Second pregnancy: High Risk?

pnwmama11

I had my son at 35weeks 3 days. He was good size, but had some breathing problems and spent 8 days in the NICU. He is doing great now and has not had any health problems as a result that we are aware of.

I just found out that I am pregnant, and while very excited I'm starting to get scared of the possibility of another preterm baby. The don't know why I went into labor. I had contractions starting at 29 weeks which were stopped by medicine. My cervix was 1cm 75% effaced when I arrived at the hospital to deliver. They wouldn't stop my labor beyond 35 weeks.

I called my OB to set up my initial appointment, and like usual will be seen around 8 weeks for an ultrasound and visit. I'm wondering though, am I considered a high risk pregnancy now? Should I be seeing a high risk Dr. or specialist of some sort?

Thanks for listening

luvdv8

I gave birth to DD at 34w5d with no indication I was going to go into labor short of my water breaking. They never figured out why I delivered early and I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant because no one could give me a solid answer about whether I would have another NICU baby or not.

Here I am, one week from a personal best in gestation and everything is closed up tight with no sign of baby in sight. I'm not going to lie- I have worried this entire pregnancy, and as I approach DD's birth date I have definitely stressed out a lot more. But I do think I would be in a lot worse shape if I didn't have a very supportive OB. She generally deals with high risk pregnancies, and while mine was not labeled as such, she's been fantastic about dealing with my panic attacks and running every extra test under the sun to put my mind at ease. She asks me every appointment how I'm feeling approaching my delivery date with DD and genuinely understands that while I'm as likely to go to 42 weeks this pregnancy as I am to go early that I need a little extra reinforcement.

Get a supportive doctor and talk with them about your concerns. Ask what they can do for you that's above and beyond a normal pregnancy, even if you're labeled as such.

Good luck. Lots of preemie moms go on to have full term babies and hopefully in a few weeks I will be another success story to boost you a bit!

ruthiewith

Congrats on your pregnancy!  

I found my second pregnancy way more stressful than my first.  I gave birth to DS1 at 31 weeks because of severe pre-e.  I gave birth to DS2 at 29 weeks 5 days due to severe pre-e and HELLP Syndrome.  I consulted with a high risk doc before I got pregnant with DS2 because I knew I would be considered high risk.  They watched me like a hawk and I'm glad they did because I had to have an emergency c-section with DS2.  

I would talk with your doctor and see what precautions they can take and what type of high risk services are available in your area.  You might not be considered high risk, but I would bring it up all the same.  The other thing is that you'll have 2 under 2, so they might want to keep a closer eye on you to make sure your body is doing alright.  Good luck to you!

pnwmama11

Thanks for the answers ladies!

I went ahead and called my OB, and turns out she sees many high risk patients! So the good news is I don't have to switch Dr's. Also she said the protocal for me will be different this time around, meaning I will be more closely monitored. This puts my mind at east a bit, especially since last time I felt like they didn't take my concerns seriously.

Take care!

liv97

I had pre-e and IUGR with my first, and she was born just shy of 37 weeks.  So far no sign of pre-e and I'm planning for a home birth, so I feel pretty lucky so far, but our first time wasn't as difficult as many moms on here. 

dmblack

After I had my DD at 26w3d my OB told me that when I got PG again I'd be considered high risk.  I found myself PG again when DD was 7 months old.  I saw a high risk OB my entire 2nd pg.  We did things very different the 2nd time around.  I did have a consult with a MFM who recommended the 17P injection.  I delievered a healthy boy at 37 weeks.