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34 weeks....
I have had labour stopped twice up to now and the doctors have said that after 34 weeks they wont stop it again and would just give me steroid injections as soon as things started for babies lungs and let him/her come.
I am absolutely terrified of hospitals, I have said all along that when baby comes I just want to go home ASAP. I know this wont be possible with a premeture baby, but how long would be standard for a baby born at this time after the steroid injections? xxxx
I am absolutely terrified of hospitals, I have said all along that when baby comes I just want to go home ASAP. I know this wont be possible with a premeture baby, but how long would be standard for a baby born at this time after the steroid injections? xxxx
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I stayed in hospital (well I'd already been there a week prior to the birth!!) from the thursday she was born until the tuesday when they needed the bed. I could've had what they called a hospitality bed on another ward and paid for my meals but I decided to come home and visit daily instead.
I wouldve thought that a 34 weeker wouldn't have been in too long but I suppose every child is different.
I have everything crossed that you will get further than 34 weeks but if you dont I'm afraid that the easiest way is just to go with the flow and accept it. I'm sure you will cope-after all you'll be a mummy.
Good luck honey.
Helen.xxx
I went into spontaneous labour at 33+6 when my waters broke and my lo was born the next day at 34 weeks. I did not have ANY steroid injections as they said I was so near 34 weeks i didn't need them. Max did not need ANY help breathing when he was born and he spent his first night with me (he was born at 17.58) but he did have difficulties feeding and lost a lot of weight in the first few days as he was CONSTANTLY sick nothign stayed down at all so he was in SCBU from the morning after birth for 7 days and then the 2 of us together for anohter 3 so we were in 10 days in total.
It was brilliant in SCBU though - have you been offered a look around yours? It might help put your mind at rest? At the end of the day it is not easy but if it is the best thing for you and bubs and I am sure your worries and fears will go to the back of your mind.
Let us know how you go!
The girls were luckily only in Intensive care for 3 days. high dependency for another 4 days and then in cots growing and learning to feed. They were in SCBU for exactly 5 weeks but I spent the final 3 nights rooming in with them
All the best and keep us posted xx
Anyway Reuben was in NICU for a day whilst they sussed him out, though he didn't need any ventiltion, and had phototherapy for a day (Premmies v prone to Jaundice), then he spent a week in a cot getting used to feeding, tube at first then very slowly breast and bottle combination feeding. We had 2 days of living in with him before we brough him home.
I left the hospital after 5 days as I felt I was becoming instiutionalised! ;O) but it was great to get some sleep and rest before Reuben came home properly. I also really valued the support from the Neo Natal unit, everyone commented how confident a new mummy I was and I am sure that was because of all the help the lovely nurses gave me. Going home from hospital without him initially was heart breaking but I am so glad he was cared for so well.
Let us know how you get on ... xx
My DD was born at 33+2 and spent 3 and a half weeks in SCBU. About a week of that was in an incubator, and then she moved into a cot and was still tube feeding/trying to BF for about a week and a half after that before moving on to BF and bottles. I also had the steroid injections to mature her lungs and she needeed no help breathing thank goodness!
I was in the hospital with my DD for 2 weeks after she was born, mainly because I was trying to BF her, and also because we were transferred 70 miles from home for her arrival. Once she got moved nearer to home I went home and visited her each day, spending most daytime with her, popping home for tea and then going back for the final late feed. I then spent 2 nights in hospital co-living prior to her coming home. it was so nice to come home at last rather than living in and out of hospital!
Whatever happens I'm sure you'll do just fine when bubba arrives, everything else will just disappear into the background in camparison. I hope bubba stays put for as long as possible for you hun x
do you still have preavia??? I would push for steriod injections NOW just in case.
I had Amelia by EMCS at 35 weeks due to heammorraging with complete placenta preavia. When she was born ( i wont lie) she needed to be bagged and they worked on her for a good 15 mins to get her stable. Her apgar was just 3 at birth, 4 at one min and 6 by 5 mins. They took her off to SCBU (this was a small hosp abroad that does not have NICU etc..) she was born at 12.45am and spent her first 2 days in an incubator getting antibiotics ( I am strep b and even tho a section they worried about her falling ill) and help with her temp and breathing. She was brought out for feeds as I was BF and luckily she had a great sucking reflex and took to it like a duck to water. She then went back into SCBU in a phototherapy crib as her bilibrun levels became critical and she was almost black/yellow. She spent another 7 days in the SCBU so that was about 9 days in all. We took her home on the 10th but had to go in every day for the heel prick test to make sure she was OK.
On the whole babies born at 34 weeks should be fine to go home. Its only if they have other problems that they would be kept in. My friend had her baby at 34 weeks and took him hoe weighing 4lb 7oz 2 days later!
Hope it all goes well for you!
d x
when dd was born she needed no help with her breathing and gave a good cry when she was born. she was taken immediately to the station at the end of the bed to be checked then within 5 mins she was wrapped and handed back to me for a 5 min cuddle before being taken to scbu.
she was born on the thursday night and came out of the incubator on saturday morning and went into a cot. she had her first bottle on the sunday as in their words 'it was the only way to shut her up'. she had tto go under the lights for jaundice which meant that she had to be stripped so was back in the incubator for 24hrs just to keep her warm.
she moved out of intensive care after about 36hrs into high dependancy. she was then moved to the nursery once there was room for her 10days later. then home on day 19
oh and dd was 4lb 11oz
Good luck. x
I went into labour at 32+6 and it was off and on for 3 days!! I had 2 steroid shots and my son had no breathing problems at all. When he was born he was whisked over to the baby table for them to check him over. He was in good shape so I got a cuddle for 5 minutes before they took him to SCBU. He spent 4 days in an incubator to keep his temperature up then was moved to the cots in the nursery with an electric blacket. I expressed for him and was fed using a tube for 2 weeks until his sucking reflex kicked in. He came home at 3 weeks, still only weighing 4lb 9oz and was tiny in his pram.
Good luck
xx
Jen
George 13wk +1