|
Hello. My name is Nancy and I am the proud mother of
a 2-year-old son and am currently 32 weeks pregnant
with my 2nd son. With both pregnancies, I experienced
pre-term labor. Due to the wonderful advanced medical
knowledge and testing available, namely, your Fetal
Fibronectin Test, my doctors were able to assess my
medical condition and assign proper medical and lifestyle
changes to ensure the health of my unborn children and
myself. Both times I was tested, at 26 weeks with my
first son and 28 weeks with my current pregnancy, the
tests were, thankfully, negative. This allowed the doctors
to, with a great degree of confidence, allow me to continue
my pregnancy on bed rest at home, with my family, as
opposed to on medications in the hospital. Of equal,
or possibly greater importance, the fFN test gave my
husband and myself the peace of mind that our sons would
have a good chance of making it to a gestation that
would allow them greater chance of a healthy outcome.
I feel, wholeheartedly that the fFN test made a big
difference in both my medical care and my mental and
emotional pregnancy experience! My first son was delivered
full term, after 12 weeks of bed rest at home, and I
am holding strong at 32 1/2 weeks with this pregnancy.
It gives me great pleasure to tell you that your test
gave me confidence and hope when I felt very little.
I also know that if the tests had been positive that
my doctors would have been well equipped to handle the
possibilities, which I know can be the difference between
life and death for babies born prematurely. I cannot
thank you enough for the invaluable tool that you have
given us by way of the Fetal Fibronectin Test. It allowed
myself, my family and my doctors to be conscientious
in my care, without the need for unnecessary medications
or restrictions. Thank you and keep up the good work!!
Nancy M.
New Jersey
Mom to Tyler (5/6/01) and baby brother due 9/1/03
As with the last 5 of my 7 pregnancies, I knew that
PTL (preterm labor) was going to be a problem and it
was more so than ever with our last pregnancy (Lydia,
born 8/2/01). Starting at 22 weeks, my uterus started
to act up and my doc did the first of 5 fFN tests. Being
that it was negative, I was able to continue working
and considering I was the breadwinner for our family
of 8, it was vital that I was to continue to work. Due
to the continuation of the PTL, our doctor ordered home
monitoring in addition to the testing. At 33 weeks when
the test turned positive, the failed home monitoring
meant trips to the hospital but we were glad that these
jaunts didn't start with the first signs of PTL at 22
weeks. Also, because of the positive fFN, and negative
lung maturity test, our doc knew that he had to be more
aggressive in stopping the labor. Ultimately, the fFN
test save time, money and anxiety for all that were
involved.
My wish is that this drug had been around 8 years ago
when I had to spend 7 weeks in the hospital due to PTL,
with 3 young children at home.
Ann P.
Missouri
My first pregnancy was tough from the beginning ending
in a trip to L & D at 32 weeks with preterm labor.
Contracting every 6 minutes and beginning to dilate....I
wasn't even aware of any of it except for a DULL, and
I repeat DULL ache in my lower abdomen that didn't go
away with a change in position (thank God that we had
just learned that warning sign a few days before in
childbirth preparation class). After 4 weeks of bed
rest, terbutaline, hydration, and home uterine monitoring
with an ever increasing number of contractions, my son
was born at 36 weeks within 48 hours of emancipation
from bed rest.
In subsequent pregnancies I was always terrified of
the lingering possibility of recurrent preterm labor.
It wasn't the fear of the preterm labor itself, because
I knew that we had tools to control it. It was the fear
of NOT KNOWING when or if it would occur in enough time
to do something about it. I am a woman who does not
really know that she is in labor until it is almost
too late. For example, with my daughter who I delivered
6 months ago, I slept through labor until a massive
contraction woke me with a gush of water. She was born
naturally just 2 hours later....barely enough time to
get to the hospital in the ice storm.
The fFN testing was exactly what I needed. Cutting edge
in my small town in 1998, my doctor had just been to
a seminar and was anxious, if not happy, to have a candidate
to test it on. I was a willing recipient because I could
have the peace of knowing that all would be well in
that 2 week window of a negative result....and that
peace for me was half of the battle of carrying that
pregnancy and the most recent to FULL term.
Jackie F.
New Jersey
I actually had the fFN test three times while in the
hospital (yes I was there for 41 days). One of my nurses
educated me about this test. It was sanity for me and
a tool in which to determine a plan for my doctor. Each
time I received a negative test I was relieved. I knew
that it was unlikely that I would go into labor for
two weeks. I seemed to be calmer and would have less
contractions over the next week. I am grateful that
the fFN test was available to me and I would recommend
the test to others.
Dawn H.
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Here is my experience with the FFN testing. I have shared
info about this
test with some of my bed resting moms telling them to
ask their doctors
about it.
I was on complete bed rest at 24 weeks
with pre-term labor. After some day-long monitoring
sessions and hospital stays, I was a basket case--worried
that I may deliver my baby boy way too early. My doctor
knew how anxious and worried I was about this long-awaited
pregnancy. He used the FFN test on me at about 28 weeks,
again at 30 weeks and yet again at 33 weeks. He called
me at home with the results. Thankfully, the test came
back negative at weeks 28 and 30. What a relief!! Although,
bed resting was still no fun--it eased the intense worry!!
At week 33, I was in the hospital undergoing mag sulfate
again, and this time it was positive. I delivered a
couple days later.
At the time (almost 3 yrs ago), the test
was fairly new, but my doctors had confidence in it--and
that helped put my mind at rest. I'm so glad tests like
this are available!
Lisa A.
Florida
When I was pregnant the first time (1999), I had preterm
labor starting at 27 weeks. It was difficult to be on
bed rest, and VERY stressful because I was so worried
about having the baby early, and all the problems that
could ensue. There was no fFN test at that time, so
it was a lot of lying around and nail-biting for me.
At one point, I was hospitalized for 4 days and put
on mag sulfate (not at all fun). Fortunately my daughter
was born healthy at 36 wks.
The second pregnancy (2001), preterm labor started at
23 weeks. Not only was it scary (again), but very difficult
to manage trying to lie low with a 2-yr-old at home.
This time, the fFN test was available, and it gave me
a lot of peace of mind. I took it two times during the
pregnancy, and each time it was negative. That meant
that I didn't have to stay overnight at the hospital
or go on mag sulfate. So even though I was having lots
of contractions and was quite uncomfortable, it did
let me relax a bit and not worry so much about delivering
too early, and less hospital time and fewer medications
along the way. My son was born healthy at 37.5 wks.
Tracy W.
|
