? about steroid shot for babies lungs

chicky1231 · November 2010

I'm almost 33 weeks PG and have getting monitored for a short cervix...I was in L&D on Wed for back pain and found out I had bacterial vaginosis which was causing some uterine irritability. While there they had an osteopathic Dr do some work on my back and legs since I've been on bedrest...while in the middle of this I started having frequent contractions.

The Dr decided to give me steroid shots for LO lungs, they also gave me a shot to stop contractions (starts with a T ) The contractions stopped as soon as the guy stopped working on my back and got the shot and I haven't had any since.

My question is how does the steroid shot work? I know they told me they don't give it past 34 weeks but I also heard that it only really works if you deliver shortly after getting them. Now I'm hoping that I go for another few weeks but are the shots gonna still help if LO makes an appearance after that one week time frame?

Sorry for the long story and Thanks in advance

Sweets2005 · November 2010

Yes they will still help, I mean, it is better than nothing! Did you get a 2nd steroid shot 24 hours later? You are supposed to get 2. Besides, if you go another few weeks, your LO will most likely be fine even without the early steroid dose as 36 weeks gestation is pretty good in terms of development. Make it one week after that and you are full term.

chicky1231 · November 2010

yeah I got the 2nd shot yesterday morning...thanks for responding

maggielw · November 2010

When I was pregnant with DD I got the shots at 24 weeks bc I have a bicornuate uterus and my dr was concerned about preterm labor. Well I didnt go into labor but at 32 weeks they diagnosed the baby with IUGR and I was put on bedrest-so they gave me another set of the steroid shots just in case. I had to have her at 34 weeks 5 days since she still wasnt growing, but when she was born she was fine. She stayed in the NICU for 10 days, but was on room air every day but the first where she had a C PAP. So I think the shots def. helped her, because she only weighed 3 lbs 9 oz, but her lungs were very mature. HTH

chicky1231 · November 2010

begoniapaz:
When I was pregnant with DD I got the shots at 24 weeks bc I have a bicornuate uterus and my dr was concerned about preterm labor. Well I didnt go into labor but at 32 weeks they diagnosed the baby with IUGR and I was put on bedrest-so they gave me another set of the steroid shots just in case. I had to have her at 34 weeks 5 days since she still wasnt growing, but when she was born she was fine. She stayed in the NICU for 10 days, but was on room air every day but the first where she had a C PAP. So I think the shots def. helped her, because she only weighed 3 lbs 9 oz, but her lungs were very mature. HTH

Thanks that's good to know they were still beneficial even after the 1st week

mrsbnlmel · November 2010

It was explained to me that although they are most effective within a few days, there is a carry over effect if you don't deliver immediately. I had steroids at almost 30 weeks when it looked really likely I would deliver with pre-e. I ended up making it to 35 weeks on bedrest. They told me the benefit of having them at 30 weeks were I to deliver far outweighed the benefit of having them closer to delivery. And if I made it to 34-35, which I did, the baby would be that much more developed and the steroids wouldn't even be given at that point. Although my boy was small, only about 4 1/2 lbs, he had no breathing issues aside from a little oxygen at birth.

kkh2002 · November 2010

I had the steroid injections at 24w and delivered at 27w3d - my doctors and I still think they made a HUGE difference in Sarah's lungs (especially considering that I lost all of my fluid at 23w1d). She spent 36hrs on the vent, 2wks on CPAP and about 10wks on canula - came home with no O2.