would you do it all again???

[nkbapbt]

My little girl was born at 26+4 weighing 2lb 2oz, when I fell pregnant this time I was scanned every antenatal appointment until 24 weeks and had various swabs taken to check for infections. As I neared 26 weeks I was convinced I was going to have this one prem again and had everything ready to go, but 26 weeks came and went and Im still pregnant with 6 weeks to go till my due date. I worried about having another baby as I was told their was a higher risk of it being premature, but the antenatal care you get when pregnant after having a prem baby is amazing.
My only concern now is that Im going to have to push out a full size baby, and I'm guessing its gonna feel a little different lol
xx

Awe hon congrats on having a wonderful (yet stressful I am sure) full term pregnancy! Stories like yours give me hope.

Can I ask if they know why your little girl came early? I want to assume infection because of the swabs be taken so much?

I won't lie...I am really freaked out about having another baby because if I went full term I would also have to push out a BIG baby. This maybe TMI but I had stitches after Lakai and he was barely a pound! I cannot imagine the utter pain of a full termer!

 

[gingermango]

Lol, they never found out whay caitlyn was prem but they assumed infection, with this pregnancy they monitored the length of my cervix every two weeks incase this was the cause but I think the reason is something I'll never know. I dont think it helped that I didnt fin out I was pregnant until 24 weeks (doctors said UTI and I was still having my monthly cycle) so I sis things not recommended in pregnancy, e.g Alton Towers lol I had stitches after caitlyn too so Im really nervous about this one, but I couldnt let the worry put me off having another one!

 

[jennijen]

I'm thinking i'd have one tomorrow if I could! I love my little boy so much, and I know that it might happen again but what will be will be and I want Sam to have a brother or sister. The fact that I will be monitored closely again is reassuring so hopefully they will pick up problems early again!!
Our time in Neo natal was stressful and long as many of you can empathise with, but its so worth it in the end when you get home

 

[gingermango]

Yeah, I dont think ive ever been so stressed as sitting watching my little girl breathe in her incubator with the tubes and the constant bleeps, the first time her alarm went out beause she 'forgot' to breathe I thought my own heart would stop.

 

[Madhouse1980]

I had my first 4 prem and my oh didn't want anymore cause he couldn't handle the time on SCBU but I was determined and we had another who actually arrived at 41 weeks and didn't I know it, lol. I have since had pre eclampsia and delivered at 37 weeks and babe was fab, my next pregnancy aftre that was my most 'normal' I got to 38 weeks and everything was fine. My last pregnancy wasn't easy and I had another premmie who is doing fab.

My oh again doesn't want to go through it again but I do so I would defo do it again

 

[gingermango]

Fair play to you Madhouse, I think if this pregnancy had ended as another prem baby I might have thought twice about having a third, is that eight kids you've got??? Did they know the reason you've had 5 premmie babies?

 

[Madhouse1980]

Yeah thats 8 kiddies and why I live in a mad house, lol.

I have asked several times about why I had them early but no one knows, well except my last one - I got Polyhydromnios (too much amniotic fluid) but I delevered with in hours of them deciding I had it so never got round to testing why.

 

[Hevz]

I lost my 1st baby, Rachael 17hours after she was born at just 24wks.

I lost my 2nd baby, Thomas 28hours after he was born at 34wks....I was ready to cave in and had thought horrid, horrid thoughts. 6wks after losing Thomas I found out I was pregnant again. I was excited, nervous, felt guilty....all the emotions possible.

At 24wks I started having regular contractions and was rushed to hospital...they managed to stop my contractions, gave me steroid injections (ouch....stingy) and kept me in for a week on nefedipine (sp?). I had to beg to be let out as I was getting married on the Friday morning, they let me out on Thusday evening.

4weeks later we went through the same situation

I carried until 35wks when I was having a few niggles so went to get checked out just in case. I was 4cm dilated and Lauren was born within an hour or so. Perfectly healthy, gorgeous...no need to go to special care....we were elated.


When Lauren was 12months we decided to try again and got pregnant straightaway. We had the same experience of contractions etc at 24 and 28wks again but I carried until 38wks and gave birth to Abi. We were so happy.


When Abi was 2 we decided we wanted another but I miscarried at about 6wks. Then we kept trying and 9months later we got pregnant again. I had a more straightforward pregnancy that time but was constantly worried. At 36wks I fell over on the way home from the school run, went to get checked out at hospital and they kept me in for observation as baby's heart kept dipping. Later on they put me on the monitor a few times and said all was fine and I could go home in the morning.
I woke up with a bit of cramp and thought I needed the loo....turns out I was having contractions and had given birth less than an hour and a half later. Toby was tightly corded and suffered major decelerations in labour but recovered quickly once born


I was breastfeeding Toby and when he was 5months old we went to Sorrento in Italy for a wedding...I forgot to take contraception and by the time we got home I had that "feeling". Yep I was pregnant, but I started bleeding at 7wks and a scan confirmed that I had been pregnant with twins but was losing one. I still carried the one remaining baby but at the 20wk scan we found out there was a huge cyst on my placenta where the cord meets the placenta and it could cause the cord to abrupt or press on the cord and cut off the supply of oxygen to baby.

I was closely monitored and Erin was delivered after I was induced at 37wks so they could keep an eye on Erin's heartbeat in case we needed a c-section but luckily all was well


So I have 4 happy healthy children but don't think I can go through anymore heartbreak, worrying etc. We would like another maybe in a few years but I don't know if I could handle all that worrying again

 

[Foogirl]

Abby was delivered early by emergency C-section when I started to bleed heavily at 29 weeks. I had a low lying placenta but according to the consultant they have no idea why I bled as much as I did.

Recovery was horrendous, it really took a while to get somewhere close to feeling better. I can't imagine having to do that with a child to look after.

We had a de-brief with the consultant who confirmed there were no problems with the placenta, it hadn't abrupted and although my waters had broken, if I hadn't have bled, Abby could have stayed in longer with careful monitoring.

I do want to have more, but I couldn't go through all that, with a young un to look after and as time is marching on I don't have the luxury of waiting years and years to try again.

We will try again and I guess we just have to hope we get it right next time!!