34 week NICU?

Aa+C

hello! new to this board and have a question....

 So I'm wondering, what is the likely outcome for my baby if he's born in the next couple days?  at 34+ weeks, At my 32 week U/S he measured at 6.5 lbs....

a little back story : with DD I was induced at 37 weeks due to pre-ecplampsia, she was perfectly healthy! I was not on steroids at all for her.

After she was born I was diagnosed with severe PPD which was later found to be a side effect if the Fibromyalgia I was diagnosed with a few months later.  Between medications and alternative therapies I have things mostly under control.

So now, I'm 34 weeks pregnant with DS. I have been measuring 1-2 weeks ahead for a while and at my 32 week U/S he measured at about 6.5 lbs. SO he's NOT a little guy!

I've been having a quite a few contractions pretty intense contractions for the past couple days but they haven't been regular time wise? my dr told me to call if  had more then 10 in an hour, which I have not but I think that's where I'm heading......

So I'm wondering, what is the likely outcome for my baby if he's born in the next couple days?  at 34+ weeks, At my 32 week U/S he measured at 6.5 lbs....

SBBBE

Not an expert by any means but here is what I remember from the NICU stay from my twins.  I remember the nurses in the NICU saying it wasn't about the babies weight it was more about when the baby was born.  There were a few babies near by kids that were born at 5 or 6 pounds around 34 weeks and 35 weeks.  Their NICU stays for the most part weren't more than a couple of weeks and they all seemed fairly uneventful.  Just the typical desats, occasional brady and feeding and growing issues.  While all of these things sound scary they should grow out of it before you know it at that age.  I am assuming they gave you the lung shots which will really help??

 I just had a friend with a baby born at 35 and a half weeks and her baby was in the NICU  for 9 days.  He has been home for two months now and is doing great.   

I wouldn't hesitate to go to labor and delivery despite your doctors orders in the chance there is something they can do to stop labor.  Again no expert . . . I just learned from my experience I should have questioned my doctors more.  

 

GL!   

rslhmg

It's hard to give you an answer for this because there are so many factors to consider aside from weight. DD was a 32wkr but there were a few 34 wkrs in our nicu. I think we only saw one in the most intensive ward and her parents said she was born with brittle bone so she had a lot more complications then the ones we saw in the 3rd ward we were in for feeders growers. The last ward is where all the other 34 wkrs were and majority were just there learning to eat, a few had
some breathing issues, and reflux seemed to be an issue with all the 34wkr parents I met. Hoping you have a short, uneventful nicu stay if you do go at 34 wks. Hopefully labor and delivery can give you something to keep Lo cooking longer.

Jeep Doll

Hope your baby stays in you as much time as possible!  My twins were born at 34w 3d at 4lb 5oz and 4lb 11oz.  Like the pp said, I don't think the weight has much to do with whether they need intensive NICU or not, more of their development.   I did not have steroid shots as we were not expecting PTL.  One was just a feeder and grower and needed the bililights for a day.  She was in NICU for 19 days basically learning to coordinate breathing and eating.  The other was on IV and CPAP for 4 days and bililights for 2 days and she was the heavier one of the two.  She was in NICU for 21 days.

LnR70707

Obviously you can get a huge variance of NICU stay with late term preemies, but DS was born at 34w6days weighing 6.7lbs and was in the NICU 6 days.  Because I went into PTL at 34w4days, they couldn't just give the steroids shots, so I opted for a medical study that either gave me the shots or a placebo.  The study is still ongoing to the best of my knowledge, but I'm guessing we got the steriods (unless they came up with a placebo that hurt and stung for the same period of time after the shot).  Originally they thought DS could go to the special care nursery, but his blood sugar wouldn't stabilize so he needed an IV for a few days, then the bilirubin lights, and finally they held him an extra day to monitor weight loss.   Other than a rough road with breastfeeding (ended up mostly pumping and bottle feeding because he wasn't a good nurser until 4+ months) he has had no issues.

jcsntms06

My youngest DD was born at 34w 5d she was 5lbs 5oz at birth and came out a screaming. They took her to the NICU and about an hour after I had her, I was being wheeled down to see her. She was on the cpap and was given an iv. It was later that day she started to have a's and b's. We struggled with them for almost two weeks, along with gaining weight and jaundice. She was in the NICU for 2 weeks.

She's now 10 months old and doing wonderful. It's really hard to say what will happen. I have had friends who had 35 weeks and they didn't need any NICU time and then I've had friends with 37 weekers who did. 

Praying you can hold off a few more weeks. Please keep us posted. 

ashleyr409

My son was born at 34w3d and he was 5lbs 5oz. He had fluid on his lung and he stayed in the nicu for 5 days. Hope LO stays in

chickaboo1974

My guys were born at 34 w 3 d, due to pre-e.  I did not have the steroid shots,my boys weighed 5lbs 4ozs and 5lbs 3ozs.  They had no breathing problems, no jaundice, the only issue they had was to coordinate the suck swallow breath reflex.  They spent 17 days in the NICU just to develop the ability to eat.

You do know that the u/s estimates on weight are just that estimates- they can be wrong both ways by more than a pound in some cases.

3litttlebirds

My DS was born at 33 wk 6 days (just 3 hours short of 34 wks). He weighed 3 pounds and 14 ounces. An u/s the week before had placed him at 4 pounds and 2 ounces, so keep in mind that u/s can be off (up to a pound either way, I believe). I had the steroid shots at 26 weeks. My DS was breathing on his own and had no issues other than learning to feed and growing. Although he could regulate his own body temperature, he was still placed in an incubator for most of his hospital stay as to not use his energy on regulating his temperature, but rather towards growing. He was only in the NICU the first night. By the time we went to visit him the next day he was in the Special Care Nursery. He spent a total of 16 days in the hospital. We were very fortunate that he was/is in such good health. Even though you may have a clue ahead of time that your LO will be born early, it is so hard to predict what their hospital stay will be like and how long they will be in the hospital. Also, I was told that it is not their weight that counts so much, as where they are developmentally. In other words a smaller 34 weeker would probably do better than a larger 32 weeker, for example. Good luck to you and your LOs.

BLPL101

My DD was born at 35 weeks and only weighed 5 lb 3 oz, but scored 9 on her APGAR and was never in the NICU. No jaundice, no issues at all except she doesn't latch well. Her pedi said that she doesn't know she is preterm! I know babies born after 35 weeks, weighing 6 pounds and are in the NICU. You just never know.

SheLovesMrHip

DD was born at 36 weeks and was in the NICU due to fluid on her lungs. She was 6.2 lbs and was the largest one in there..... Se almost had to stay after my discharge for other reasons but with prayers and awesome docs she was home in a week. There isnt anyway to predict the what ifs in your case, just pray for the best outcome

ladyshellie75

my baby was born 34wks and 8lbs so he had oxygen levels low and stayed in nicu three days and eight days in hospital.I had him rooming in three days but breastfeeding seemed to mess his oxygen up more.not sure why he delayed in oxygen.my last preemie had no issue born 37 wks.I can't say if he have issues but mine has acid reflux and is on zantac.wish u luck!

Imanurse03

There are lots of variables. DS was born at 35w0d, weighing 4 lbs 10.5 oz. I did receive steroids at 30 weeks because MFM thought I'd deliver that week. DS had no respiratory issues but had some hypoglycemia I'm a Type 1 diabetic and was only in the NICU for 27 hours. He was able to come home with us. He was just a peanut.