Positive Fetal Fibronectin Test?

Rachal217 · January 2011

Hello Moms! I'm wondering if anyone seems to have the same experience as me when it comes to this test. I went to my doctor last Thursday for a routine check up and he asked if I had any concerns and one of mine was a little bit of tightening in my abdomen. He did an exam and there was no dialation or softing but he went ahead and schedule me for a fetal fibronectin test which I had the option of doing it that day or sending the sample off. My GUESS was that it wasn't something that concerned him too much if I was given the option of not doing the test that day. I went to the hospital and I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and I was having contractions but I wasn't told how often or the intensity (I couldn't feel them). The nurse said the contractions were probably from dehydration but regardless they treated them like actual contractions. They did my fetal fibronectin test and it came up positive. Well I had no idea that intercourse could cause a false postive and I was never asked about whether or not my DH and I had sex recently which we had for 2 days in a row. I was given Breathine (sp?) to relax my muscles and it seemed to help whatever contractions I was having enough to discharge me. I was sent home on strict bed rest so no driving, no excersing basically only up for the bathroom, shower, and meals. I was also sent home with instructions to take Albuterol (an asthma medication) to relax my uterine muscles. I was told later on that my condition is threatned preterm labor but I have no symptoms other than the contractions that I might be having but cannot feel so I'm not even sure about that. I feel that I need to take charge of my care a little more and demand another fetal fibronectin test to actually see if it's threatned preterm labor or not because now they are setting up home monitoring for contractions. I don't like wasting the insurance companies money and then having a test done that could predict preterm labor that apparently comes up as a false positive quite frequently after intercourse. Strict bed rest for me is also going to hit our family hard economically so I want a clear answer as to why I'm on bed rest with potentially unnecessary home monitoring if it could be something that I could prevent by just drinking a little more water and resting a little more. It just all seems a little too extreme for a condition that was treated very lightly at the hospital and at my doctors. Has anyone else been through this and what's your opinion?

LisaMarisa · January 2011

I understand why they would have wanted you on bedrest after a positive result - they seem really conservative with the extreme of it since you arent dilating at all though. Even so, I would definitely tell them that you had intercourse and didnt know that it interfered with the test until you read about it later. They definitely should have asked you before administering the test.

luvdv8 · January 2011

Generally you're asked to repeat a ffn test around 96 hours if a positive has been identified to make sure that it wasn't a false positive. Ask your dr if you can repeat the test.

You're not wasting the insurance company's money- preterm labor is very serious and there are other decision that need to be made if your OB really thinks that delivery is immanent. You didn't say how far along you are, but if your OB seems to think that your contractions are enough to warrant bed rest then have they discussed steroid shots with you in case LO arrives early? I had no symptoms of preterm labor (not even contractions) before my water broke with DD, so not having symptoms doesn't mean that there isn't indication that something is going on.

A positive ffn (while they can be false) is not to be taken lightly- follow your dr's instructions and ask to be checked up on again and another test run. As inconvenient as bed rest may be now, time in the NICU if LO arrived early is even worse.

JessicaG56 · January 2011

I just had one done last week bc of bh type pains and back pains. I know u aren't suppose to have anything internal for 24 hrs before hand or it will cause a false positive. I was soft but not dilated so they did the fft. It came back negative and my dr said if it would have been positive she would have just put me on procardia and not taken me for work until it seemed like that wasn't working. I would probably ask for another to be done just to be sure. Good luck

smiles1123 · January 2011

how far along are you?

aprildrizzo · January 2011

I have had three tests with this pregnancy. The doctor explained to me at the high risk clinic that the FFN tests for a protein that is omitted in your body up to 2 weeks before you give birth. So, if you received a positive test...and the test was accurate, then you could have preterm labor within the next two weeks. So, thats why they put you on bedrest.

JessicaG56 · January 2011

aprildrizzo:
I have had three tests with this pregnancy. The doctor explained to me at the high risk clinic that the FFN tests for a protein that is omitted in your body up to 2 weeks before you give birth. So, if you received a positive test...and the test was accurate, then you could have preterm labor within the next two weeks. So, thats why they put you on bedrest.

yes and per my dr and what u read on the fft's website anything internal 24 hrs prior can be false. Ultrasound gel is one thing that def causes a false positive

Natalie_may · January 2011

You have a 1 in 6 chance of going into labor in the next 2 weeks if it is positive. My concern would be the contractions, I was having them, they showed up on nsts, they were causing changes but I did not feel them until a week before I went into labor ( delivered at 27 weeks 3 days and completed 7 weeks of bed rest.). Do not worry about the insurance company's money, this is about the health and safety of your baby. As a parent of preemies I wish it on no-one. If you are worried about the financial strain, if you have your baby early and they are in the nicu your company will most likely treat it as a normal delivery and it will force you to take fmla time or even be terminated just to take any time to bond with your child. I'm not sure what state you live in but in nj you can get long term disability benefits for bed rest. You said you were treated lightly, be careful, I had drs trying to send me home the day I had my first major bout of ptl, had I not stuck up for myself I would have delivered a week earlier then I did. Good luck and have a happy and healthy remainder of your pregnancy.

Tararae · January 2011

I had a positive FFN at 32 weeks. Dr. asked me ahead of time if I had sex in the last 48 hours before doing the test. You should ask for another test. I was put on bedrest until 36 weeks. Hanging now at 38 weeks and still no baby so a positive doesn't necessarily mean you'll have baby in 2 weeks.

mommy411 · January 2011

How for along are you? I had a neg however I was 80% effaced and 2 cm at 32 weeks. I delivered 2 weeks 2 days later

Rachal217 · January 2011

When the test was done I was 28 weeks and 3 days but I went a week later and still nothing.

Rachal217 · January 2011

I went a week after my appointment in which they did the first fetal fibronectin test. This time I told my Dr. about how we had sex a few hours before the test so they went ahead a redid my test and I'm still waiting for the results. She did do another internal exam and no change in my cervix. She also said since this is my first child it's unknown as to whether or not I will go into preterm labor. If I would have already carried a child to term with the same circumstances then bed rest wouldn't be as strict but it is what it is.

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