If baby is born fit and well at 35 weeks, are you made to stay in hospital anyway?

[Checkmate]

and if so, for how long?

I've got history of having my babies a bit early, but them being big and healthy. was really hopeful that I could keep going until 36 weeks this time around, as I did with my 4th child. I was able to leave hospital right away after the birth.

Unfortunately I think I'm in early stages of labour now, and I'm 35+2. With it being half term, childcare arrangements are hideously complicated, and I'm trying to work out whether it's inevitable, or not, that I'll have to stay in with a 35 weeker - is MIT hospital policy generally that they do obs on them 6 hourly for 48 hours or something?

Meant is it hospital policy? (nearest hospital is jr in Oxford)

My hospital's policy was that if they were born at more than 35 weeks and at more than 2kg and they were feeding for themselves you could go home. I understand this is fairly universal, but couldn't promise it's the case in Oxford.

Whoop whoop! Was hoping to hear something like that, though of course I understand that it may not be the case in my hospital, or that the baby could have some problems.

Anyone else know anything?

IIRC, and this is going back a few years, that they were only happy for you to leave after a review from one of the more senior paeds (more than a routine baby check). But if that was OK, then you'd be turfed out pdq.

Thanks, that's kind of what I'm hoping for. I think I was made to stay in with healthy 35 weeker before because a senior paediatrician wasn't available to come and assess, so we had to stay overnight.

dd1 was born at 35 weeks and we had a 2 week stay in SCUBA. She was a good weight but wasnt feeding well so had to have feeding tube. Also jaundiced.

2 weeks is really unfortunate and unusual at 35 weeks, poor you. Hopefully that won't be me - previous Births were 37 weeks- home immediately, 34 weeks- 2 days in scbu, 2 days in my room, then home. 35 weeks - stayed overnight but nothing wrong with her. 36 weeks - home immediately.

I hope you can get home asap BUT you're having your fifth child and with the others all at home it sounds to me like you could do with staying in to get a little peace. Is there absolutely nobody who can give you some backup? I think you will just be so very, very tired if you come straight home to 4 excited dcs and a newborn.

I get what you're saying, northern, but when I've been in hospital with some of the others I've been so miserable, missing my home comforts and other children. I also caught a hospital acquired infection after DC2, and took months to recover, so a bit paranoid. I have a very sweet 19 year old French au pair at home, but she's not meant to do sole charge on dc4 (as he's under 2) or work more than 6 hours a day: obviously in a dire emergency such as the day I'm actually in labour, she could do, but not for several days in a row. She has also said she won't have them overnight on her own because she's a very deep sleeper and doesn't think she'd wake if one if them had a problem. If I'm at home, she can play with them all in the garden lots and tire them out, supervise their meals, etc. My lovely mum can visit each day after work for an hour or two. Friends are going to bring round meals.
DH can't take much paternity leave - a day is all really

Thankfully though, my contractions have stopped, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to keep going until next weekend or once the dc are back in school and nursery.......Maybe even long enough for me to get a homebirth..... Please God.

Ah ok - well if the au pair is there that will help a bit won't it. Just try and rest if you can.

Guess what. I'm in a hospital bed at 34 weeks waiting for my contractions to start being useful!

I've had a 31 and 35 weeker, all natural labour, so this wasn't unexpected.

My 35 weeker was in for a week, she wasn't well but it's standard here to keep babies for a week at 35 weeks to make sure they're growing and able to feed themselves. They're also at a higher risk of jaundice than a term baby.

I've been told all being well we'll go straight to Transition Ward.

Have you had all you steroids?

I haven't had steroids this time round as consultant said latest NICE advice is that from 35 weeks they don't need them, plus my babies have been so big and healthy that he couldn't see a benefit. My babies just seem to cook quicker than most - they've all weighed at least seven pounds, and I've luckily had no problems establishing breastfeeding.

Fingers crossed for you confuddled. Hope baby stays ina but longer. But great to have got to 34 weeks this time.

Interestingly some hospitals are doing it under 36 weeks now.

I say the same, my babies are always big and milk monsters, it's just my impatient body that's the problem. This should be the best yet as my eldest (31 weeker) didn't get steroids and my youngest was IUGR. This one's had them all and growth looks ok.

Hopefully I'll make it to 36 so it won't matter anyway. Roll on Saturday! I'm actually, with the support of my midwife and consultant, booked in for a homebirth if I get to 36 weeks. Unusual I know. But given my history with the others being so healthy and the hospital aquired infection and the long term affect of that on my health, they both were happy to say that the benefit outweighed the potential risk, though ultimately my decision. Of course we'll transfer at first sign of any problems. I think the most likely thing to make us need to go in is jaundice, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

Are your older 2 dc coping okay with your being in hospital? How long have you been there?

They're doing well, but they're good like that taking life as a big adventure. I've asked Mum to beg Sure Start for some help because their dad has taken half of his paternity leave this week to care for them and I'm going to be here until she comes plus however long we're kept in. Sounds like he's making the most of half term though by having them both home - the youngest is in nursery so not half term. I've been here since Friday.

I hope you get through the week. Some people just do cook quicker so sounds like a good plan having baby at home. Are your older ones excited?

Yes, my older ones (not that old; 8 and under) are excited, but at the same time they've been-there, done-that with new babies before, so taking it in their strides. It very much wasn't our plan to have a 5th - got pregnant while breastfeeding dc4, before periods had returned, and we were waiting for a date for dh's vasectomy to come through..... But how pleased the older ones were is one of the things that has really helped us to get excited too.

I remember being in hospital for 10 days before the birth with dc2 (for prom). I had to call in every possible childcare favour going, so when I got out of hospital with him 4 days old, DH and my mum were both back at work, friends had done all they could, and I was on my own with an almost 2 year old and baby who fed every 2 hours. It was so frustrating that the time with people around who could have given me some tlc was spent with me being stuck in a grimy hospital eating pigswill. (okay, slight exaggeration!)

So you have my full sympathy, and I hope you can get all the childcare sorted out. And that baby comes out in the right timing for her.

Just another one popping in to say that DD2 was born at 35 weeks, stayed with me on the ward, we stayed for two nights as they wanted me to "prove" she was drinking "lots of milk" (anti-bf consultant from hell) but we escaped early on the second day. No special care time. DD2 5lb 8oz. Everyone kept saying how surprised they were at her progress but from this thread it doesn't sound like it was that unusual actually.

Hope yours stays put for the next few days to let you have your homebirth.

Thanks frozen.
Yes, the odds of a baby born at 35 weeks needing scbu are fairly low, unless there is another problem (iugr or whatever.) they usually don't have any probs feeding either so your consultant was being very overcautious.

Are you still with us confuddled, or in labour?

My 3 boys have all been born at 35 or 36 weeks. In fact DS3, born in January, was 35+2 and weighed 8lbs 6oz! Needless to say no special care for us - in fact the midwives narrowed their eyes and were certainly dubious as to whether I'd got my dates right (all 3 times). First time I had to stay in 4 nights but only because he had low blood sugar and we were struggling with bfing - both other times we got out after just the one night. Fingers crossed for you...

He would have been massive at term! Wow!

I'm 35+4 in half an hour! Had midwife over for homebirth planning today so it actually seems real.

That would be amazing - hope you get to Saturday...