Driving myself crazy - pregnancy after a preemie

[Dinah93]

DD was born at 28+0 weighing 1lb 15oz 2 years ago, and today I'm 22 weeks with baby 2, a surprise but very wanted. I feel like I'm driving myself crazy with worry about another preemie, its a boy this time and I know they don't do as well as girls in the nicu. I'm finding the unknown very hard, and I'm worrying all the time, which doesn't help my blood pressure which is what caused DD to come early so I do know I need to try to relax to keep it lower. My chirpy obstetrician has given me a greater than 50-50 chance of delivering before 30 weeks again. How did anyone else stay sane the second time?

 

[sunnylove]

I don't have much advice except hugs!! And boys do fine in NICU. My 26 weeker was a boy and he did AMAZING.

 

[25weeker]

It is stressful being pregnant after a prem but it will be so worth it when your lo is here. I think I spent quite a long time in denial I was pregnant to stop myself going crazy.

Try not to worry if its a boy it will do worse in Nicu as that is def not always the case.

I hope the next 18 weeks go quickly.

 

[AP]

I just took things week by week, once I was past that milestone it did get easier!

 

[Srrme]

I have had a 28.6 weeker and 35 weeker in the NICU and they did very well! I went on to deliver a 38.4 weeker after them. Just hang in there!!

 

[hello_kitty]

I'm also pregnant again! Last time I gave birth to my son at 32 weeks, who did exceptionally well in the NICU. The doctors would always tell when they come by to check up on him that they wished all babies were easy like him! He was just a grower feeder. I had it the easy way, but definitely do not want to go through this again! I am 26 weeks now and I'm counting the weeks to when I reach 32 weeks. If I get pass the 32 week mark, I am going to let out a sigh of relief!

I didnt have any complications last time though, no high bp, I had GD but it was well under control. He just came unexpectedly and they found that I had a bacterial infection that was undiscovered.

So far my doctor labeled this pregnancy as "normal" unless something unexpected were to occur again. He's giving me progesterone pills to help with preventing preterm labor so hoping that will help keep him in to at least 37 weeks. He also said no sex starting at 20 weeks but as soon as he said that my dh and I refrained from sex altogether even though I was only 8 weeks at the time lol. Its just a waiting a game now, nothing more I can do except keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Dinah93]

Thanks for the replies. Have a growth scan on Friday which I'm really looking forward to as if it shows the baby is still on track it will be a huge relief, however since my bp has been in the 145/110 region for a week now I think he'll have slowed down. Taking hubby to see my consultant as my bp is too high and I NEED him to listen and do something before its too late.

 

[Cheska]

Hi dinah, I remember you from a bp thread when you were preg last time.

I've got a growth scan Friday too and having a 24hour bp monitor on.

Hope all goes well and that your lo is on track for gestation. Also hope you get some help with bp. Guessing your already on medication for it?

 

[Dinah93]

Labetalol 300mg 3x a day. It's not enough as bp currently around 140/105 most of the time. Growth scan in an hour. So nervous its untrue. Congratulations on your bump, how many weeks are you?

 

[Cheska]

31+1 today. Scan summary - growth is starting to slow, baby measures around 29 weeks. Everything else is still looking good for the moment, Doppler and fluid. They want me back Friday to repeat these and make sure all still ok. Keeping everything crossed.

I'm on nifedipine. It's a slower release one and so far has seemed to work ok. Its been creeping up recently so they have increased my dose so we will see what this monitor comes back with next week.

How did you get on today? X

 

[Dinah93]

Growth scan went fairly well, he's still in the normal range but has fallen slightly from his curve. Fluid and cord both doing well. Another scan in 2 weeks at 26+1. BP was a fun 156/114 at the hospital so they've thrown in 250mg methyldopa twice a day, unusual choice as apparently it can take 2 weeks to become effective. Nifedipine did a great job of bringing down my bp last time, but it had the side effect of horrendous migraines Really glad yours was mostly positive too, sounds like we had similar results, I'm just a bit earlier in the process!

 

[Cheska]

Fingers crossed for two weeks time! What hospital you at? Do you feel confident with your consultant?

I know how difficult it is to chill when that's what would be best for us. My mind is in overdrive now. Sending positive thoughts your way!

 

[Dinah93]

So far Methyldopa having no effect at all! BP still rarely under 140/100. If it's still up by the middle of the week I'll be back in contact with my obstetrician.

I'm in the UK, at North Tees. The Senior Neonatologist is absolutely brilliant and I'd follow him anywhere in the country with my preemie, so there was no question of me going to another hospital as if I have another early baby I want him under this doctors care.

 

[Cheska]

Methydopa didn't do anything for me either. Hope they find something to bring it down soon!

Have they given an estimated weight for baby? My apologies if you have already said.

I'm so anxious a lot of the time I feel very nauseous and sometimes like I can't catch my breathe. I don't know what to do!?

 

[LittleMum]

Methydopa didn't do anything for me either. Hope they find something to bring it down soon!

Have they given an estimated weight for baby? My apologies if you have already said.

I'm so anxious a lot of the time I feel very nauseous and sometimes like I can't catch my breathe. I don't know what to do!?

I felt like this for the first 3 weeks of realising things were going seriously wrong, neither of us could sleep, hubby was having nightmares etc but now we've kind of just got used to it!

My DD was an IUGR baby as I had severe pre eclampsia (protein in urine type) but she made it til 38 weeks! She was only on the 2nd percentile but didn't need special care as was 5lb 8oz.

This time round they realised something was up at 28 weeks, baby's growth started to slow (especially in abdomen) and Doppler readings were poor.
My blood flow to placenta is fine but flow from placenta to baby is nowhere near what it should be (not even registering on the charts)
My BP is fine and so is urine so this is a mystery to them.
Dopplers have been getting worse each week but miracle of miracles he has grown!!!!!!! Now measuring in at about 3lb 6oz

I'm due another scan tomorrow, standard procedure of wait and see. I will either be having a baby tomorrow or sent home until next week with a see how things go motto
It's tough but I am over the moon he's made it to 32 weeks

My consultant would love to get me to 34 weeks but realistically looking at 33.
She has been fab, got the fetal medicine expert in the south east looking after me at east Surrey hospital

What are your babies measuring?
Cheska - what hospital are you at and how are you finding your care?

Oh and have you guys had steroid injections? I had them at 30 weeks and although it was a terrifying reality check it also helped to put my mind at ease

 

[hello_kitty]

I was just wondering do you ladies get regular growth scans to measure baby? Is it mandatory regardless of past pregnancy history or do you get extra scans because you had pre eclampsia in the past? I'm just wondering because last time I went to my doc at 26 weeks he never checked baby's growth...or maybe he does but just doesnt say anything. I went into preterm labor due to bacterial infection though, so it was out of the blue. They are just treating my pregnancy as a "normal" pregnancy so I dont get any extra treatment.

I delivered my son at 32+1 weeks last time, so I am counting down to that milestone.

 

[Dinah93]

I get extra scans because I had pre-e. One of the pre-pre-e warning signs is your fluid starts to drop, the baby starts to slow down in its growth, then the flow through the cord might become less than perfect, growth slows down some more etc, it's a good way for the doctors to see how happy the baby is in there and to tell with a few weeks warning if things are starting to go downhill. Most pre-e babies are small for their dates and many are IUGR. From the sounds of it your little one made an early apperance due to a sudden and random incident, so doing scans wouldn't tell them anything as it isn't something that develops over a long enough time to impact on the growth x

 

[LittleMum]

I have scans cos of previous pre e, growth scans started at 28 weeks (normally you have just two scans at 12 and 20 weeks). During my 28 week scan they picked up problems with my placenta / cord but I have absolutely no signs of pre e this time as no protein in urine and BP is 110/66

If I hadn't had pre e with DD tho then this problem wouldn't of been picked up and as I have no symptoms the worst would of probably happened eventually

 

[Cheska]

Dinah is your next growth scan this Friday? Have you had your bp checked in between appointments? How you feeling?

 

[Dinah93]

oops post!