- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Multiples
If you had to receive steriod shots
I have a couple of questions! 1. What was the circumstance that you needed the shots? 2. How far along were you? 3. When did you deliver (if you delivered)? 4. Do you feel it helped the baby afterward?
I've been having tons of contractions and I'm already 1 centimeter so the peri yesterday gave me the first shot and today I got the second one. Just to be on the safe side in case I deliver earlier than my scheduled c-section date. TIA for your input!!
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: If you had to receive steriod shots
I chose to get them since the girls would be delivered around 36 weeks due to sharing a placenta and my peri being uncertain about how the surgery I had to remove a uterine septum prior to getting pregnant healed.
I had them at 34 weeks, I think.
I delivered at 36w2d and their lungs were mature.
I am not sure if it helped, but it certainly didn't harm anything (but my sleep for a couple nights... they gave me insomnia!)
After 2 rounds of IVF & 2 rounds of FET, we were blessed with identical twin girls!
1. I had been having absolutely painful contractions so they gave them to me just in case I did go early.
2. I believe I was 24-27 weeks? It was almost 2 years ago but I'm pretty sure that's what it was.
3. Exactly 36 weeks.
4. I honestly don't know if it helped them but I am glad that I had them, there really aren't any side effects and I think its better safe than sorry.
I had two rounds of steroid shots before delivering my boys due to pre-eclampsia. I was 30.5 weeks at the time. I got the first shot Monday night, the second Tuesday night, and they wanted me to have one more on Wednesday night before they delivered me but my blood pressure and liver enzymes were too high and they couldn't wait so i had the boys on wednesday morning. I absolutely think they helped. Both boys did really well. Logan was only intubated for less than 12 hours and then was breathing on his own and Cooper had a c-pap for the first 24 hours. Other then that they were both breathing fine. I would get them if you think you might go early.
Is this something you guys would recommend asking to get regardless of the situation, just to be safe? I mean, if it doesn't hurt anything-why not?
Where do they give the shots and are they painful? TIA-
ETA-Hang in there and keep us posted on what's going on......
The steroid shots are indicated when delivery is a possibility before 34 weeks. It takes at least 48 hours to get the benefit of both doses, so it isn't something that you can wait and see until you absolutely know you are going to deliver that early. Once you hit 34 0/7 weeks, it is no longer indicated - at that point the benefits are marginal.
In my patients I've seen consistent and important benefits, in terms of lung function after birth. I think a lot of parents don't understand that getting the shots doesn't mean that your LOs will automatically have mature lungs and not need support - it means they will have more fluid resorption and more surfactant production than they otherwise would have had at that gestational age without the steroids. For some babies, it is enough to mature the lungs and avoid respiratory support, but for other babies it translates into less support (like CPAP instead of intubation) or decreased length and intensity of support (like fewer days on the vent). But study after study over the past 20 years have consistently showed the benefits of steroids under the conditions I listed above.
Hopefully you don't have to deliver soon, but if you do, it's awesome that you have the steroids on board. Good luck!
Just tossing in my 2 cents:
The maximum benefit of steroids is within one week of receiving them. The literature does not support giving additional rounds. With that being said, I will tell you my story. My mom received steroids when pregnant with me at 26 weeks. I delivered at 30 weeks and was never intubated. CPAP didn't even exist back then. So although the max benefit is within one week, there is still benefit if given at all.
If delivery appears imminent then most ob/gyns will give steroids before you hit 34 weeks. If delivery does not appear imminent, there is no good data to just giving them.
OU - I am now 33 weeks so this is realistically the last week I would need steroids. I discussed with my MFMs yesterday about whether or not we should just do it. Since I don't appear to be at risk for delivering, the evidence doesn't support it. I know it's a tough decision - I'd rather err on the side of precaution and just get them. Since we practice evidence based medicine...we chose not to do it at this point. It's certainly something you can discuss with your doctor. Oh and the shot is intramuscular (usually the butt) and hurts.
ETA: For anyone who is curious why 34 weeks is the magical time....this is when the lungs start to produce type II pneumocyte cells - the cells that are responsible for producing surfactant. Probably the 2 largest breakthroughs for pulmonary support in preterm infants have been giving steroids to mom and giving surfactant right after delivery to baby. (I'd say CPAP rounds out the three).
I had the shots at 35.2 and 35.3 because I was in the hospital due to PIH and then I ended up delivering at 35w5d due to Pre-E. I do believe it helped, we were all home in 3 days after my c/s with no complications.
I had the shots when I was admitted to the hospital in ptl at 33 weeks. I was put on a mag IV and had the first shot the day I was admitted and the next shot 24 hours later. I delivered at exactly 34 weeks when they turned off the IV
both babies were in the NICU for 2 weeks but never had any breathing issues at all and had apgars of 9/9. I credit the steroid shots a lot for their ability to be "normal" healthy babies even though they needed some monitoring and help eating. that being said I don't think they're something that should be given "just in case" - and those suckers were not fun either. ouch.
I had two rounds.
First at 29w they thought I was dialating. I wasn't, but we did both shots anyway.
Then at 33w3d when my water broke. We kept them in for 2 more days for the shots to work.
I delivered at 33w6d.
It absolutely helped as they needed no additional oxygen or vent.
Hi! I received the shots when I was admitted to the hospital 3 weeks ago in PTL (so 28-29 weeks). I'm still pregnant (thankfully), so I don't know any outcome yet.
I'm also 1-2 cm dilated and 30-40% effaced (depending on who checks me). Have they talked about starting you on anything for the contractions? I contract a lot (although the frequency has lessened since being on bedrest), but unfortunately I cannot tolerate Procardia or terbutaline.
Good luck! I hope you keep those babies cooking for awhile longer!
I did NOT have the steroid shots, but wish that I had. I delivered at 26w3d after a very short labor.. and after being in the NICU for 119 days with my surviving twin, saw many MANY instances where steroids seemed to have made a huge difference in babies of similar gestation.
My son was on the vent for only a number of hours, but was on CPAP for weeks and weeks and weeks.
I know that they don't give the shots as just a precaution.. they have to believe that delivery will be within a certain time frame. But if they offer.. take them.