Baby steroids?!

This morning I spoke to my doctor as my contractions were becoming increasingly uncomfortable and frequent so he prescribed nifedipine to make them stop. We're just hopeful that my already low blood pressure won't drop too drastically while taking it. Just in case I do need to stop using the medicine though and I end up going into pre term labor, I was also asked to come in for the first of two shots of betamethosone (a corticosteroid.)

Betamethosone causes, "an immature fetus's lungs to produce a compound called surfactant. A full-term baby's lungs naturally produce surfactant, which lubricates the lining of the air sacs within the lungs. This allows the inner surfaces of the air sacs to slide against one another without sticking during breathing. Premature infants whose lungs have begun producing surfactant are more able to breathe on their own, or with less respiratory treatment, after birth" (webmd.com). Basically, this shot will "benefit a premature newborn by lowering the risk of:

• Breathing problems (respiratory distress syndrome) after birth.
• Bleeding in the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage).
• Intestinal infection (necrotizing enterocolitis).
• Death" (webmd.com).

Even though pharmaceuticals make me crazy nervous- anything I can do to help this little guy out, I'll be glad to do it. And hey, maybe my son will grow up to be an incredible athlete with strong lungs because he received little baby steroids while in the womb! It is amazing what can be done for little babies these days! Anyway, it's back to the hospital tomorrow morning for the second shot. I'm eager to make this my quickest hospital visit this pregnancy!