3rd Trimester

Odds of baby surviving at 27 weeks?

Hello,

I am a first time mom, 27 weeks along, and had the most horrible nightmare last night. I was watching the news yesterday about a woman who didn't know she was pregnant, and the baby came out when she was in the shower. I think that is where this dream came from:

In the dream, I went to use the bathroom, and water came out of me. It was weird, out of my belly button, just out of everywhere. I got up to see why and when I looked in the mirror, my tummy was flat. I realized my water broke. When I looked in the toilet bowl, there was my Kylie. I wrapped her in a towel and rushed out the door to my car to drive to the hospital, praying to God to make sure she would live. (She was alive and moving in my dream, and even smiled at me, she just looked very pink.) I woke up after that, and havent been able to sleep since 3am.

Bottom line: If she were to come now, would she be able to survive? Would there be any complications for her later on?

Re: Odds of baby surviving at 27 weeks?

  • I'll bite...

    I won't say what odds are, but I will say that I have in rare, exceptional circumstances, heard/known of even younger babies surviving, but not without very, very long and intensive stays in the highest levels of the NICU. Even then, the chances of issues arising from being born at this point in terms of mental/physical capabilities is very high. Long story short: it has happened and babies have survived, but they're certainly not meant to be born so soon. 

    I understand the dream issue and they only get worse as you advance in the tri. However, just be smart and talk to your doctor about concerns you may have. IF you go into pre-term labor, hospitals have fancy ways of helping stop it for as long as possible. Every day inside the oven is several days LO doesn't need in the NICU.  

  • I don't know the odds either, but I have one friend who had her baby via c-section at 26 weeks due to pre-e, and another at 28 weeks for the same reason. Both babies spent a lot of time in the NICU, but both are fine now!
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  • My sister was born at 24 weeks she stayed for a long time in the NICU and was not expected to make it. They said even if she did make it she would probably have serious disabilities. She is now 14 years old and a perfectly healthy, normal teenager. I don't know what the stats are but maybe the preemie board would know?
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  • Methinks you need to stop watching those "I didn't know I was pregnant" shows...  Yes most babies are considered viable at 27 weeks, but I'm not going to lie - would be in the NICU for a considerable length of time and face the possibility of many different types of complications. 

    Avoid those wierd dreams altogether and skip those kind of tv shows :)  You're going to have some amount of anxiety throughout pregnancy anyway - who doesn't?  But might as well not feed into it by watching stuff like that for now...

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  • I went into preterm labor at 26 weeks, so I know how scary something like that could be to think of. When I was in the hospital I was reading a magazine that said due to recent advances, more than 90% of premature babies who weigh a little less than 2 lbs or more survive. I thought that was kind of reassuring being in that position. I'm not sure about any long term complications, as they would be in NICU for a while, but the hope is still there in that case. In any instance though, baby needs to stay as long as possible.
  • imageKatieWill2006:

    Methinks you need to stop watching those "I didn't know I was pregnant" shows...  Yes most babies are considered viable at 27 weeks, but I'm not going to lie - would be in the NICU for a considerable length of time and face the possibility of many different types of complications. 

    Avoid those wierd dreams altogether and skip those kind of tv shows :)  You're going to have some amount of anxiety throughout pregnancy anyway - who doesn't?  But might as well not feed into it by watching stuff like that for now...

     

    This .... i could not have said it better.  I stopped watching "I didnt know I was pregnant" the minute I knew I was pregbant.  Otherwise its gonna be a worrysome 9 months....not like it already isnt 

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  • My sister was born at 28 weeks via emergency c-section due to a collapsed lung in 1985. She weighed about 2.5lbs at birth and fit in the palm of my mother's hand. She went down to 1lb10oz while in the hospital. She was in the NICU for 3 months. She has no physical health problems but does have a moderate learning disability (possibly due to anoxia). Despite the learning disability she has completed community college and university and has a great job, a bf of 5 years, and they've purchased an expensive townhouse together.

    Here are some more up to date stats:

    Length of Pregnancy Likelihood of Survival
    23 weeks 17%
    24 weeks 39%
    25 weeks 50%
    26 weeks 80%
    27 weeks 90%
    28-31 weeks 90-95%
    32-33 weeks 95%
    34+ weeks Almost as likely as a full-term baby
    Sources: March of Dimes, Quint Boenker Preemie Survival Foundation

     (Source)

  • I'm sorry you had such a scary dream, but I agree with PP's it was just a dream, and I'm sure the odds of it happening to you are slim.  However I also agree that although far from ideal a baby born at 27 weeks has a pretty good shot at surviving and living a normal life.

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  • (disclaimer) I'm not basing this off statistics or anything official. There are 3 women from the July board who had their LO's at around 24 weeks, and atleast two of the mommies babies are still thriving from what I have last heard, I haven't heard anything really from the third lady but they are all understandably pre-occupied at the moment. The technology and medicines they have now have given babies a tremendous boost to their chances of survival, atleast in comparison to 5-10 years ago. 
  • The odds are really good, thanks to modern technology (and the previous poster posted it was 90%). My nephew was born at 28 weeks. He's perfectly healthy today with no health issues at all. He wears glasses, but so do his parents. :) Try not to worry about this. This lady most likely went into premature labor thanks to having no prenatal care. You obviously know you're pregnant and are going to your appointments. You'll be fine :) *hugs*
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  • I am a first time mom and by no means a medical expert, BUT from personal experience, my DH and I have a friend who was a few weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy and had to deliver at 26 weeks due to high blood pressure. The baby weighed 1 lb 4 oz at that time. She is now 4 lbs 14 oz and continuing to gain.
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  • Yikes, what a scary dream!! My co-worker had her baby at 27 weeks due to pre-e. Little Sanaya is 2 1/2 happy and healthy. She was in the NICU for several weeks, and I think might have gone home around what would have been 35 weeks, but she was lucky. 
  • Have you guys ever read the book "Half Baked?" It's a memoir about a girl who delivered a micro-preemie, and it is really a pretty good book (even for those who are further along!!) I highly recommend it.
  • imageKatieWill2006:

    Methinks you need to stop watching those "I didn't know I was pregnant" shows...  Yes most babies are considered viable at 27 weeks, but I'm not going to lie - would be in the NICU for a considerable length of time and face the possibility of many different types of complications. 

    Avoid those wierd dreams altogether and skip those kind of tv shows :)  You're going to have some amount of anxiety throughout pregnancy anyway - who doesn't?  But might as well not feed into it by watching stuff like that for now...

    Thank you for replying, I do appreciate your suggestion. But as you can see from my original question, I do not watch "those shows". I was watching the news and for some reason, the story stuck with me. I have also heard that its not uncommon to have weird dreams like this, so I am relieved :). I hope they go away soon!

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