Fetal fibronectin test

[o0Squeaks0o]

so after the weekend of passing mucus blobs of most colours of the rainbow, reduced baby movement, some tightenings and just generally feeling weird i spoke to midwife who told me to go to the hospital for a check up. i admittedly was a bit daft and thought I've got a growth scan Wednesday and clinic with my specialist so I'll wait til then. anyway today arrived, i showed the specialist photos of the 'stuff' id been passing and along with my other issues he ordered a Fetal fibronectin test. so they took a swab and it came back positive. I've been admitted into hospital where they've started me on dexamethasone steriod injections. im confused why they're making me have 4 when my specialist said id be having 2 .... any ideas ? i asked and the midwife on duty didn't answer why.

with this Fetal fibronectin test it doesn't give you a defo your going to go into early labour, the specialist said 50% of women do and 50% don't but after a positive he wanted the injections started. so im sitting here thinking i have no idea of what to expect and you ask any questions and just get told they'll 'hopefully' update me tomorrow.

have any of you had the positive result but never actually went into early labour ?

thanks for reading im sitting here with to much going around in my head. x

 

[Twinkle 3]

Hi i am prone to preterm labour and I had dexamethasone steroids in this pregnancy but only had two injections 24hours apart. I have read that women can get a ffn positive and them not go into labour prematuly but I have never had one done personally, I was close to having one done at 27weeks when they thought I was in preterm labour but it all died down. Sorry I couldn't be any more help. Hopefully you will be fine what I can say though at 31weeks with steroids your baby has an amazing chance of survival so don't worry.

My little girl was born at 29weeks and did brilliantly.

I'm pretty much in your situation sat waiting and wondering how long I will last before I go into labour. The midwifes dont expect me to get much further

 

[Twinkle 3]

Hi i am prone to preterm labour and I had dexamethasone steroids in this pregnancy but only had two injections 24hours apart. I have read that women can get a ffn positive and them not go into labour prematuly but I have never had one done personally, I was close to having one done at 27weeks when they thought I was in preterm labour but it all died down. Sorry I couldn't be any more help. Hopefully you will be fine what I can say though at 31weeks with steroids your baby has an amazing chance of survival so don't worry.

My little girl was born at 29weeks and did brilliantly.

I'm pretty much in your situation sat waiting and wondering how long I will last before I go into labour. The midwifes dont expect me to get much further

 

[MrsTurner2012]

I have no clue but just came to give you hugs x

 

[o0Squeaks0o]

thanks ladies. guess we'll see what tomorrow brings. id never even heard of a Fetal fibronectin test until today. xx

 

[laila 44]

I had one done in my last pregnancy and it came out negative. They had told me at the time that If it were positive then chances were high that baby would be very premature. ... Hoping its not the case for you and that baby stays put!!

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I had one done at 29 weeks and it was negative, but my OB said that it was a good negative indicator, but not a good positive indicator, meaning that with a negative, your odds of going into preterm labor were extremely low, but a positive only meant that you "might" go into preterm labor. So I would be cautious, but try to relax, because it sounds like you might be just fine.

 

[alisha_t]

I had 2 positives that turned out to be wrong in my last pregnancy (31w and 33w). Went through the 2 steroid injections and everything. She was born at 39 weeks.

 

[tylerncallum]

I am in hospital for this right now...ad my anti-d shot told them i was aving tightning irruglar cause was rushing...they put me on the monitorn then did an internal..ffn test n swabs....it came bk positive n i just cried wanted ti be at home with my kids

And i had this with my last son at 29 weeks n my waters went 37 weeks..

Iv had steriod already n will be giving more at 5pm...dnt know why there giving u 4 sets... X am still tighting at times but i wanna go home should be allowed home tomorrow x

 

[Duejan2012]

i had one done in my first pregnancy at 32 weeks. It came back positive. I was put on restrictions so no heavy lifting staying in bed or on the sofa but i was allowed to get up to shower eat go to the bathroom until i hit 37 weeks a was free to do what i wanted. Didnt end up going into labor until 41 weeks due to a sweep. So i was one the it was positive but never ended up in labor. I never got steriod shots either though so i dont know about that....

 

[AP]

I had 4 positives between 22 and 32 weeks. I gave birth at 40+2, and this was even after I had a 27weeker (this was why i had the tests)

I think the 50/50 you were quoted was a bit off though, positives are very unreliable and the only way they hold more trust is with a cervix length scan and reasonable symptoms. Also the nearer to the end of 3rd tri, the more positives you will likely get

Double check the steroids and ask why you are having 4 doses though.

 

[Scout]

I had a postive one. I think it was 3 weeks later that I had her (a month early). But my OB told me that a positive really doesn't mean much. he said a negative is reliable but a positive isn't. (tho I guess it was for me)

 

[o0Squeaks0o]

thanks ladies for your replies they have been a great help. when i asked about the 4 steroids injections they basically just said 'that's the way we do it' but i spoke to another lady know the ward and she didn't she'd only had one injection and another said she'd only had two injections. obviously this is still confusing me so i need to ask my specialist to explain why i was given 4. they were 6ml dexamethasone (if spelling is correct) injections. wonder if they made the dosage less and spaced the injections out ? guess i won't know til i see my specialist. after the tightenings easing off and I've not passed any more bits of plug they've allowed me home on bed rest. reduced movement is still being watched and if i feel baby is getting any quieter then im to go straight back in. .... just want to say great advice about checking the cervix length on the scan. the staff never checked this with me until i brought it up and now they will be checking on Wednesday as it seems to be a very important part of the jigsaw puzzle if you get a positive with the test. so now its just a waiting game and pray that my little one stays put at least until my induction date. thanks again.

hope things have slowed down for you also Tylerncallum

 

[tylerncallum]

Thankyou x glad its being sorted...i havent been oftered a scan or anything...my tightnings have gone off but iv started to get abit of pressure n tightness just near his head...i told midwife im leaking to bit its not all the time.so she said it was discharge and.went off :/ im allowed home in 5 hours and cant wait to get home xx