2nd Time Mom here- a little nervous
I am 29 weeks with DS#2. I had been feeling A LOT of pressure "down there" for about 4 days, accompanied by BH and nausea. I made an appointment with my OB yesterday, and after the physical exam, he decided to do a swab test that determines risk of pre-term labor.
Luckily, it came back normal, but he said he could feel the baby's head very well AND that my "outer" cervix is already dilated to a 2. My baby is already measuring 3.5 lbs, which is about two weeks ahead, according to my OB.
Have any of you ever experienced anything like this? I'm a little nervous about being dilated already. My OB didn't seem too worried, but he did talk about the possibility of having to get the steroid shots for lung development in the next month or so.
Re: 2nd Time Mom here- a little nervous
I often feel a lot of pressure, especially when I sit down to use the bathroom. Pelvic pressure is common during pregnancy. Not sure about the dilation part though, it does seem a little early.
Hopefully, everything will work out and your LO will stay put for a while. But if he were to come early, know that he has a very good chance and will probably be just fine. My niece and my good friend's son were both born 10 weeks early this past year. They are both doing just fine and are happy and healthy.
As for the shots, they do work, but I thought that they were only good for a few days and actually reach their peak after about 72 hours. I would guess that your OB would give you the shots if you ended up in pre-term labor and they thought the baby was def. going to come early.
Best of luck to you!
I am 28 weeks and going through something similar. This is DS#2 and he is already sitting way low. I was hospitalized a week ago for contractions. They rehydrated me as I had been having such nausea problems and they said to come back if the contractions get 6 in one hour. Then they gave me a whole paper on preterm labor. There hoping I make it to 36 weeks. They didnt check to see if I was dilated or do an ultrasound. The hospital we have here does the bare minimum. They told me some people just feel that pressure feeling and that I may feel it the whole time.
Im drinking an unrealistic amount of water along with laying down when the braxton hicks start. What scared me is that the braxton hicks im having were coming with a light period cramp, kind of like the beginning contractions with DS1.
They say its more common with a second baby but defiantly scary.
DS#1 ended up being 10.2 lbs at birth, so I am VERY familiar with the normal feeling of pressure. This was somehow different. I'm a huge proponent of trusting your body to tell you when something is wrong. I'm hoping that we'll make it a few more weeks at least. The dilation does scare me a bit though- I've never heard of an "inner" vs. "outer" cervix.
Chelsey68- I can't believe they didn't even check your cervix! I'd be looking for another hospital. They should always check if you ask them- anything to make you feel at ease.
Oh, I'm so glad to be reading this! The BH are so strong and early this time and all the talk with my doc about preterm labor is scary. It's also so hard to sit down and rest when my toddler is running around, but I know I need to. And I feel like I'm going to float away with all the water I am drinking! Anyway, no words of real advice, but you're not alone.
My BH pains are so strong that they scare the crap out of me, they literally take my breath away. They feel like that contraction that happens when your water breaks. They weren't this bad with my first 2 pregnancies.
My baby is so low that it feels like she can just kick through my vaj. I just try to take it easy and drink tons of water all day long.