Getting steroid injections at 23+5 weeks. Any experiences?

[Hopeful 4 #1]

So after my cervix was re-measured today. It had gone from 27mm (10 days ago) to 25mm as of today. My consultant is recommending steroid injections at 23+5 days one on Thursday, the next on Friday. He said my risk for pre-term labour is still in the "low" category, he even said "perhaps around 5%" - But yet he's still recommending the steroids. I'm aware this is to help babies lungs develop and so anything that will potentially give him a fighting chance is obviously what I will be doing, but has anyone been through this?

I'm hoping my lil fighter holds out till at least 28 weeks!!

 

[Hopeful 4 #1]

Maybe not

 

[Lottie86]

Hello! Feel free to post this question in the preemie section as most of us have got experience of the steroid jabs and all of us have experience of preemies!
5% risk of a preemie is a fab statistic though

 

[midori1999]

Apparently there isn't any evidence that antenatal steroids actually do much to help at around 24 weeks and certainly not before. There is also a lot of evidence to suggest they are most helpful if you deliver within 10 days of them being given, although they do have benefit even after those ten days.

There is also evidence that repeatedly giving steroids can cause problems, so most consultants these days tend to prefer to only give one dose (one dose being 2 injections 24 or 48 hours apart) My consultant did tell me that one of the few cass where he will do two lots of steroids is if the first has been given around 24 weeks and he will give the second around 28 weeks.

Unless you are at risk of already having an infection, there's certainly nothing to worry about with having the steroids, they aren't risky.

 

[sar35]

sorry no experience but wanted to wish you well xx

 

[midori1999]

Also, if you look on the Bliss (www.bliss.org.uk) website, there is a forum there where most of the ladies have had premature babies and if you get in touch with Bliss they will send you some information about having a premmie (just in case) and a booklet on steroids specifically.

Information about steroids on their website is here:

https://www.bliss.org.uk/download_publication.asp?documentid_=06CC5A2D

Also, the Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstricians publish Green Top Guidelines, which are guidelines for these professionals to work to. The guideline regarding steroids might be of interest to you, it contains a lot of objective information.

https://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/GTG 7.pdf

 

[Nataliexx]

I went into preterm labor at 24+6 weeks and has steroid injections. My cervix at my 20 week scan was 47mm and after being in preterm labor it shorten to 23mm. Here they wont do anything until it reaches 1cm. I am praying my LO dose not come any time soon

 

[katy1310]

I had the steroids at just over 25 weeks and at the scan they did a few days later they said they could see that they'd done their job because the baby was "practising" for using her lungs. Sophie was born at 27 weeks exactly, weighing just 1lb 13, cried when she was born and breathed on her own for 30 minutes before getting tired and having to go on a ventilator for 24 hours. The steroids really do make a difference.

I hope LO hangs on a while longer xxxx