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Re: Contractions at 27 weeks

From: Tonja (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 30 Jun 2000 16:28:41 -0500 (CDT)

At Fri, 30 Jun 2000, Amy wrote: >
>I woke up yesterday morning (4 a.m.) with contractions bad enough that I
>couldn't sleep. They came every 5 minutes for over an hour so I went
>into L&D. My cervix was closed and long, so they monitored me for a
>couple of hours, had me take fluids by mouth and sent me home. I still
>have hypermesis (sp?) and throw up 20-30 times a day, so I am
>chronically underhydrated although, most likely not completely
>dehydrated. On the way out, the attending physician asked me if I
>wanted I.V. fluids before I left and I said no thank you because I HATE
>I.V.s. As soon as I left L&D the contractions started coming again
>every 10 minutes or so and stayed like that the rest of the day. I
>called my OB and he said to take it easy and to call them back if things
>didn't get better. They didn't so I called back. We talked and I
>decided to stay home and watch my syptoms and promised to go back to L&D
>if things got worse. They stayed the same yesterday and this morning
>they were better, But this afternoon I am having contractions every 7-12
>minutes AGAIN. They aren't any more intense than yesterday, but some of
>them do hurt. I don't want to have to go back to L&D, but I think it's
>weird to have chronic BH this early.
>
>My questions: if my contractions are always going to be like this,
>should I call the doctor every time I feel this way? My docs advise me
>to go to bed when they come this often, but that would mean spending my
>whole life lately in bed and being in bed doesn't make them go away. The
>resident I talked to said that this many contractions just may be my
>baseline. Is it normal to have 6-10 contractions an hour as a baseline?
>If this really is preterm labor, won't it get worse? As long as things
>stay the same, doesn't that mean I'm okay? Any advice on how to make
>them go away or how to deal with them would be greatly appreciated.

Amy, I would personally err on the side of caution on this one if your instinct is telling you something isn't "right." You won't be the first mom-to-be who is sent home from L&D more than once! I delivered my last daughter at 27 1/2 weeks a few days subsequent to almost identical circumstances that you're describing now (including a Level II U/S showing my cervix to be long and closed tight 6 hours before PROM), so I may come across a little more cautious in this particular area than some! :-)

I think it should be your OBs call as to whether or not 6-10 contractions in an hour is considered "normal," (different OBs will indicated different opinions on this in my experience), but most often, true Braxton Hicks contractions should subside at least somewhat with activity.

If you and your OB end up comfortable with these contractions as BH contractions, make sure you keep yourself VERY hydrated for the rest of your pregnancy! Lack of fluids can lead to a very irritable uterus and make things even more uncomfortable for you! I also remember an OB in the ER who told me that a large amount of water can "dilute" the hormone that causes contractions (I had never heard this before, so I'm not sure if there's any truth to it...I'm sure one of the docs can correct or confirm).

Good luck to you! 

--
Tonja



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