Preterm labor at 22 weeks

desiwhoaa

I'm 22 weeks and they are diagnosing me with kidney disease. They said baby is fine but there was so many things that can now happen and they have to try and keep baby girl in until 28 weeks however they said there is always the possibility of her coming early. Has anyone had their babies at or after 22 weeks or know of anyone that has and everything be ok?

tripledaggerWed95976

Sorry you are having these troubles, I'm glad to hear that your baby is doing fine right now. To answer your question, "viability" begins at 24 weeks... I don't know the exact number but I think at that 24 week mark the baby has about a 60% chance of survival. The number increases quickly in the weeks that follow. sadly, babies who come before 24 weeks often don't make it, and the ones that do will almost always be faced with major complications to overcome. The youngest surviving baby I have ever heard of was delivered at 21 weeks and 6 days. At this point You are super close to making it to that 24 week viability

SarahFoley725

@charley15 any words of advice?

GinnyJ2012

My SIL works at children's hospital in DC and sees a lot of micro preemies. Obviously the longer baby stays the better chance she has. Some micros grow and have no issues, but many do have different issues that arise. I don't have any advise for you, but I wish you all the best. What kidney disease have you been diagnosed with? That may help someone who is familiar with the situation.

Daenaria86

There is certainly hope for a healthy baby!

What a scary thing to be faced with, I am so sorry. I have an almost 3 year old and am part of a moms group where all our babies were due in March. The youngest baby of the group just celebrated her birthday. I think she was about 26 weeks pregnant. Lots of NICU time (until her original due date), but she is healthy and robust. We had several micro preemies and all of them are doing well.

My husband was born at 24 weeks in 1982 and had a 5% chance of survival - things are so much different now. Aim for 24 weeks. Prepare a plan for an early birth in case it happens. Do your homework and create a birth plan. I hope your kidney disease is easily managed, especially after giving birth.

JennyS86

I had preterm labor with my last pregnancy, and our twins were born at 26 weeks gestation.  I'm sure you are feeling scared anxious right now.  Take a deep breath and take one day at a time.  Are you in the hospital until delivery?  What is your plan for managing the kidney problems? 
Does the hospital you are delivery at have a level 3 or level 4 nicu?  These are the best nicus that will give you preemie the best chance for survival.
Once you deliver, the best thing you can do is take care of yourself so that you can be there for baby.  Sit next to his/her incubator and talk/sing to her.  Hold him/her skin-to-skin as much as possible.  If you can, pump to provide breastmilk for your preemie or use donor milk if ok's by pediatricians.  Take lots of pictures, even on bad days.  Utilize your support system and faith.  There are many ups and downs, but these peemies are so resilient - you will be amazed!

smount2011

Never lose hope.  There have been so many advancements in preterm delivery since I had mine; granted, mine was at 32 weeks.  My DD was capable of surviving, but had underdeveloped lungs.  She has asthma because of this, but is otherwise a healthy child.  I also have a friend whose baby was born at 20 weeks, was just under a pound at birth- and he is 15 now.  Obviously the longer baby stays cooking, the better her chances are for survival. 

As with what PP's said, look into the NICU at your hospital or one nearby (my hospital didn't have one so I had to be transferred to a hospital where there was one). Most NICU hospitals will allow the parents to stay in a hospital room free of charge, and will give breast feeding mothers free meals as well.  So don't ever feel like you have to leave baby alone for any period of time- you can stay there as long as you need or want to.  The most important thing is to make sure you take care of yourself so you can take care of your baby.  Like I said I'm not sure because of all the medical advancements made since 2004, but one thing that killed me the most was not being allowed to hold my baby.  I was told that touching her skin was like pins and needles to her and it was best to not even touch her.  But since then I have seen others have preemies and are capable of doing the skin-to-skin within a day or so.  And while I'm not one to push what you do as far as your baby care, but one thing I will recommend whether you planned to or not, is to  BREAST FEED your baby while she stays there!  It will more than likely involve pumping- I pumped the entire first month because DD was in the NICU, and I was told since skin-to-skin was off the table and I couldn't otherwise care for her, that was the best thing I could've done for her.  And again, hospitals have pumps available for loan while you stay there (free of charge).  I had planned to breast feed anyway but it failed miserably once she got home.  But even if you pump the whole time, your baby is getting YOUR milk, which also has nutrients that will help her grow and survive.  You may not be feeding her directly, but she is getting love she needs from you, just through another means.  For DD it meant my milk was injected through a feeding tube placed in a port through her belly button.  Eventually I got to bottle feed, then feed right from the breast. But from day 1 she had my milk.

If premature delivery is imminent, I would also speak to the doctor and other medical professionals who may be able to offer more insight on the situation.  You have the opportunity to interview NICU doctors, ob/gyns, etc to best prepare yourself now for what is to come. 

ETA:  The breast feeding isn't just for baby- its for you too.  Its so you can feel like you are caring for your baby, not just watching her fighting while feeling totally helpless that you can't do anything for her.

AdorkablePixie

A friend of mine had her baby girl super early. Doctors told her that the baby was not going to make it. She just celebrated her first birthday. The first couple of months were tough and she was in the NICU close to her actual due date, but she's doing great now.

peregrinefalconx

My cousin in law had her babies very early, one at 24 weeks and the other a little later. It was very touch and go in the beginning, but both kids are hitting their milestones and are ENORMOUS!! The 3 year old looks 6! try and stay cool!

BitxhyRestingFace

As a NICU nurse for 12 years and now a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner I can only advise that you aim to keep your baby in as long as possible. 22 weeks is NOT viable in most parts of the U.S. One PP mentioned a baby born at 20 weeks and is now 15, I will tell you this information is very highly likely to not be the correct information and I DO NOT want you to walk away from this post misinformed or given a false sense of hope. A baby is barely capable of surviving at 24 weeks which is why most places consider this the VERY VERY edge of viability. I don't want to be cruel with the information that I provide you, but I also want you to be prepared.

I recommend scheduling an appointment to speak with your Perinatologist and a Neonatologist at the hospital you plan on delivering at. You MUST deliver at a Level 3-4 NICU to give your baby the best chance possible. Know that your road will be very long and very difficult but not impossible. Babies do survive and thrive at 24 weeks gestation and each day they can spend growing inside the better their chances on the outside. You will likely face many hurtles, but take each day one at a time and listen to the doctors and nurses regarding the care and needs of your little one.

I am very sorry you are facing this.

KutiePebbles

I had a 29wker in 2014 so feel free to message if you want to chat. I have a unicornuate uterus so that is the reason for his early arrival but I have met many parents during my sons NICU time and many were 23 and 24 wkers. My delivery hospital is excellent and I now volunteer for them so I have heard some amazing stories over the past 19 months. Although it is not considered the age of viability, I recently met the mom of a 22 wker who survived and is now 3 yrs old. I did not get to hear her full story nor do I know if her daughter has lasting health issues (because at 22w you are looking at the possibility of a plethora of concerns) but I hope to get to know her better in the coming months. Having a preemie is a tough ride and honestly, it is a ride. A crazy roller coaster ride, but as a previous post said, find a level 3-4 NICU. That is a must! Best of luck to you! Keep that baby cooking!

Mrs Sweet Tea

I just read recently about a study saying that if treated a baby born at 22w has a chance. It is still a rather low chance (I forget the actual %) but there is a chance. I think the biggest thing is most places won't treat before 24w. Praying for you and your LO.

blissylissy86

@desiwhoaa any updates on this? Hope you and baby are ok!