Laboring at home & preterm labor question

wannabigfam

What week of pregnancy is your personal "cut off" (or the recommendation by your care provider) for when you should head directly to the hospital (rather than labor at home as long as possible) if you go into preterm labor?  

My first was born at 36 weeks gestation.  I had an appointment a few days before I went into labor and I had asked the question "if I go into labor now, would they stop it?"  The midwife told me no - that the baby was safer on the outside than going through all the interventions & drugs that would stop labor at that point.  So when I went into labor a few days later, I labored at home as long as possible, arrived at the hospital 9.5 cm dilated, delivered & everything was fine (baby had no complications from being early).

I am just now 33 weeks.  On Monday at my appointment I asked at what week they would no longer stop labor & would let me deliver on my own; she said 34 weeks is her cut off for recommending any intervention.  She said between 34-36 weeks, she might recommend bed rest, but that if contractions were really going strong they wouldn't stop them w/ medications.  However I kind of think between 34-36 weeks i would want to head on into the hospital to try and get the steroids for baby's lungs.

In my head I have the cut off of 36 weeks; before 36 weeks I'll head to the hospital if I think I'm in labor; 36 weeks and after I'll labor at home as long as possible and then head in when I'm ready to push like last time.  I like laboring at home b/c I don't want the drs. messing with me or pushing any interventions; however before 36 weeks I feel like I would want immediate support available for the baby in case things happened fast.

Has your care provider given you any direction re: this topic?  My midwife thinks I will go early again - 35 or 36 weeks (although I think she might be wrong - how could she know!) so I want to have a plan of action.  She knows that I like to labor at home as long as possible but didn't give me strict instructions "at __ weeks make sure you don't labor at home but at ___ weeks it's okay to".

drubie

I had preterm labor at 34 weeks, and I got meds to stop the contractions, and was put on "rest" (not really bedrest, but just taking it easy and working from home). They wouldn't give me steroids at that point 1. because they could stop the contractions, and 2. because they don't really recommend steroids past 32-33 weeks. I would say that if you have preterm labor between 33-36 weeks, you should go in to get checked, and see if they want to do anything to stop or slow them down, but 36+ weeks, do what you did the first time. 

Also, if you go into labor early, be sure to call your practitioner's office/l&d to see what they want you to do. 

breathlessbride

My daughter was born the day after her due date, so I didn't experience what you're going through.  That being said, my midwives' cut off date is 37 weeks.  Before that, you can still have a midwife but you have to be in L&D instead of the midwives' birthing center just down the hall.

Good luck!

Temp76535187505890

breathlessbride:

My daughter was born the day after her due date, so I didn't experience what you're going through.  That being said, my midwives' cut off date is 37 weeks.  Before that, you can still have a midwife but you have to be in L&D instead of the midwives' birthing center just down the hall.

Good luck!

A fellow midwifery center patron, eh?

jillc2010

With DD I went into preterm labor at 30 weeks. I spent three days in the hospital and received the set of steroid shots to mature her lungs just in case. Luckily they stopped the labor and DD was born at 39 weeks. The doctors did say that if I had been 32 weeks they wouldn't have even tried to stop it. Seems a bit early to me but I guess they figure they could take good care of her on the outside...

danienross

I am planning a home birth and my MW says anything less than 37wks she legally cannot deliver.  So I guess that's my cut off.  At 36wks I might stick at home for awhile but I would eventually head in (after communicating with my MW).  At 37wks I would plan to stay home.