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Pregnancy

Delivering at 36 weeks.

20 replies

GruffaloPants · 22/07/2016 21:38

I'm diabetic and epileptic so have a closely managed pregnancy, particularly relating to the diabetes. Already have a DD who had a difficult induced delivery at 38w but straightforward pregnancy.

I was due to be induced at 37+1, but was admitted yesterday at 35+5 due to minor issues with foetal monitoring and due to slight drop in insulin requirements, which combined could be early signs of placental failure. I have steroids and will have them again tomorrow morning. Frequent CTG monitoring with no major concerns. There's a good chance I will stay to be induced in the next day or two.

Lots of reassuring noises here about delivering at 36weeks, but would be interested to hear if anyone has experience of this?

OP posts:
cheminotte · 22/07/2016 21:45

Yes. I had ds2 at 36w. All fine with pregnancy, I was planning a home birth after having had a c-section with ds1. Waters broke on first day of maternity leave. I was told I had 24 hrs then I'd be induced. DS was born almost exactly 24 hours later - naturally but in the hospital. 5'15''. We spent a few days on scibu but then went home.

ImNotAFlower · 22/07/2016 21:50

I delivered at 35+0 spontaneous labour, DD was 5lb 6oz and perfectly healthy, she went under a heat lamp for 24 hours because she was a bit jaundice but other than that no problems, we stayed in 3 days but that was only due to the jaundice.
She has met all of her milestones to her birth date not her due date and other that a foray into the frustrating world of silent reflux she is now a healthy, bright, noisy 5 year old!.... I did only have 1 baby grow that actually fit her though until my mum barrelled through Next on her way to visit Smile

Treeskater · 22/07/2016 21:58

DD was born at 35+5, spontaneously, a week after my waters went. It was a speedy labour (45 mins) and she was very small for her dates (4lbs 8oz). All she needed was a hot cot (to maintain her temperature) and was tube fed for a couple of days as she was just too small to latch. All this happened on the Transitional Care ward. We didn't need NICU. She went on to successfully BF and is now a very tall, bossy and healthy 6 year old. I, like you, needed reassuring despite the midwives telling me she would be fine, but she was and all my fears vanished as soon as I saw her.

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 22/07/2016 22:02

Yes EMCS due to placenta praevia. DS was 6lb 9 and had jaundice and couldn't feed. This is quite common for prems but no one told me in hospital so I thought I'd failed. So feeding might be tricky.
We were in 8 days.

Now DS is nearly 2. He did many milestones late but always gets there in the end. No lasting problems

All the best OP

Graceymac · 22/07/2016 22:02

I went into labour at 36 wks. Dd had respiratory problems which weren't immediately apparent so spent a few hrs on post natal ward before being transferred to SCBU. She spent 10 days there. I was told that only 1/3 of 36 wkers need to go to SCBU, the other 2/3 don't have any problems.

B1rdinthebush · 22/07/2016 22:03

I delivered twin girls at 30 weeks weighing 3lb9oz and 3lb5oz. They spent six weeks on NICU and have no lasting health or developmental issues.

The prognosis at 36 weeks is very positive and I would hope you won't need more than a few days in SCBU. Have you had a chance to talk to anyone from neonatal? I had the opportunity to before the girls were born and it really helped put my mind at ease.

I also had steroid injections at 27 weeks when I first went into labour ( I managed to hold on another three weeks with Atosiban drips). These make a big difference so it's great you've been able to have them.

Try not to worry too much (easy for me to say I know). It's a scary unknown at this stage but 36 weeks is a good gestation and the likelihood is that everything will be absolutely fine and you will both be home very soon. Good luck!

Chrisinthemorning · 22/07/2016 22:05

DS 36+3 due to placenta praevia. 6lb15. He couldn't bf and took a lot of bottle feeding too, he just couldn't be bothered with milk! Otherwise he was fine and is now 4, very tall and doing everything he's supposed to and more!
Good luck

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 22/07/2016 22:06

Forgot to add - I had the steroid injections and DS gad good agpar and could breathe fine. We went straight to the postnatal ward (although pluses and minuses to that as the midwives didn't read my notes and we're baffled why he couldn't feed)

SweetPea79 · 22/07/2016 22:09

37 weeks is considered term. From 34 weeks you should have almost no issues.

I had a 33 weeker, 10 days in hospital, late to hit every milestone but gets there in the end.

Apachepony · 22/07/2016 22:13

Dc born at 35w5d, 6lbs 1, born healthy with a strong suck, got a small skin infection which kept us in a couple of extra days to be treated with antibiotics but otherwise all good and is now whacking on the weight, 6lbs 10 at 15 days old.

Itsaplayonwords · 22/07/2016 22:14

I had DD1 at 28 weeks, she spent 9 weeks in NICU. I had DD2 at 33 weeks, she spent 10 days in SCBU with only a few minor problems. The difference between those 5 weeks is enormous. Some babies born at 34 weeks can go straight home. A baby born at 36 weeks has a very good outlook and may not even need to go to SCBU. Good luck.

Graceymac · 22/07/2016 22:14

I was told that up until 37 wks the suck reflex can be immature which is why feeding can be a problem. My 36 and my 37 wkers both needed nasogastric tube feeding for a few days until they were more able to manage by themselves.

Apachepony · 22/07/2016 22:15

Had one small top up with formula on his first night as they were worried about blood sugars but otherwise fully breastfed.

GruffaloPants · 22/07/2016 22:22

Thanks everyone!

The baby is estimated at around 7lbs already and the obstetrician reckons it is unlikely he or she would have to go to special care given that I'll have had the full dose of steroids, and movements and heart rate are good, so thanks for the heads up that this can be a possibility.

Today's midwife reckoned I'd be induced soon, tonight's reckons they'll try to keep me in for another week if possible! Looking forward to seeing the obstetrician at rounds to hopefully get more of a plan.

It is hard to know what's going on as steroids can increase blood sugar so this might mask dropping insulin requirements, I don't know how they will figure it out but I guess that's my I'm not a consultant!

OP posts:
GruffaloPants · 22/07/2016 22:24

Also thanks to everyone for their stories, it is great to hear of so many babies with a difficult start doing so well!

OP posts:
SauvignonPlonker · 22/07/2016 22:33

DD was born at 35+6, due to low fluid (crappy placenta). I had steroids before. I was told it would be 50-50 if she needed scbu. She weighed 5lb 3oz (50th centile).

She stayed with me overnight on the ward after EMCS but was a bit "grunty" & her glucose levels were low, so was taken to scbu the next morning.,She couldn't latch & feed, and I was hand expressing for her (but tiny amounts) so she needed formula to try & get her glucose levels up.

It's worth asking if you can start to hand-express some colostrum off before delivery, as your baby will be more likely to have low blood glucose levels if you have diabetes treated with insulin.

DD struggled to feed & was tube fed on scbu, she also had jaundice (which made her very sleepy & disinterested in feeding) plus difficulty in regulating her body temperature. She had 8 days in scbu & came home on a hot cot.

I gave up expressing after a month, as she still wasn't latching & I was stuck in the house with a toddler pumping night & day.

Good luck!

GruffaloPants · 22/07/2016 22:55

Thanks, I will ask about starting hand expressing. DD had to have a couple of formula top ups for her blood sugar so I expect this one will be the same, just hoping that he or she can feed well enough. Expressing is such a pain! Had to do it for a week for DD due to birth injuries before managing to get her back on the breast. Really hoping I can breastfeed again as DD was severely milk and egg allergic so would have been really restricted in terms of formula. Fingers crossed.

OP posts:
MmmMalbec · 23/07/2016 12:12

DS was born at 36+3 after I had suspected pre e and he was measuring small. I was induced and he was born naturally and was perfectly fine. He was 5lb 5oz and came home with me a few days later. No time in special care or anything.

Good luck OP xx

GruffaloPants · 23/07/2016 16:45

Thanks everyone. Monitoring is going well so I won't be induced today. Might be 36 and a good few days before we get to that point if things continue as they are.

OP posts:
AbbeyRoadCrossing · 30/07/2016 18:26

How are things OP?

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