Positive FFN Test

After such a good check up yesterday, I was surprised when my doctor called me at 3 pm to tell me the fetal fibronectin test (FFN) was positive. She told me I needed to go to the hospital immediately and they were going to monitor me for contractions. My first reaction was to cry and panic but I remembered in my birthing class them talking about how important it is not to freak out for the baby (or babies in my case) so I tried to chill out. I actually felt oddly calm.

Anyway, I went up to Fairview Hospital and they hooked me up to some machine to monitor both babies and to see if I was having any contractions. No contractions for an hour so they sent me home. My doctor wants to set up home monitoring (pending insurance approval) over the next two weeks to check for contractions and I got placed on modified bed rest. For modified bed rest, I'm still allowed to get up and out of bed/off the couch, just not a lot. I can still go to my shower, and even my pedicure appointment, as long as I am sitting down for most of the time. No more long walks, yoga or water aerobics though. The doctor also strongly recommended working from home so I'll have to check with my work and see what the policy is there.

But babies are still healthy and doing well and for the moment there doesn't seem to be any indication I'll go into preterm labor. Fingers crossed.

More info about FFN below.

From the March of Dimes website:


Fetal fibronectin (called fFN) is a protein that acts like a kind of glue. It helps the amniotic sac attach to the lining of your uterus (womb). The amniotic sac is inside the uterus. Its holds your baby and is filled with amniotic fluid.

Your body makes fFN early in pregnancy (up to 22 weeks) and again at the end of pregnancy (about 1 to 3 weeks before labor starts).

The fFN test measures how much fFN is in the fluids of your vagina (birth canal) and cervix. The cervix is the opening to the uterus that sits at the top of the vagina.

What do the test results mean? 
If the fFN test shows you don’t have any fFN, you probably won’t have your baby for another 2 weeks. Even if the test shows you do have fFN in your fluid, it doesn't mean you’re going to have preterm labor or birth.

If you have fFN in your fluid, your provider also may use information from ultrasound or other tests to predict your chances of preterm labor. For example, if you’re between 24 and 34 weeks and have fFN in your fluid, you’re at increased risk for preterm labor. If you have symptoms of preterm labor, your provider may recommend taking it easy, taking medicines to help prevent preterm labor or getting corticosteroids for your baby. Corticosteroids are medicines that help speed up your baby’s lung development.