17P shots

[brit3435]

I am 19 weeks pregnant and after having my daughter at 36 weeks (pprom), a subchorionic hemorrhage with this pregnancy and a high afp level with this pregnancy, my doctor is starting me on 17P shots weekly until 37 weeks. I'm nervous about getting them, and I'm wondering how effective they have been for ladies who have had a previous preterm birth. So has anyone had to get these, what were the side effects, and when did you have your baby?

 

[sunnylove]

I started taking the progesterone pills (vaginally) at 19 weeks, and started getting the 17P shots at 23 weeks. Unfortunately, no one can say with absolute certainty that 'progesterone alone was the reason I carried my baby so much longer' because that cannot be proven. Some women may claim it was the reason they got to full-term, but there are so many other factors to include.

That said, studies have shown good results for being able to carry a baby longer with progesterone, especially if you have incompetent cervix, which is what I had. I only had the shots for 3 weeks before I delivered my son. So they could have helped me to carry as long as I did (doctor originally didn't think I would make it to 21 weeks and I made it to 26), or there's a chance it did absolutely nothing. There's just no way to tell.

The shots didn't hurt at all and there were no side affects.

 

[nullaby]

I give the shots myself, started around 17 weeks and they dont hurt, actually hurts less when I do it vs my mom doing it . My daughter (first pregnancy) I went into PTL at 27weeks (2cm dilated with bulging waters) , delivered at 31 weeks. So I started the shots with my 2nd pregnancy, and made it to 40w5d. I worked full time and averaged 55 hours a week. This time around so far I am 30 weeks, and my last closed cervix measurement was around 4.5! I would rather take them than nothing at all