I was asked why I can’t go to 39 weeks.
My understanding is I can’t go that far without careful monitoring. When I had the triplets, I was told that if they came before 28 weeks, which they were born at 24 weeks, that I would need a classical c-section to birth them. This is so that they could be taken out of me as quickly as possible. A classical C-section is when they cut the uterus up and down versus side to side.
When the time came to birth Max, I knew, based on my prior conversations with my Perinatologist, that I wouldn’t be able to go past 38 weeks. Term is considered 36 weeks and it is widely regarded that he should have been fine being born that early. However he wasn’t. After he was born the neonatologist in charge of him had also been in charge of Emily at different times in her life. Seeing another problem with breathing with my child, I had several panic attacks in those days trying to deal with everything happening all over again. At one point, Tony and I met with the neonatologist to see x-rays of Max’s lungs. To me they didn’t look that different then Emily’s and that scared me. He told us that they were VERY different then Emily’s but that they were likely slightly premature even given his gestation. Now we all know that Max was released at 6 days old and he has NO lasting effects of his NICU stay.
This time around I know that Nathaniel is a little boy. They told us repeatedly in the NICU that white boys tend to have problems like this. I can’t labor, because of a huge risk of uterine rupture. So because of that my children don’t get squeezed like normally happens when children go through the labor process. This squeezing not only gets them out, but it also helps to remove excess fluid from their lungs. Right now Nathaniel is “breathing” amnionic fluid. So that fluid needs to get out of his lungs so he can breath accordingly. Children that don’t go through the labor process normally get sucked out and stimulated after birth to get this fluid away. This can only help so much, and when a child is slightly immature it doesn’t help.
My goal today when I see my perinatlogist is to see how far I can push my date. I am fine with giving birth at 38 weeks again. I was actually expecting that. However if I could go further, or possibly be given steroid injections to help with lung development I would gladly do that too. The only way they can check completely for lung development in Nathaniel at the time that they want to deliver is to do an Amino. I am not sure I want to do that. The risk is that I could go into labor by this procedure and that the may be counter productive. However having had one child with slightly immature lungs at that gestation should make it a possible consideration.
I am being monitored more closely with this pregnancy in general. With Max, even with the loss of his siblings, they saw me as being normal risk pregnancy. This pregnancy isn’t a normal risk with my history of pelvic radiation. It looks like there is no lasting effects of that, but they need to keep careful watch on me to be sure of that.
I will update again this morning after my ultrasound.