eeek 30 wks is too soon for a baby!!

timmylulu

Hey ladies, I was wondering how many of you know of 30-31 week babies and how they are health wise. ?How were they in the NICU? ?Developmentally how are they?I have a history of PTL and lost a baby at 21 wks last year so the drs are watching me really closely. ?Long story short my cervix was ?a little shorter at last week's u/s and I am now on temporary BR. ?I just had an appt and I was hooked up to the monitor and am having contractions that I can't feel 15 mins apart. ?I also and dilated about 1cm and my cervix is soft. ?Any pearls of wisdom??

Mrs. Destructo

My twins were born at 30w2d. I won't lie - being in the NICU was pretty rough. However, 30 weekers have a pretty good prognosis, as far as preemies go. The head neonatologist in our NICU told me that my kids faced a 95% survival rate right before they were born.

Our NICU stay was uneventful, as in no surgeries, no infections. My kids are 21 months old now, and doing GREAT. They are both a little speech delayed but RAPIDLY catching up, and one of them takes one medicine every day as a precaution (long story, not worth telling, but definitely not something to worry about). Otherwise they are completely healthy, happy, and all around normal, typical kids.

If your baby does come early, please head over to the preemie board. There are tons of amazing, supportive women there, who can answer any and every question you may have. 

Good luck, and I hope your little one keeps on cooking for many, many more weeks

Ramella

I hope all goes well with your BR. ?I was put on bed rest for cervical incompetency (short, badly funneling cervix, dilated 1cm) at 23 weeks. ?It was too late for me to get a cerclage at 23/25 weeks, and also because I only had 1cm of cervix left at that time. ?It's been strict bed rest for me - only bathroom, shower and doc appointments allowed. ?I'm now 36wks4d. ?I also had weekly, sometimes, twice weekly appointments, and twice weekly NST appointments. ?Contractions were controlled by prescription terbutaline, 3mg 3x/day and 1600mg magnesium 2xper day. ?The 1cm of cervix left went 0.5 to 1.5 cm during that past 13 weeks and doc said that thankfully it was not so soft. ?

Since you are measuring short, and soft and already contracting, have they put you on meds? ?If they haven't I really do believe it helps. ?I hate terbutaline because it makes you palpitate and shaky, and magnesium makes you loopy and almost frantic (a nervous feeling), but it does help to keep the contractions away (everyone's side effects can vary).

I have known of a friend of a friend who had a baby at 29 weeks, and the baby is fine. ?Spent months in the NICU, but it was a rough patch to be without their baby home for that long. ?There are also ladies here on the boards who have had babies as early as 27 weeks and their babies are fine (see Mrsjrmiller). ?

Good luck with your bed rest! ?I do believe that my meds and following docs orders to the letter really helped get me this far. ?I took nothing for granted. ?Now, I'm in the waiting game and baby is fine (actually measures big for his gestation age - 8 lbs last week). ?Doc thinks that he's big because he's not competing for energy to develop since I have literally been resting these last 14 weeks. Take care of you and please keep us updated!

timmylulu

I have been getting p17 shots since 16 wks, but haven't been put on anything else at this point. ?Luckily my baby is measuring (I know it isn't exact) at over 4lbs already.

mrsjrmiller

Hey!  I had a 27 weeker who is doing great. He spent 66 days in the NICU. Like the previous post, NICU life is tough - hardest thing I have ever gone through - but in the end i brought home a happy, healthy baby boy. I am glad that Ramella responded as I hope you feel encouraged by her story and how long she made it! 

If you are looking for more success stories post on the preemie boards. Everyone is wonderful over there and there will be lots of ladies who can share their experiences. Best of luck to you. I hope that you have several more weeks of pregnancy!

 

brettszy

I had my son at 31 weeks and he is now 3 1/2 years old and doing wonderful! He was in the NICU for 6 weeks and as you can imagine it was heartbreaking to leave the hospital without him. It was probably the longest 6 weeks of my life but now seems like a distant memory. His stay was also uneventful. He weighed 4 pounds at birth. His main problem was figuring out how to eat. He was on a feeding tube right up until the end. Now you would never know that he was a preemie. Totally on track with his peers both physically and mentally. Good luck!

dmblack

You might want to post this on the preemies board as well.  There are lots of ladies in the 30-34 week time frame.

My DD was born at 26w3d and she is now a healthy 3 year old.