33 weeks with a soft cervix

I would ask your doctor specifically about steroid injections to help mature the baby's lungs. They are pretty much standard care in the US for a woman at risk of premature labor and having a premie. Good luck to wish. Hoping baby can stay put and grow safely inside for another month or longer.

Cleo4e, glad to hear that you're back home where things make a little more sense. What advice has your OB given you? Are you on bed-rest or have they said until dilation just carry on as normal.. is there anything they can give you to prolong the pregnancy? My consultant here offered my cyclogest, in fact he prescribed it to me however after having read a bit about it online i've decided to take the chance and let my body do the work. I already find myself second-guessing my obstetrician, questioning whether i really need extra blood tests, and whether my husband required blood tests. Because the medical care here is ultimately a money making machine, i wonder to myself, if i did have a pre-term again would I question the doctors advice, and i'm pretty sure that if NICU was required here i would have a nagging in the back of my mind as to whether it was truly necessary. -have i just let my mind wonder a few steps too far?

Hi sweetie, I have been in the situation you are in, however, unlike you i did not fully understand what was happening at the time. I gave birth to my daughter (now 2yrs) at 33+4... she was iddy-diddy-small but she was healthy and content. For about 10 days leading up to labour I knew something was happening -but it was my first time round so I didnt have much to base my feelings on, or compare it to, but i was aware of something going on. It started as light backache -the type thats easily forgotten about if you're watching a good film or looking round the shops, then i experienced a small but regular loss of pinky mucus over the course of 5days or so. Then about 3 days before i had her i was at home when i started to experience what is technically contractions -but i wouldnt call it that because it didnt hurt -anyway, i went to the hospital, they checked me out and said it was measuring but it would more than likely stop and id go full term. Then, on the day before i had her my backache was more prominent -i was taking my driving test (yes at 33+3 -the poor examiner probably passed me just so i was out of his car incase i did pop) and i had to stop mid-test and stand up to stretch it out a bit - i got back in the car and i was fine. ... Next day i woke up as normal, just lazing round the house, and as i woke up from a snooze at midday my waters popped and that was it, BANG i was in full swing labour. i had no painful contractions before that point but boy did i know about it once my waters had popped! Labour was on in full force.. Called the hubby and he drove me to the hospital.. i was there only about 3hours when it was time for me to get on the bed and start pushing.. before i really had the chance to think (or abuse the gas&air or anything else) i was holding my daughter. It was 5-6 hours from very start to very finish. Now pregnant with my second, i have been given only a 10% chance of carrying full-term and have been told (by UK consultants) that realistically i should keep a home-birth pack at my house -because they thank that i will go into labour so quickly that i wont have the chance to even make it into hospital (which is only about 20mins from where i live in the uk) ... My issue now is, do i stay here in Dubai and risk a premature birth -one that may even happen on route to the hospital, or do i head back to the UK where i know how things work and where home birth isnt illegal (as it is here?) -- in fact, now that i've written this out i may go ahead and post it online to get some other ladies opinions on this.. Cleo4e - i wish you all the best in whats left of your pregnancy -which presumably wont be much longer now! ... Please let me know ho you get on at your next OB appt. ps. my baby was born at 2kgs, she had no steroids to strengthen her grown and development of lungs but she was borh happy and health and didnt need any NICU care -thankfully!