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Success after IF
schmoodle
member
Preemie Moms - When was your LO(s) born and how did they do?
schmoodle
member
I'm really freaking out the last couple days and worrying that I'm going to go into labor any second based on my cervical measurement on Monday (estimate since it was done via my OB checking manually, not u/s, but only about 1.5cm; normal is 3+). I'll be 28 weeks Saturday, which is my first goal, and then 32 weeks, then 35, and so on. Honestly, while I know there are still potential issues, 35 is when things stop sounding terrifying to me. I'm on "couchrest" indefinitely, but otherwise not much we can do, it's too late for a cerclage and I'm not really contracting (maybe 1-2 a day) so tocolytics wouldn't really be useful. If I do start actively contracting I would be sent to the hospital for them and steroids, etc.
Just curious how babies born at varying gestations between 28 and 37 weeks (our goal and likely induction if we make it that far) did, how long they were in NICU, long term issues, etc. And obviously not all babies born in that time frame survive, but for now, I don't think I need to hear those stories (and can't think of any off the top of my head from this group).
*** It's funny because I'm fat ***
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Preemie Moms - When was your LO(s) born and how did they do?
K was born at 37 weeks and while many docs consider that full term and most babies born at that time do fine, K had some issues that the docs later attributed to being born too early.
Since that's at the tail end of your timeframe do you want to hear about her issues?
No, that's ok - if we make it that far my induction would actually be 37w4d which is only 3 days before our son was born, and we would have verified her lungs are mature, so at that point I'm pretty comfortable with and aware of the potential risks.
Well my boys were born at 29 weeks and hope your daughter isn't born anywhere near that BUT just in case.....I did have the steriod shots a weekbefore..are you getting them just in case? I think it makes differenc
They had two very different NICU stay-Carter was the "bigger one" at 3.6 lbs. Basice preemie stuf- on cpap for only 2 days and other then that learning to eat and grow with the usual stuff-some bradycardia and apnea in there but nothing seriouis. Home in 6 weeks-3 weeks before due date.
Do you want to hear about Dylan??
SMaler one at 2.14. Had some seroius heart problems although until this day dont' really know what it iwas-suspected just an immature system. Had severe bradycardias where hsi heart rate dropped so low he had to recistated on many occasions. Came home after 3 months - a few weeks after his due date and came home on a monitor for 3 months.
Today they are 26 months and doing GREAT. We had a tough tough road in the very begining. Dylan had some kind of weird seizure that was thought could have been infantile spasms but turned out to really be nothing. They were late (dylan espeically) in some gross motor-didn't roll over unitl until 10 months but walked at 15 (actual) Late in some speech development (carter) but dont' necessarily thing that's a preemie thing. But after some therapy they are both pretty much caught up in everything including size. THey don't look anysmalled than any other 2 year olds I know. You would never know they were preemies now but it can be a tough road at times. I am so glad they healthy and everythign turned otu ok and I'm sure it will for you too
I know you don't want the "stop worrying, everything will be fine" speech. So I wont' give it to you ;-P
That being said, whenever I think about preemies and all the things that can go wrong, I think of lil Hercules, Andrew. (Kristin's little one) Born 2 days shy of VIABILITY that kid has reached normal milestones, seems to have NO issues, and just flat ROCKED OUT being a preemie. I continue to be utterly STUNNED and AMAZED by that kid, I'm sure K can pipe in more about his journey.
After 7 years trying to concieve, 3 failed IUIs and 2 failed IVFs, my third IVF was a success!
My Christmas baby turned into a turkey bird! Dillon Richard was born at 34 weeks, 5 days on November 28, 2009 after 10 weeks on bedrest for preeclampsia.
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v705/arriinthere/PJ/?action=view
DD was born at 36 weeks exactly and had no nicu time. Her lungs were mature so we got lucky. She was small and had some feeding issues but over all healthy.
I just read that in my area they just did a study about treating women with shortening cervix with progesterone gel. They had alot of sucess.
Thanks! I am already on P17 (Progesterone) shots to prevent PTL which I think is the same concept, but different administration.
I've had two 34-weekers. With my first DD my water broke, with my 2nd I was dilated to 4-5 cm., detected when I had some bleeding and went in for a check.
Both of my girls did fabulous. My first came out crying and didn't even need to go to the NICU. She came home with us and other than feeding issues (she wasn't developmentally ready to nurse so I had to EP and bottle feed for 6 weeks) she did great. There are NO long-term issues for her - other than hitting some of her first-year milestones toward the later end of "normal" - she was still on target according to her adjusted age. Today she is an extremely precocious, verbal 3-year old.
My second DD did need to go to the NICU b/c she wasn't breathing as well as they wanted - she was sort of lazy unless they were agitating her. She was on a CPAP for about 18 hours (through the first night) but came off it and didn't have any rebound issues (which happens frequently). They talked about a feeding tube but she never needed that either. She was in the NICU for 5 days - which for our hospital is pretty short, considering they wanted her bilirubin to reverse and for her weight loss to slow/reverse before discharge. Initially we were told she could have a 2 WEEK stay, so 5 days was pretty miraculous - it was like she heard them tell us she needed to start gaining and by the next morning she was up 50 grams. She also had the feeding issues and we just EP and bottle fed for 7 weeks until she was able to nurse. Developmentally she is progressing fine - very similar to her sister.
Both of my girls had/have reflux issues - likely a complication of their prematurity and the development of their digestive systems. But it hasn't affected their ability to gain weight and is controlled with medication.
Fingers crossed that you keep that baby cooking as long as possible!
Gwen was about 33 weeks, and was in NICU for a little over 2 weeks. She was breathing on her own, and needed no support with that. She also had been given steriods. She was a feeder/grower and weighed 4lbs 10 oz.
Nolan was around 35 weeks, and he was 6 lbs 10 oz, no issues at all, and came home with us!
Hold tight!
how long they were in NICU:
H was there for 19 days, she was on CPAP for the first two days (even though I got both rounds of steroids), but the rest of the time she was just a feeder and grower. She did have some apnea scares and was sent home on a monitor that she wore for 6 weeks.
E was there for 33 days. He didn't have any breathing issues. His main problems were digestive, which ended up being diagnosed as a milk-protein allergy and he was sent home on Neocate.
long term issues:
We did have to adjust their age in regards to milestones up until they were about 10 months old. Now they are right on track for their actual age. E has visual issues, but we have been assured that they are not related to prematurity, but are genetic.
Ellie had a 0/8 on her BPP when I went to the hospital after my water broke. We were rushed into the OR for an emergency C-section and she stunned everyone with how well she did. She was perfect and healthy, but tiny. IUGR at 3lb12oz at 33w6d, but she never needed oxygen support (ETA: We didn't have time for steroid shots). She spent 16 days in the NICU for jaundice, temp regulation, and feeding. She came home at 3lb14oz and didn't have her first cold until after her 1st birthday. We did have a tough time getting her to gain weight, but discovered that was primarily due to a BM supply issue. We switched her to formula and have had no problems since.
Someone said this to me once and it does seem to hold true - every extra week in the womb saves 2 weeks in the NICU.
My twins were born at 28w1d, and overall they did really well. Sure we had our ups and downs (having to go back on vents for a couple of days after not doing so hot on nasal canula, that sort of thing) and they both had heart surgery at a week and a half old. We had a few feeding issues, but ultimately, they did amazing. The only "problems" we"ve had after they came home was some serious reflux with Bailey, and Reagan is still a peanut (19 pounds at 29 months), but they meet all of their developmental milestones on time and are really thriving.
First of all, I think I had a cervix in the 1.5-1.9cm-ish range at 29 weeks and it was dynamic (It was changing while I was having contractions I didn't know about). That being said, I didn't deliver until 35w6d, and that was because the peris were worried about growth in Baby B and not because I went into labor. I have faitht that you're going to be pregnant for quite a while longer!!
So, DDs were born at 35w6d and were 5lbs14oz and 4lbs12oz. The were in the NICU for 6 and 5 nights, respectively, mainly as feeders and growers. My larger DD was actually sent to the regular nursery, but had some minor respiratory problems and was sent to NICU. My smaller DD was automatically sent to the NICU because she was under 5 lbs. My larger DD had a couple apnea spells so was sent home on an apnea monitor. They both took until 39 weeks to really "get" breastfeeding (I was trying to BF before that and supplementing with bottles...after that they probably could have EBF if I had the supply, but I didn't, so completely different issue). No other issues and they've both been pretty healthy (knock on wood). One DD tends to get a little wheezy with colds, but she's never needed neb treatments. I think it's more genetic than related to when they were born though (DH had asthma as a kid).
***Twin fraternal girls born at 35w6d in 12/2008***
Here's what the neonatologists basically told us. Bring them a baby with a 3 in it, so get to 30 weeks. Any child born before that could have any number of issues, and some thrive, some don't. 32 weeks is very good, and at 34 weeks potential long term issues are a moot point. At 36 weeks, NICU time is usually quite limited.
DD was born at 36 weeks, no NICU time.
Brady was born @ 34w5d. He was 5 lb. 7 oz. His main problem was that his lungs weren't quite ready, so he was on additional oxygent the first few days. He was fed through a feeding tube exclusively the first 3 days, then they let me start breast feeding him. We slowing increased the # of oral feedings. He also had a slight infection in his lungs and was on a 10 day course of antibiotics. The last hurdle we had to conquer before we could take him home was him being able to keep his body temp up on his own. All total, he was in the NICU for 2.5 weeks. The great thing about our situation is that he made improvements and gained weight almost every day.
He caught up quickly in the growth dept. By his 6 month visit, he was at the 50th percentile for weight and almost 75th for height.
Good luck! I hope that baby stays put for a while!
Eli was born at 32w5days. He weighed 4lbs. I had severe pre-e and hellp. I started presenting with problems around 29 weeks.
He spent 21 days in the NICU. Of course we were terrified at first, but they did and extensive work up on him, and all looked well. Mostly he needed to feed and grow. The whole suck swallow thing was a hard concept for him to grasp.
He has continued to have feeding issues, and he's always been behind his peers growth wise. But that's about it. He's otherwise a happy, healthy wonderful young boy.
Hang in there Kathy. I know how stressful this can be.
Baby A (my daughter) was born at 3 lbs. She was on CPAP for less than 24 hours. She had jaundice but aside from that was basically a 'feeder and grower.' She was in the NICU for 33 days.
Baby B (my son) was born at 4lbs 6 oz. He was on a ventilator for less than 24 hours and then was on room air. He also had jaundice but was also just a feeder and grower. He was in the NICU for 26 days.
They are five months old and aside from my daughter being a peanut (9.5 lbs at 4 months) they have no issues.
IVF #1-4=BFN IVF #5=BFP! U/S on 5/3 revealed TWINS!
Well it seems like you have gotten a tone of information all ready. But I thought that I would give my two cents as well.
DS was born at 37wks 3d. So not considered a preemie but he did spend 12 days in the NICU. I had a super quick labor..Only about 5 hours total and was huge but when I delivered Jake was only 3lbs 11 ounces.. I hadn't had an ultra sound since 30 weeks and at that point everything was fine and his growth was on point.
At some point after that my placenta stopped giving J what he needed. When I pushed out my placents there were lots of clots and other dammage on there that wasn't ditected earlier. It was deteremed as IUGR.
Jake was born totally heatlhy other then being SUPER small. He spent 12 days in the NICU to basically grow. He was on a ventitlator for less then 24 hours and then put on room air. He also had jaundice and was on the billy blanket. He was in a full incubater for about 6 days I think and then moved to his own room and to an open air crib. He was basically on there to feed and grow..When we left he was like 5lbs 5ounces..
Other then Jake still being small and he acutally isn't really small anymore. At his 8mth apt last Thrusday he was 15lbs 9 ounces! He is long and lean just like his daddy! We also had some terrible acid reflux when he was little but that isn't related to him being in the NICU. We do, do some at home PT because of his semi flat head and because he was evaluated and was abt a month behind, but is catching up.
Hope this helps.
I don't have a personal anecdote, but I have two secondhand ones.
My friend delivered her IVF twins at 33 weeks. Her son was around 5 pounds and her daughter was around 3. Her son came home from NICU after a couple of weeks, I think, while her daughter had to stay a bit longer. When her daughter was released, it was with a monitor for apnea, which she had for a while after that. Now, though, they are 17 months old and seem to be right on track. And big, too -- my little 1 year old 18 1/2 pound peanut makes them look like giants!
My other story is of my boss's son, who is now a junior in high school. He was born at 31 weeks due to placental abruption (severe hemorraging in the middle of the night, ambulance ride to the hospital, emergency C-section -- scary stuff). I don't know too much about his NICU time, other than that there was some, and that he went home with a monitor. What I do know is that now, he is a freakishly perfect, "Gattaca"-like kid. Seriously. He is at the top of the class academically at his shmancy private school, and given that my boss just got back from taking him on a tour of Ivy League colleges and other fancy schools (I think the least prestigious school was Duke, which is pretty prestigious), I'm assuming he rocked the SAT. Oh, and he's the quarterback of his high school football team, and is apparantly nationally ranked in high school football, and is being courted by colleges for that as well. So, he turned out pretty ok. And he was born 16 or so years ago, and didn't have the benefit of the advancements in neonatal medicine that I'm sure have taken place since then.
I do hope you can cook Boodle for as long as possible, but I hope everyone's stories lift your spirits as well.
My girls were born at 34w3d and I never got the steroid shot. They were on room air in the Level II NICU for 11 days, just learning to regulate temperature, eat, etc. No problems stemming from their prematurity at all. They were 4 lbs., 15 oz. and 4 lbs., 5 oz.
I hope you go a long while yet. Everything will be okay.
CJ was born just @ 32 weeks...due Jan 19...I woke up on the Wed before Thanksgiving with some spotting...all had been great (insulin due to diabetes) was in the hospital all day sent home on strict bedrest..went to peri apt on Friday was having contracts 7 in 30 min( I felt nothing). Admited to hospital given mag etc and was there until Mon...sent home and 5 hours later my water broke. I had not even been "checked out" in the computer of the hospital.
CJ was born Friday @ 5 after being in labor all day. They had stopped labor 2 times during the week. 5lbs12 oz, 19 in...
He was in the NICU for 22 days and sent home on Christmas eve. Most of the same preemie problems listed, couldnt suck breath swallow, apnea, feeding tube for a few days, home one monitor 3 months with a few follow up apts with pedi lung dr...NEVER thought it wouldnt be ok.
Today blowing everyone away! 34 lbs and 37 in tall ( I am 4'11") He is getting tonsilsadnoids out and tubes on the 25th but I do not think that is related.