Questioni went to the hospital last week my 33 week and my contractions were 2-3 mins appart and lasting 45-80 sec..i was a cm dilated and 50% effaced...the meds they gave me stoped my contractions for and hour then they started right back up....they also said he was at a station 0 in my pelvis...theysent me home and it has been 4 days and im still contracting...i'm not due till july 4th but i think the due date is wrong because i didnt have a period to go by...am i gonna go early??please help!!
AnswerDear Jessica,
Well, first, did they do an ultrasound in the first 12 weeks? Usually they will do an ultrasound around 7 weeks that will confirm dating. These are very accurate as to the dating of a pregnancy. So if you are 33 weeks based on an early ultrasound, I would be fairly confident in the dating.
If you are at 0 station, that means that the baby's head is engaged in the pelvis. It is at the level of what we call the ischial spines. From here on it will progress to +1, +2, and so on. At about +4 it is at the perineum (crowning). However, ALOT more dilation and effacement will have to occur before then (thank goodness!).
I would assume that you are going to be seen by your doctor every week at this point, since you are contracting this early and already engaged, dilating, and thinning out. Do they have you on any medications to try to keep the contractions controlled? Have they instructed you to stay down as much as possible (usually left side lying) or all the time? I will also assume you have informed your doctor that you are still contracting.
I can't tell you with any absolute certainty when you will deliver, but I would suspect that you won't go to your due date. Every woman dilates and thins out at different rates and each pregnancy/circumstance is different. As I'm sure you know, the longer the baby remains in the womb, the better. You do need to be aware of a few things to help to try to accomplish this.
-Stay very well hydrated. I realize this is a pain with the pressure on your bladder right now, but it really is important. What happens when you get dehydrated is that the blood volume decreases, therefore causing the concentration of oxytocin (hormone that causes uterine contractions) to rise. Hydrating yourself will increase the blood volume and keep the concentration of oxytocin down. And dehydration becomes more of an issue in the summer months.
-If you have access to a home BP monitor, take your blood pressure with any signs of an increase (severe headache, blurred vision, increased swelling of hands/feet, pain in the abdomen) and report any reading over 120/80 to your doctor.
-Pay attention to signs and symptoms of infections (bladder, yeast, etc.) because infections can also stimulate contractions.
-Make sure to contact your doctor with any of the following signs: more than 5 contractions in one hour that will not go away with a change in activity, bright red vaginal bleeding, pain during urination (possible urinary tract infection), sudden gush or gradual leaking of clear, watery fluid from your vagina, low, dull backache, or intense pelvic pressure.
Obviously, straining or exerting yourself is not a good idea. Sex would not be something I would advise, as the properties in semen (prostaglandins) can also stimulate contractions, not to mention the hormones released with the sex and sexual play.
I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well and a little more time carrying that baby! :-)
Brenda
