Intro....and question

cara-n-steve

Hi ladies.  I was wondering if anyone can give me any hope.  I'm 28 weeks pregnant with twins.  At my Ob appointment yesterday the Dr. said I was 1cm dilated and had soft membranes.  She sent me right to the hospital.  I was having contractions 3 minutes apart.  They've gotten them to slow down, but not stop.  At first the thought I would go home tonight after my second steroid shot, but I'm really not hopeful that they will.  They have level IV NICU here, which is why we picked this hospital.  Does anyone have any stories of their babies being born at 28 weeks.  I could really used some right now.  I'm a mess.

Natalie_may

I'm so sorry to hear you are having a rough time. I was sent in dilated to a one and 70% effaced at 24 weeks. A combination of very strict bed rest and medication let me keep them cooking until 27 weeks 3 days. During those three weeks I had drs who thought I should go home, and drs and especially nurses that thought I should stay. That disconnect was one of the hardest things to deal with. I spoke up for myself and stayed, I knew somethi g was very not right. I delivered 2 weeks ago and both boys are in the nicu, there have been some setbacks with their health but long- term they will be just fine.

. Make sure you advocate for yourself and those babies, if something doesn't feel right don't let anyone try to push you home, I bought an extra week when they were able to stop my first true bout of ptl, would not have been possible if I were at home. Have your dh tour the nicu, our hospital was very accommodating, let him see the unit, see the machines and monitors and have it all explained. Ask to speak to a neonatologist who can go through with you about exactly what to expect and what the babies' care will look like, I spoke to two and it really helped.

Good luck and remember that twins are hard, you did an amazing job keeping them in as long as you have!

cara-n-steve

Thank you for sharing your story with me.  That's a great idea to have DH check out the NICU and ask to speak to the Dr's there.  I think they're going to do an FFN today, hopefully it comes back negative.  I'll keep you posted and will be thinking about your boys!

OscarQ

Sorry to see you over here - I remember you from PGIF.  No advice on babies born at 28 weeks but my 26 weeker is hanging in there.  We met with one of the NICU neonatologists the day after I was admitted for severe pre-e and he walked us through survival stats for each week (I was 25 weeks when admitted) and common complications/issues babies encounter for each week of gestation.

We also had an educator give us an overview of how the delivery could possibly go (we hadn't taken any classes yet) and that was really helpful.  She walked us through the different anesthesia methods, what would happen in an emergency vs a scheduled c-section as well as the different incision methods.

I wish you lots of luck!  My goal was to make it to 28 weeks so please take some reassurance that you are already there - even though I know that is probably no comfort to you at the moment. 

At1stsight

My DS was much older, but I know many many women of babies under 28 weeks that are doing great now. (And two different moms of 27w babies in our circle just came home this past week from the NICU after 86 and 87 days respectively.) The steroid shots are great and really helpful. There are health concerns and challenges both immediately when they're born and as they grow up, but they can be very happy and healthy kids.

I had no warning or time to prepare for a preemie, and here are a few things I wish I had known. First, you may only get to see them for a second after they are born. You may not get to see them at all if they're doing an emergency c-section. Other people may see your babies before you; if this is a major concern to you, be explicit with DH and hospital staff now. They will likely be taken to the NICU while you're still finishing delivery/starting recovery. I sent DH with DS when they need to go, so I was completely alone (not including hospital staff) for about an hour. It was the loneliest hour of my life.

Once in the NICU, be very proactive and ask about their schedule. Usually they do care times every 3 hrs where they will change diapers, reposition the babies, take temperatures, etc. You can do just about ALL of these things - just speak up and ask if the nurse doesn't ask you if you want to. Ask about when you'll be able to do kangaroo care and hold your babies. I wasn't able to hold DS until day 5, but I was able to touch him and participate in care times.

My discharge day from the hospital was the worst day of my life. No one but moms of preemies will really understand how heartwrenching it is to leave the hospital with an empty belly and empty arms. People will say stupid stuff even if they mean well ("oh you'll be able to get some sleep at least" "oh you're so lucky you didn't have to push out a 10 lb baby" "you didn't have to deal with 3rd tri, lucky!").

But the good news is that you've cooked to 28 weeks already, and you could go several more weeks. I pray that you do and even make it all the way to FT. You'll really cherish every moment and every milestone after this experience. :hugs: Hang in there!

here4u

Hi fellow SAIF'er.  I'm so sorry your in the hospital   The steroid shots make a world of difference and in combo with the strict bedrest it does help.  I was admitted to the hospital at just barely 26w and 1-2cm dilated, and this was after a month of modified bedrest at home.  I lasted a week and 1/2 more at the hospital on strict bedrest, (read: bedpan status, yuck!) and delivered at 27w3d after labor stopping attempts weren't working.  I really hope you can last a few more weeks, 32w is an optimal goal.  Thinking of you!

FutureMrsDenman

DD was born at 28 weeks exactly but was measuring behind (she was 1 lb 11 oz at birth and 12.25 in long).  I barely got both steroid shots in before the delivered her by emergency c-section.  Anyway ... she was in the NICU for 88 days with typical preemie issues and came home 2 days before her due date.  She is now 3+ years old and is doing incredibly well. 

She has no lingering issues from her prematurity that we are aware of.  Unless you count the fact that she is 3 years old and won't/can't jump yet - LOL.  She is smart, super social, has a great sense of humor, she is a problem solver, and she is very independent (despite or maybe because of - all the hovering I did as a preemie Mom - LOL).  She loves story time and Little Gym classes and trying to keep up with big kids at local kids attractions, and she is a talker (constant ... sentences, paragraphs) and singer (she loves to sing songs she knows and make up brand new songs to tunes she remembers).  I hope you are reassured that such an early birth can be overcome and that our little ones ... even some of the littlest ... can thrive.

The NICU was a rollercoaster, but we have a relatively easy ride compared to some.  I won't say that means a whole lot when you are going through it though ... every milestone is a hard-won victory and the setbacks can be devastating even when they are small.  But you will find out that you are so incredibly strong in the process.  And we will definitely be here with shoulders to lean on and ears to listen and advice suggestion to give if and when you need us.

Also ... check out the book Preemies:  The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies if you haven't seen it yet.  Read only the parts that pertain to you, because it covers a huge range of preemie issues that may never ever apply to your kiddos.  It is a great resource though and helps explain things and put them in perspective.  It also gives you an idea of things you can expect and things you'll want to ask the doctors and nurses about along the way.

Good luck!!!

kaylaaimee

I'm very sorry!

It's great that they caught it and that you had the steroid shots.

My little one was born at 25 weeks and I've seen a couple sets of twins come thru the NICU at 28-30 weeks. 

Request a NICU dr to come talk to you- our hospital sent the NICU dr and a labor specialist to talk to us and that helped us know what to expect. It's totally reasonable that you could keep the babies in longer. But if not, then know that you are at a place where people can take excellent care of your babies, a level IV NICU is a very good NICU.

I would fight to be allowed to stay on bedrest in the hospital. My doctors advocated for me to stay both after PTL started and after delivery. Make sure you doctors know about your emotional needs too, don't be afraid to tell them your fears, it is their job to help you in that area also.

Also, in addition to the big Preemie book mentioned, I really liked the Dr. Sears Premature Baby Book b/c it covered what the NICU is like and many emotional aspects of having a preemie.

I was also hoping to make it to 28 weeks so know that everyone kept telling me that the stats go WAY up in favor of the baby once you hit 28 weeks and your babies are already there. I know there is little comfort in that, but take a little comfort wherever you can  

I'll be praying for you and your little ones. Pls know we're here for you and feel free to ask as many questions as you need, I wish I'd had known other people in this situation when I was first going thru it.

cara-n-steve

Thank you for all your support and suggestions.  I'll be sure to have DH go get those books for me.  I'll keep you all updated.  The Dr. should be here in about an hour. I'm just so stressed out