Positive Fetal Fibronectin at 31 & 1/2 Weeks

Hi -
I was put on bedrest at 30 weeks due to early contractions. My FFN test was initially negative, but around 32/33 weeks or so it came back positive. My doctor said just to continue taking it easy and be very mindful of contractions. I was dilated about 1.5 com and the baby had dropped. Doc also said a negative test is more conclusive than a positive one. Meaning that a positive test simply means there is a higher percentage of going into labor with the importance on COULD go into early labot. A negative test means you will not be going into labor. So..... I ended up going to term and actually had to be induced! So relax..... you may also go to term.

K. - First of all, try to breathe! (Impossible, I know!) I work in the NICU and see premature babies every day I go to work. Let me assure you that there are very few bad outcomes, and those are usually due to a genetic abnormality or extreme prematurity (and 31.5 is VERY GOOD), so know that whatever happens, it IS going to be okay. It won't be fun, but I promise you that you will survive it (and nurses like me will be there to help you out, I promise).
THAT SAID, *try* not to worry. At this point your dr feels comfortable enough to let you come home, therefore he/she doesn't believe birth is imminent. And even if your dr puts you in the hospital tomorrow, there is still a possibility (and a good possibility at that) that you will stay pregnant a while longer. Also try to remember that if you are stressed, the baby feels it. It totally has an impact on the baby, and high levels of stress can contribute to premature labor, so - meditate, pray, breathe, do whatever you need to do, but know it is okay. And it's going to continue to be ok, no matter what happens.
Let us know how things go!! You are in my thoughts!!

K.,

I never had a problem like yours with either of my pregnancies but I did have my second at 32 weeks due to some bowel complications I was having.
So my advice is if you do deliver in the next couple of weeks what to expect. You are in good shape. I was admitted at 31 weeks with a bowel obstruction and all the Dr's and nurses kept telling me not to worry that 31 weeks was just fine and that I would have a healthy baby. They were also able to give me steroids which delevoped my baby's lungs faster. My daughter was in the hospital for 26 days due only to the fact that she was small and at that gestation they need to learn to eat. But she is a thriving healthy baby. The unknown is scary but the fact that you are measuring large is great news. My daughter was 4lbs when born and she looked good. The first night she was hooked up to everything. 24 hours later she was only on an IV and a feeding tube. No oxygen...nothing.

You will be fine. Hopefully nothing comes of this test but if something should happen I have faith that you and your baby will do well. He may have some tubes and IV's and it will be scary but it is not a hopeless situation.

Take care!

Hi K.,

I have not had this particular test done, but I wanted to tell you that I went into labor at 28 weeks with my son. I was also feeling lots of pressure and when checked they found me at 4cm. They put me in the hospital and I was able to stay pregnant for another 10 days. My son was born at 29 weeks. He did spend some time in the NICU and as you say had the tubes and wires..but I will tell you that he is healthy and vibrant and 7 months old now. Legacy Emanual Hospital was an amazing place to be. At almost 32 weeks, it sounds like you are in good shape. Your baby if he was to be born at 32 weeks might spend a few weeks in the hospital, but know that these little ones are tiny miracels and they are fighters. You can check out our story here..it might put your mind at ease: www.coultertorin.blogspot.com

Congrats on your upcoming delivery and trust that this kiddo knows what he is doing...they sometimes come early for good reason!

I know almost exactly what you are going through. At 32 weeks the contractions I'd been having got more persistent and regular and I tested positive for fetal fibronectin. I started having the same fears as you, and my dr even hospitalized me as I was beginning to dilate and efface. I was so scared my little girl, who wasn't due until Nov. 7th when we had scheduled a c-section (this pregnancy, by the way had been like a dream, I felt great until just then) was going to be tiny and not going home with me for a few weeks. And then I went home. I spent a couple of weeks on strict bed rest (which wasn't fun) and then was told to take it very easy for the rest of my pregnancy. All this time the contractions didn't stop (but I couldn't tolerate the medications available as they caused severe tachycardia in even the smallest doses) and I was constantly on edge. I even continued to dilate. But, if this eases your fears any, I made it, and had my perfectly healthy little girl as scheduled. It was scary, and there is still no reason anyone can come up with that I went into preterm labor, but everything is perfect. I know this is hard, but try to relax, you have as much of a chance of making it to full term as I did. Good luck, K. =)

Did you go on bedrest and did you get betamethasone to help mature the baby's lungs? These are the very first things that should be done. Is your doctor doing anything to try and stop the contractions? I have seen babies born at this point in time do good- meaning that they did not need a ventilator to help them breath and that they did not stay in the hospital for very long (a couple of weeks). But before you jump to these visions you should do everything possible to not deliver. Talk to your doctor and find out what you can do to hold off delivery. Good luck with everything and I hope all goes well. I have seen women not deliver despite a positive result.

Hi K.,
I had positive Fetal Fibronectin tests starting at about 29 weeks. We tested me every two weeks, and they were always positive... and.. I delivered my twins at 36.5 weeks. I should also say, that I was on bed rest (in the hospital) the entire time. Both my doctor and I took the tests very seriously, as you should. But also know, that you can get a positive result, and still have a healthy full term baby. Just stay positive... and mellow!! I hated being on bed rest, but in the end, I had two healthy babies!!

My situation is a bit different, but I had a positive fetal fibronectin test at about 29 weeks (though I was carrying twins). I ended up going to 35 weeks which is good for a twin pregnancy. My OB told me that while a negative is really reliable - a positive is really just a guess. It could happen soon or it could not (which is rather nervewracking, I know).

I'm pregnant again (with just one this time) and my OB is going to be doing the test starting next week (I'll be at 25 weeks then).

The fFN test is notorious for false positives, especially if was performed after you had a cervical exam.

Just try to breathe and remember that a positive does *not* mean you will go into labor in the next two weeks, it only means that there were some baby proteins detected.

On the flip side, one of my friends had her baby at 32 weeks, very scary but everything turned ok and now he's a healthy 10 year old.

I don't know what you were told about the test. The general rule is, if it's negative, you are not likely to deliver in the next 2 weeks. If it's positive, it is not as reliable as a predictor. In my case, it was positive, and a little over a week later, my boys were born at 29 weeks.

I guess I would say, try and take it as easy as possible, try not to do too much. Drink a lot of water. Be very aware of how many contractions you are having (even if you can't really feel them). And don't hesitate to call your Dr. if you think something is not right.

There are lots and lots of false positives in the Fetal Fibronectin test. If you get a positive outcome on one it means that you only have a 30 percent chance of going into labor within the next two weeks. A negative outcome on the other hand means that there's a 98.8 percent chance that you WON'T be going into labor. So I wouldn't stress out over a positive FFN. The odds are really, really low that you'll have any trouble. Good luck and best wishes!!

The stress and fear you have can not be helping you! I feel for you. Do your best to calm your mind and realize that the more relaxed you are chances are the more relaxed your uterus will be.

Also know that that image you have of that tiny baby with tubes coming out of him is not as accurate as you think. The advances made just in the last few years in care for a premature baby are remarkable! My son was born at 34 weeks (induced becaused of high blood pressure) and he only spent 2 weeks in the NICU. He really never had any problems other than being too small.

So, take it one day at a time. 24 hours in the womb is HUGE in terms of development of the baby. Every day that you give your child inside is a day closer toward maturity.