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Preemies
AlwaysSunny925
member
Silly question and update on my boys
AlwaysSunny925
member
in Preemies
Hi ladies -
I know this is a silly question but here goes. Once a preemie is born, are gestational milestones still important? When I was on bedrest, my OB said my first goal was to get to 28 weeks, then to 32, then to 36. Unfortunately, I only made it to 25 weeks. The boys will be 28 weeks on Friday and I am wondering if that is as important of a goal as it was when they were still inside me.
On a side note the boys look good today. Ryan is on CPAP and off photo therapy. He is getting some breastmilk again after they had to stop since he was spitting up some green stuff (bile?). He is back at his birth weight and according to the doctor his mobility indicates he is doing well. He is getting another brain scan this week to see how his brain bleed is doing. Last they checked he had a grade 3 and a grade 4. Hoping for the best.
Aiden is also off photo therapy but is still on the oscillator for breathing. He has an infection for which he has been treated with antibiotics and we hope it clears up soon. He has been consistently getting breastmilk and is up to 3mL per feed. He opened his left eye today while we were visiting. That was so nice to see. He also has a grade 3 and 4 brain bleed that will be checked this week. Keeping our fingers crossed.
Babies are two weeks old today. I love them to pieces.
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Re: Silly question and update on my boys
first off CONGRATS! and welcome! your in for many ups and downs! i dont have a answer to your ? but youve come to the right place, there are many women here that should have an answer for you!
tho i have had issues with my lo about the bleeds and the infection! so if you have any ?s feel free to ask! or if you just need to vent!
you've come to the right place! cant wait to see how big your boys get over the next year! again congrats!
Not a silly question at all - YES, I think they matter, but in a different way then before. Every day, every week they grow bigger and hopefully are one step closer to coming home. I watched the weeks like a hawk. I remember in our NICU they had a 2::1 ratio of baby::nurse when the babies were below 30 weeks. I remember it was a joyous day for me when LO hit 30 weeks and his ratio changed to 3::1. It represented progress!!!
Happy two weeks to your boys - I'm glad it was a good day for both of them. Great news about Ryan on CPAP, and I hope Aiden comes off the oscillator soon and gets over his infection. How are you doing? I remember how exhausted I was at that point. Hope you are recovering ok from the birth. Lots of thoughts and prayers to all of you.
Speaking as a preemie parent (not a doctor) I would say that its not as important.. reason being that your babies are no longer getting the full benefit of gestating in your womb with breathing and eating being done for them.. a 28 week gestation baby born at 25 weeks will be a bit behind a baby born at 28 weeks because the 25 weeker would have had to expend energy to eat/breathe/poop for 3 weeks with a system that is less developed.
That being said, every day/week that they get bigger and stronger is a step towards recovery and coming home.
Being on CPAP is a great development. Hope Aiden gets off the oscillator soon.
Common Pregnancy Wisdom says that every day gestating inside the womb is worth two days in the NICU. Take it with a grain of salt (I think that's what doctors and nurses say to make bed rest more bearable). Being on CPAP is a huge step, coming off photo therapy is another positive.
Like you, my goal was to get to 28 weeks. I made it to 26 weeks, 4 days. And then I wondered the same thing. But after the first few weeks in the hospital I went by other signs to see progress, like on of the PP's said - what was his nurse ratio. The first three weeks Kevin had a dedicated nurse 24/7. 1:1 ratio. I remember being shocked when I realized the nurse was caring for another baby. But that's huge progress!
Fingers crossed that the scan has good results for you!
First, it sounds like they boys are making progress! So glad to hear that Ryan is on CPAP and they are both off the lights. Isn't it nice when they don't have to wear those "sunglasses" anymore?
We still celebrated milestone weeks even if they don't matter quite as much once the baby is born. 30 weeks always seemed like a big deal to me so we celebrated that one. Then at 34 weeks babies start to learn the suck-swallow-breathe reflex (though Cora didn't really get it until more like 36 weeks) so we celebrated that as well.
Otherwise we celebrated every weight gain, every time she had fewer As and Bs or desats, every line that was removed.....lots of little milestones.
I hope today is another good day for you and your boys!
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
For us, every week was a celebration because they were one week closer to their due date and one week closer to coming home. Celebrate the small things.
Best of luck for this week's head u/s. I have no advice or insight, but I'm hoping this week's scan shows improvement for both of your LOs.