Is it safe to try to speed up labor at 35 weeks?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 35.3 weeks pregnant. When I turned 35 weeks, my mucus plug fell out, and I started having contractions every six minutes consistently. I went to the hospital and was 0.5 inch dilated. They could not do anything, so they sent me home. I was wondering if it was fine to start trying to have him come out, considering I am still having contractions?

It has been consistent for the past two days straight. The doctor at the hospital told me it would be fine. But, I wanted a second opinion. Is it fine if I try to speed up the process?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You are 35.3 weeks pregnant, and only the mucus plug fell off, so I believe that it was just sticky white secretion that came out. Dilation of 0.5 inch, which must not be progressing, might be the reason for sending you home. I expect that you have received the injection Betamethasone (steroid injection), two doses for lung maturity of your baby.

With two days of contractions, dilation would have progressed if it had been true labor. This may be a case of false labor. It is advisable to augment the labor if the patient has completed 37 weeks when the baby's lung maturity is complete, and baby does not develop breathing difficulties outside of the womb. So in my opinion, wait for the nature to take its natural course. Sticky white discharge may be normal. Please visit a hospital if you have watery discharge or blood stained discharge.

Hope this helps you. All the best.

Thank you.