the 3 questions!

Answer 1

1. Babies at 33 weeks cannot regulate their own temperature, which is why the extra weight is important. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, this is when the "brown fat" is created and stored which is used for energy. Babies who have immature temperature control mechanisms need extra energy from those fat stores.

They also haven't fully matured their lungs and could have respiratory problems. Some babies at this age only need supplemental oxygen and are kept in an oxygen tent, others need to be intubated if in severe distress.

Another issue is that at 33 weeks the suck/swallow reflex is not fully developed, which means they cannot bottle or breast feed effectively and many babies need feeding tubes for a few weeks until that reflex develops.

2. You can have weak, ineffective contractions that are felt as painful but don't change the cervix. Many women in early labor have a lot of pain for many hours, get to the hospital and find out their cervix was the same as at their last appointment a week ago.

3. There is no way to tell if you are actually dilating by feel. The only way is to be checked.

If you have had medication to stop labor a few times already, is your doctor having you come to the clinic for more frequent checks? You might want to ask if this should happen, especially if you feel like you are still contracting a lot.

Finally, don't go running to the ER everytime you have pain. Women need to get in the habit of calling their physician's office - they all have answering services after hours and will have a doctor call you back. ERs should be reserved for true emergencies - if you are in SEVERE pain, bleeding, or something else life-threatening is happening. If your doc wants you to be seen at the ER, they will tell you when you talk to them after calling them at their office.

Answer 2

The main thing the baby would be missing out on, is Vital lung development. He needs at least another solid 3 weeks in utero. Sometimes contractions just are not strong enough to cause dialation (although they do hurt, and feel like they should be doing something) And as far as what dialation feels like, I dont think it can be felt. It just happens with the contractions. As far as wasting the hospitals time, if you are in labor, whether it is time to be or not, that is what they are there for. And if you have had to have labor stopped, they are doing their job, and you are not wasting their time. Good Luck!

Answer 3

There was a girl that my mom worked with who was the same week I was and because she was having problems she had to deliver at 32 weeks. The baby had a few problems. His lungs were sticky and they had to keep him in the hospital for about a month. But the good news is the baby got to go home and they do not see any future complications.

If you are having real contractions and they are not braxton hicks than you are doing the right thing by getting looked at. You are not wasting the hospital's time. You would rather be safe than sorry I'm sure.

God Bless & Good Luck!

Answer 4

as someone who has gone to the hospital three times with preterm labor, i can answer some of this. 1) your baby is still developing. at this point, the primary concern will be the lungs. did they give you steroids to help the lung development? some babies have not quite developed the sucking well yet also. 2) i too have had real contractions that don't "progress" and it's so frustrating! my doctors just shrug and kind of imply that it's a mystery. 3) if i were you, i would just wait until you KNOW you're in labor. after all my false starts, i now know that i have to wait until the contrations are super painful or my water breaks. i would have contractions 3 minutes apart for hours, but then the hospital would send me home! so now i'm just waiting....and hoping the baby comes soon!

Answer 5

1. he would be missing out on a little more lung development but will be fine if he has good doctors and medical which it sounds like you have

2. the contractions could hurt like h3ll but not be strong enough to make a change i have been having them for three days and I'm only 1.5 cm and my contractions are constantly 6 min apart for three days so i understand your frustration


3. i have no idea what dilation feels like and i have two kids and am expecting my third and still don't now but i am like you and wish i did because i am tired of spending hours at the hospital and nothing happen i have been 4 times in the past two weeks and i am wondering when the ball is going to get rolling or if it is just going to stop moving all together



good luck and be patient

Answer 6

Can't answer 2 or 3, but I can tell you about premie birth. Ours was born 6-7 weeks premature.

At birth, she was at 4 pounds (in 1995). She was promptly put into a neonatal unit and the doctors expected the worst. Her lungs were underdeveloped, so they gave her steroids to stimulate growth. She was fed breast milk and supplement through a tube (breast milk was expressed via a pump).

After about 2 days, I realized that the neonatalogist was a quack (covering his butt by not promising any good news or hope).

After 3 weeks, she was discharged and today (12), she is as healthy as a horse.

Answer 7

Hi, I had my last girl at 33 weeks.
She was smaller than your baby as she had stopped growing, she weighed 2lb8oz.
She was absolutely fine, when she was 3 weeks old and weighed 3lb6oz i brought her home, she had no complications atall and there were several babies in special care who were born at around 33 weeks at 4 and 5lb and they also were fine.
I suppose there is always a risk but the hospitals are so well equipped now it is amazing what they can do.
I guess this must be your 1st baby, its quite normal to have false alarms, you will definately know when its definately happening and maybe that will be at 40 weeks and he may be a whopping 10lb!!!!!!!
All the best to you, try not to worry everything will be fine xx

Answer 8

1. Your child's lungs might not be fully developed right now which may land him/her in the NICU for a few weeks/months. Also, he/she might not have as much fat deposits and may not be able to regulate his temp.

2. You could have gas. I know that it sound gross but I have the same exact thing happen to me two weeks ago. I thought I was having contractions because they were coming so frequently but when I went to the dr. my midwife said that it was gas. I hadn't dilated, and my cervix is still closed and long. You constipation is a big thing later on in pregnancy which could make you contract.

3. You won't be able to feel yourself dilate because it is an internal thing. That is why the dr.'s stick their fingers up there.

Answer 9

You have 2 infants in there, and after the 3rd trimester it's so rough to peer matters like that on the grounds that there may be slightly any room in there (as I'm definite you have noticeable at your ultrasounds). It commonly is rough for them to peer something. The foremost factor for ultrasounds is not to uncover out the intercourse, thats no longer even what their process relatively involves, it is only a plus. Maybe because the time will get nearer they usually begin shedding and replacing role, they is also equipped to peer. No one is at fault right here, they are watching at what they ought to (the wellbeing and progress of the infants).

Answer 10

I am sorry you're having such a hard time.
http://www.med.umich.edu/obgyn/smartmoms/labor/labor/preterm.htm
I am not sure about the contraction, but you can't feel it when your cervix dialates.

Good luck.