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Preemies
Will have a Preemie :(
Hello ladies, may I join you?
First and foremost, I am thrilled to see so many Preemies on this boards healthy, doing a wonderful job of growing and some getting to go home! That's so encouraging!
I am currently 26 weeks prego, .. and will have my son here by 35 weeks, no later, due to me having Vasa Previa.
What can I expect? I will be having a C-Section, .. so when will I be able to see him if he has to make a home in the NICU? I'm new at this, I don't know what to expect and I am quite nervous. The thought of not bringing him home with me when I am discharged scares me. I am very nervous and scared.
Any advice would help! Thank you ladies! And I hope to read more great news about all the lil ones on this board!! 
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Re: Will have a Preemie :(
congrats on your baby! and im sorry you will have to have him early! but even though it will be hard it makes every little thing even that much better! when you get discharged it is hard leaving without your baby but staying in the NICU you have to tell yourself they are taking great care of him and that is the best thing. also DONT be scared to call the NICU ANYTIME! thats what they are there for!! i had my son at 31 weeks and it was difficult but such a blessing at the same time!
hope everyting goes great for you and your son!!
First congrats!
I had my second at 31 weeks and had a c-section due to a breech baby. I had her at 4:45 am. After they got her cleaned up and made sure all was okay they brought her over to me to meet her and then they took her up to the NICU with MH. While in recovery the neonatolgist and MH came down to talk to me. After recovery they took me to one room, but I had to wait for a room in maternity to be cleaned and then I was able to get to my room. I was probably not wheeled into my room until about 11:00 am. Then I just wanted to sleep as I was in the hospital on hospital bed rest for 2 weeks before she was born and the morning she was born was a very stressful morning.
We finally had some visitors and MH would bring them up to see her and I would just hang in the room. Finally after all this died down we got the nurse to get a wheelchair for me and they wheeled me up to the NICU at about 8pm. I was able to hold her and talk to the NICU nurse with no interuptions and I just felt that was the best for me. He (the nurse) answered all my questions without feeling like he was rushed to get to another parent or baby and reassured me that all was fine with my daughter.
She was perfectly healthy came out screaming and peeing and did not ever need any help breathing. She was what they called a feeder/grower and from the day she was born she never looked back.
I wish you all the best.
ETA: The day I was discharged was probably one of the hardest days of my life, but just remember that he is in great hands. I cried and cried on my way home, but I knew I had to go home as I had a 16 month old there and she needed mommy too.
I had an emergency c-section so I was under general anesthesia not just an epidural. After my c-section, I was not allowed to go down and see the babies until the next day. It was hard not to be allowed to see them right away, but I also needed time to recover. The day I was discharged was not fun...I cried hysterically the whole day at the idea I had to leave the babies in the hospital. Luckily, I had supportive family that drove me back to the hospital to visit them every day until I was given the okay to drive on my own. Like the PP poster said, definitely don't be afraid to call the NICU to check on them as often as you want. They are used to it! The NICU is definitely a rollercoaster ride, but you will get through it. Hopefully your LO stays put as long as possible so you have a nice short NICU stay. Best of luck to you!
Congratulations on your soon to be little one! I agree with PP's that it is very comforting knowing your LO is being taken care of in the NICU while you get some time to rest. My DD was born at 28 weeks via emergency c-section. I was extremely sick, and was diagnosed with Chorioamnionitis, so she had to be out ASAP. As a result of being sick, we both contracted E.coli and had to be treated with antibiotics for a week (for me) and 6 weeks for her (also the length of her NICU stay). My c-section was also opened up because it was slightly infected, so I had a longer, harder recovery. I wasn't able to see DD until the 3rd day which was SOO hard for me... but during the whole week I stayed in the hospital, I had fevers spike extremely high, then break, only to come back again. So it was better to stay away from her so she didn't get sicker. Thankfully, DH and my family were there to see her, and reassure me she was getting the best care. I called the NICU a couple of times a day to get updates and talk to the nurses. Don't hesitate to call them! I know we aren't supposed to promote our personal blogs.. but I feel like if you read DD's birth story, it may help ease the uneasiness you feel. you can do a google search for it: ericaandzacinreality dot blogspot dot com and find the post from October 2011.
DD is doing great now and growing like a weed! GOOD LUCK!!! And I look forward to hearing about her progress!
Hello - I didn't read any of the other responses. Just jumping to my own
I remember coming to this board in a panic the day I was discharged from the hospital (he was unexpected at 30.6) and I was a wreck. Everyone was so supportive but the congratulations threw me off because I was like uhhh, this isn't a balloon moment 
It's scary, and I wish I could tell you what to expect but each preemie is so different. The best thing you can do right now is read about premature birth and become familiar with what you'll see in NICU. I didn't know anything about preemies and due to a recent trauma (before his birth) I really thought he was dying when in fact he was "fine." He had some minor issues but quickly became what they call a "grower and feeder." He was in for two months then came home on an apnea monitor for four months (boo). You'll find some links in my siggy that should be helpful - the moms here have put together a blog with personal stories and good links. There is also a specific link down there to pass onto family and friends - please make sure you do! People will want to help out and you won't be in the right frame of mind to think clearly. These are all things we've had done or thought of in retrospect.
I don't know what I would have done without this board. Welcome, and I'm sorry that you'll be in our boat but we make for good company.
Oh my goodness, thank you so much everyone for your responses! I am already a bit more calm! I will be a PROUD Preemie Mama, and look forward to reading a couple blogs. This is all so new and scary, and at the same time, I think it's going to be okay. Just need to keep him in as long as a I can. I am at home on bed rest, not allowed to work or go out for "long outtings" and such. It's hard because I am such an active person, but the less I do, the longer I'll get to keep him inside, growing.
I just wish I knew when he was going to come, so I could prepare better. What size of diapers and clothes such I get.. those sort of things! ha ha! I am thrilled to hear again, that everyone's miracle is doing so well! Makes my heart smile!
You're so sweet! I'll give you a tip: they are in size NB forEVER! I was/am a big fan of hats because it is the first thing they can wear 'from home'. You can also bring your own receiving blankets to line their incubators/cribs so if you feel like nesting that way those are some things to get now
Hi there!
I had a c-section with my twins at 33 weeks and saw them for the first time 24 hours later because I had to me on Mag Sulfate for high blood pressure, so you'll probably get to see them sooner.
I had them wear the NICU clothes so I didn't have to bring any laundry home...with everything going on. that was one less thing to worry about.
Leaving them in the NICU when I was discharged wasn't as bad as I thought it would be because I knew they were where they needed to be, safe with the nurses and specialists that could help them grow. That's not to say I didn't have my breakdown moments - I certainly did - they were just at different times than I expected.
The nurses and doctors we had were absolutely wonderful - it was a trying experience, but also an amazing one. It's my daughters' story, and that makes it special even if it was nontraditional.
Hang in there! You can do this!!
First of all, it is WONDERFUL news that they caught your vasa previa. Thank God.
I am the mom of a 35 weeker. I wanted to respond just to give you a little hope. I was high risk for a preemie due to cervical weakness so I was treated as such (just like you will be treated as someone who will have a preemie). Because of that, I had a course of steroids at about 30 weeks. I'm sure you will get something similar.
My DD was 5 pounds 1 ounce and didn't spend one minute in the NICU. She was taken to the nursery for observation after I held her for a little bit but then came right back to me about 45 minutes later, roomed with us, and went home with us on time. So there is a chance that with the steroids and some luck that your baby won't be in the NICU at all.
Best wishes to you!
Married 6/28/03
Kate ~ 7/3/09 *** Connor ~ 11/11/10
4 miscarriages: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014
*~*~*~*~*
No more TTC for us. We are done, and at peace, as a family of 4.
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.” — Charles Dickens
Try not to worry too much about clothes for your LO right now. Get some newborn stuff. You can always buy preemie sized stuff once they come, if you need it. Sleepers with snaps will be the best in case your LO does need to spend time in the nicu.
One thing to do now is get everything you might need for your own recovery. I had a 31 weeker (almost 1 year ago!) and you just never know when you are going to get whisked away on hospital bed rest. I was quite literally escorted from the perinatologists office to labor and delivery. I had to rely on people to get my nursing tanks, hospital stuff, underwear/pads. While it was fine. I would have rather picked that stuff out on my own. You should be able to get everything you need online.
Congratulations on your little one. I hope you are able to make it to 35 weeks!
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
My daughter was born just after midnight via c-section (they weren't sure if my spinal was working since I wasn't really responding except with moans so they put me under general anesthesia) and I went down to meet her in the NICU around 9am. It was rough getting out of bed and going down in the wheelchair with the foley, etc, but I was determined to meet her as soon as I physically able.
Ask the hospital where you will deliver if you could have a tour of the NICU. We did this, and it did help us prior to Adalyn being born. It sucks leaving the hospital without LO, but don't think that you're going to miss out on the experience. We're actually almost done with our NICU journey after a very long 11 and 1/2 weeks, and the Discharge Nurse told me that I would be wheeled out with Adalyn in my arms, just like all the other moms do when they get to go home with their newborns. It's such a silly thing, but it brings tears to my eyes that I will be doing this tentatively tomorrow.
Me: PCOS DH: Low everything (MFI)
Clomid with TI x 3 2010 BFN
Clomid+IUI+Ovidrel 2010 BFN
IVF w/ICSI #1 2011
9/8/11 Beta #1: 2082!! 9/19/11 Beta#2 34,689!! U/S 9/22/11 HR 127! 11/8/11 HR 150! 12/6/11 HR 136! 12/14/11 HR 139! Born at 26w2d on 2/4/2012! After 83 days in the NICU, Adalyn came home on 4/26/12!
FET 1 3/2013 BFN
FET 2 5/2013 BFN
Ask the hospital where you will deliver if you could have a tour of the NICU.
This was going to be my suggestion as well. Our hospital offers this and I think it would have been very helpful to see things ahead of time. Our hospital also sent someone from the NICU down to talk to me, tell me what to expect and answer any questions. Even if you can't go, see if you can have a NICU nurse or family specialist call you and answer your questions
I also had a 35 weeker. She was 6lbs, 7oz and got to come home with me! I know she was definitely bigger than the average 35 weeker, but just wanted to give you some hope that it is possible for a 35weeker to come home with you. She never had any trouble breathing on her own. She did have some jaundice issues that seemed to last FOREVER and she was incredibly difficult to wake up and make her eat. However, after a few weeks of challenges, she ended up breastfeeding really well.
Just wanted you to know that it IS possible!