To those who have experience preterm labor & have more than one child...?

Question

On Wednesday I will be 29 weeks pregnant with number 2.
During my 1st pregnancy, I was put on bed rest at 29 or 30 weeks after loosing my mucous plug and my doctor realized I was dilated to 1cm. While on bed rest I was diagnosed w/ severe preeclampsia & had to be induced @ 36 weeks exactly. When I went in to be induced I was only dilated to 2-3 cm so I didn't dilated much in those 6-7 weeks that I was on bed rest.

Is the chance of this happening again, this time, about the same, higher, or lower? (Not the preeclampsia, I'm referring to the risk of preterm labor.)

I have APS & it puts me at high risk for both preeclampsia & preterm labor.

...But, my doctor has had me taking a baby aspirin daily during this pregnancy to thin my blood & hopefully prevent both.

Answer 1

I went to 38 1/2 weeks with my first. I was induced because my baby "was ready" (as my doctor said). With my most recent (11/26/07) I went into labor at 32 weeks and I was completely dialated when I got to the hospital. There was no reason to believe that I would've went into labor early, I did not have preeclampsia or anything else to cause me to go into pre-term labor. Of course after I had my second son, I asked the doctor what made me go into labor so early and he said that no one knows for sure and that maybe my cervix couldn't hold the pressure anymore. So if I decide to go and have another baby, my doc said at 15 weeks he would sew my cervix closed until it was time to have the baby. That does NOT sound like fun but I still want another :)

I don't think that because it happened before that it will positively happen again, but your doctor should be taking precautions and checking you regularly now so it doesn't happen again. Just take it easy, no straining, stress or heavy lifting and I wish you all the best!!

Answer 2

I think every pregnancy is different, but it's possible your doctor will put you on bed rest if there are any signs at all you might go into preterm labor again. With my first child, my water broke unexpectedly at 35 weeks. I had to have an emergency c-section because my son was breech, and during the surgery my doctor discovered that I have a bicornuate uterus and that was the reason for my water breaking early - because of the shape of my uterus the baby had simply run out of room to grow any larger (he weighed 5 pounds). So I was convinced that any subsequent pregnancies would also result in preterm labor, but that was not the case. My second child was born at 40 weeks and weighed 6 lbs, 11 oz, and my third child was born at 39 weeks and weighed 7 lbs. So anyway, I believe every pregnancy is different, and just because something happened during your first does not mean it will happen again. Good luck!

Answer 3

Most of that is normal pregnancy symptoms just a fluke they all come at the same time. Just keep an eye on it. When you are having real contractions you will know they will progressively get painful and will be regular. Discharge is normal all throughout pregnancy. Just look for mucous plug, bloody show, contractions, and leaking fluid. Early labor can start a month before you actually have your baby and you can start dilating really early doesn't mean the babys coming yet. So don't worry and take each symptom as it comes and if you get worried it never hurts to put a call into the doc

Answer 4

Yes, I would definitely be prepared for pre-term since your first one was...Both of my boys were preemie.I went into the hospital at 31 weeks with my first child, my placenta was leaking so i stayed for 2 weeks until i delivered him. My 2nd pregnancy was similar. I went into the hospital at 28 weeks, my water was leaking. I stayed that time until 31 weeks, then was induced because i had no water left. They told me I was high risk because of the 1st pregnancy's turn out. The nurses told me that the same father presents a much higher risk too. So basically they told me after my boys were 3 pounds, my body just couldn't handle it. But that was me, and every pregnancy is different, so this one could be just fine.

Hope this helps, I know what you are going through and it is scary, just do as they say and keep yourself in the bed after 30 weeks or so. I wish I had listened the second time around.

Answer 5

I gave birth to my third child at 36 weeks after going into 'premature' (pre-term) labor at 29 weeks and being put on 'full bed rest' and given Ritodrine to stop the contractions. I had two more children after that, and BOTH of them were born without the 'pre-term' labor ... in fact, the fourth child was actually born at 42 weeks. She was 'breech' and they 'turned her' but she went back to breech within ten minutes. She was breech on Friday, when I saw my doctor last. I was 'scheduled' for an 'early Cesarean section' on Tuesday because she was breech. I went into labor on Sunday morning, and gave 'natural birth' to that baby less than an hour after my first 'cramp' ... the baby was PERFECT and I took her home about 6 hours after she was born. I took the second child (also perfect) after 8 hours. The fifth (and FINAL) child was also perfect ... he went home on a CITY BUS (we could have taken a cab, but I wanted to take a bus) when he was JUST four hours old. RELAX and try not to 'worry' but 'preterm labor' is NOT anything to 'worry about' in subsequent pregnancies. I WOULD watch out for preeclampsia, however, since THAT frequently happens in later pregnancies if it happened in an early one.

Answer 6

I have 3 children and they were all early, but not as early as the first, my oldest was 8 weeks early, 2nd was 6 weeks early, 3rd 4 weeks early, doctor said my body may not be big enough to carry full term and something about my hips being small, so it depends on your situation...

Answer 7

yes there is a risk of this happening again but then again maybe it wont i had the same as you but on my second i was fine the doctors were monitoring me through out my pregnancy try not to stress about it i hope everything will be OK for you

Answer 8

I know alot of women who have had pre-term labour for their first and had a full term pregnancy for their second. I had my baby prematurely so I am wondering the same thing whenever I do try to have another one. Good Luck to you!

Answer 9

please ask your doctor. i was told i would and will go on bedrest early with mer next as i have had complicated pregnancies every time. my first was a 22 weeker
second 37 and the two miscarriages