Delivered at 23.5 weeks-HELLP

agray13

Last week I was diagnosed with HELLP and had to have a c-section.  I was only 23.5 weeks along.  Ava weighed 445 grams and measured at 10.8 in.  She's now at 470 grams and 11 in.

So far she is doing "good" considering everything.  They are using ibuprofen to close her PDA and if that doesn't work they will do the surgert next week.  She had a brain bleed of 1, but that has improved.

Has anyone delivered this early and if so what has your experience been like?  Of course the doctors don't want us to get our hopes up, but I really could use some inspiration right about now.

TIA!

preemieparent

Congrats on your little one!  It sounds like she is a fighter.

My daughter was born at 24 weeks and 3 days but she only weighed 420 grams.   She did have to have the PDA surgery - it turned out fine.   Olivia also had a level 1 brain bleed on one side - it ended up resolving itself.

Olivia's biggest issue is her lungs.  She was on the ventilator for 3 1/2 months.   She's now 2 3/4 and recently has been able to be off of oxygen during the day.    Her second issue was eating.  When she could finally eat from a bottle she would get so tired that she couldn't finish.   She also had reflux so she got a feeding tube and a surgery to help stop the reflux.

As I'm sure you've already learned, the NICU is a roller coaster.   There are a lot of ups and downs.   Just try and take one day at at time.

My blog (www.preemieparenting.blogspot.com) has a lot of information about being in the NICU.   I Hope some of it helps.

Feel free to email me if you want to talk about anything or ask questions: lifeinthenicu@gmail.com

 Take care,

Debbie