Questionmy history/; 1st eventful term pregnancy, second: PTL at 26weeks, baby died 3rd:lighted ovum, currently 25weeks i was diagnosed with cervical incompetence and had a preventive shirodkar placed around 13 weeks...... at 22weeks my scan showed a cervical length of 3cm with funneling......how bad are these findings?
my doc started me on nifedipine TDS, progesterone shots weekly, he did mention bedrest but was not specific about it,now i am 25 weeks, have to go for the next USG in 2/3 days, since last 24hrs i have been having this backache and some funny feeling in tummy, back pain is low most pronounced when i am reclining, lying down, disappears when i walk or stand, tummy ache is on the upperside just below the ribs and constant, not crampy..... i am confused..is this PTL? there is no discharge,i suffer from bad backache and this could be due to the fact that i am lying down most of the time.....could the tummy pain be gas?
please tell me: how bad are my findings?
how to differentiate PTL from aches and pains of pregnancy?
how much bedrest is required, plz do tell me , my doc wasnt very specific.
thank you
AnswerDear Kazmi
Bed rest means complete rest in bed with the exception of going to bathroom. There should be no excercise, no sexual intercourse or any kind of sexual play, no household activities. The mildest unnecessary effort is prohibited. If you are a working woman, you definitely need to have a sick leave. In fact, with such history of previous death at 26 weeks and a blighted ovum, and if you are my patient, I would have recommended hospitalization till delivery.
Unfortunately, the only way to differentiate PTL from aches and pains of pregnancy is to have a clinical examination. Nothing else. The symptoms you described can be a PTL and therefore you should have a complete bed rest as described above. You may need to have some corticosteroid injection to enhance your baby's lung maturity and you can call your caring doctor for consultation. This will minimize the chances of respiratory problems to your baby if delivered premature. Respiratory complications is very common in preterm babies.
I do hope that this info would be of help and I wish you the best of luck.
