New member, b/u, Q re 1st and 2nd pregnancy

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. I am new to this group (and I have posted to the

bicornuate pregnancy group, so excuse the overlap). I think it is

AMAZING that this chat room exists. I have been so heartened by the

support and information out there in internet space...who would have

thought that I was not so unusual after all???

Anyhow, the main reason I have sought out this list, and am gathering

information, is to figure out as much as I can about the risks of

having a second child with a bicornuate uterus.

I had my first baby (no complications in the pregnancy) at 33 weeks --

he spent 4 weeks in the ICU. He was breech, my water broke, they

tried to stop the contractions and couldn't, and he was born, by C-

section, within 24 hrs. During the C-section they determined I had a

bicornuate uterus, and the Dr's are assuming that this was the cause

of the early labor. I have since had an MRI and it appears that the

septum is all muscular, and that there is not really a possibility of

operating. My septum goes about 1/3 of the way down.

My husband and I are trying to assess the risks of having another

child. Even with a relatively healthy preemie, it was a very

stressful time to have a baby in the hospital for a month -- but that

said we feel very lucky, as our son was born late enough that there

was never a huge risk to his survival. And of course, he is the

light of our lives right now.

My question is: is anyone aware of studies that show (or anecdotal

evidence that shows) a relationship between the outcome of a first

pregnancy and the outcome of a second pregnancy? We will be seeing a

perinatologist, but we are also hoping to gather as much information

as we can on what risks a new baby would be facing. We feel like we

would be willing to risk a 30-33 week delivery again, but we are very

afraid of having a much earlier delivery (we have a friend who

delivered a 26 week old baby, and they are in a heartbreaking

situation right now). If this was very likely we might choose not to

test the fates, but rather pursue adoption for our second. It seems

like it is very difficult to assess risk bcs of the fact that every

woman is different, and every abnormality is unique. I am wondering

if anyone is aware of someone actually studying relationships between

first and second outcomes.

Any thoughts would be really helpful (including thoughts on how you

decide whether to go forward and try to have another child when you

face these kinds of risks). I have to say I am glad I didn't know

with our first -- I would have worried the entire pregnancy. Then

again, I might also have stopped working earlier and maybe he would

have not come so early. Its always easy to second guess, I guess.

Anyhow, thanks in advance for listening, and for taking part in this

community. Its just amazing...