Preterm labor help

[acornmom]

Hi everyone!
I just need some advice/help/words of wisdom....
On Monday, I began having a "strange feeling" in my pelvic region kinda like a "full feeling when your period is coming". I called my OB and they had me come right in since we have been having issues with a shortened cervix. Well, I was evaluated and the cervix looked ok but he wanted to make sure I wasn't dilating. Low and behold I was! I was 1-1/2 cm dilated. Needless to say I didn't feel anything. I was admitted to our hospital and started on Magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions. It worked a little but not enough so then they added indocin. Well the combo worked but you can only be on Indocin for a 48 hour period. At one point I was having contractions every 2-6 minutes! Here again... never feeling them. I did learn that having a full bladder causes increased contractions and the strongest of my contractions (every 10 minutes) were due to the full bladder.
Long story short, They got me off of the IV and switched me to Procardia every 6 hours. It seems to be working and I was discharged home yesterday. I have a follow up appointment on Monday but they gave me my discharge instructions sheet that says bedrest, call with any changes, temp >100.5 or more than 5 contractions in an hour.
This is all fine and dandy but I keep wondering.. HOW am I supposed to know if I am having contractions if I didn't feel them before at 2-6 minutes apart?
I am happy to be home, but concerned that I wont know when the contraction are actually here. Oh, I guess I should preface that I am only heading into my 29th week. We need to make it to 35 weeks.

Any thoughts girls? Thanks so much

[lw918]

When I reach 20-22 weeks my doctor will be putting me on at home monitoring. You plug the device into the phone wall as often as instructed (they said we will start with twice a day) and it sends information directly to the dr. about if you've been having contractions or not. They discuss it in the book "When you're expecting twins, triplets, or quads".
I'm very thankful that we will be doing this just because, like you, my biggest fear is that I'll have contractions and not even know! I have them now, but they have not been effective and my cervix is still looking good, but who knows if or when that will change!!
Definatly mention to your doc that you are concerned and is there something else they could do. Mention the at home monitoring and see if they feel you qualify- sounds like you do to me!

[kutekellie99]

Hello
When I was 30 weeks preggo I began to bleed one night. I went to the hopital and was actually in pre-term labor. I never felt any contractions either and woulnd't have even known I was in labor if it hadn't been for the bleeding. They gave me Magnesium also and I spent about a week in the hospital. After leaving the hospital, I had the same concerns as you...how will I know if I go into labor if I don't feel the contractions...but eventually I realized that if the contractions were bad enough I felt them, then I would be concerned and go to the hospital. As long as I felt ok, I just didn't bother. I am now almost 37 weeks and have done great. I do have pre-eclampsia so I'm being induced Monday at the 37 week mark, but I never had anymore bleeding or preterm labor. Just be calm and stay on bed rest and you should be great!!! Hope everything goes well for you!!

[london]

I have the same issue
I started having pretermlabor at 18 weeks and have a cerclage
You may want to get home monitoring of your contractions
I am on procardia too every 6hours
Just this week they did a FFN test on me and it came back positive that is to test to see if I would go inlabor in the next 2 week or so but my dr said they do receive a higher percentage of false positive so I am really not worried too much but they gave me the me the shot to mature their lungs so you might want that also.

You at good number of weeks but just want the babies to cook a little more and i can agree I praying i can make it too xmas but i have a feeling I will