Friend is 29 weeks pregnant, in early labour and 3cms dilated.....anyone any experience, support etc?

[Aimsmum]

Message withdrawn

That's a really good weight for a baby born at 30 weeks.

The overwhelming majority of babies born at this gestation survive without any long-term problems at all. She will probably have a few weeks on SCBU before being allowed home, but it sounds as though everything is being done correctly and that she has every chance of being a success story.

All the best to your friend and her new daughter.

Message withdrawn

It's here Aimsmum, to save you searching .

Message withdrawn

To be on the safe side they always say to expect the baby to be in hospital until what would have been the due date.

If he does well etc, then he will be out earlier, which then comes as a nice surprise.

Do not underestimate how tiring and stressful it will be, the first few days or so are bad and then when you are discharged and the baby is still in hospital.

How far from the hospital does she live?

Good luck to all!

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

IS she getting any kangeroo care (where they stick baby down her top for skin to skin)? That will help with her milk. She just needs to keep at it. I had DTDs at 27wks and milk was slow for first week and then I was producing bottles of the stuff.

A MW recommended that I take home a vest or blanket or something that had been in contact with DTDs so I could smell it/twiddle with it be stimulated by teh presence of a baby whilst I was expressing. TBH I never did it as my supply picked up when I got home from hosp as I started double pumping (2 pumps simultaneously) which helped massively.

Message withdrawn

Her going home will be the hardest thing she has to do over the next 2-3m - she will need support (which I am sure you will give). I sobbed all th way home leaving my babies, dumped my bags and went more or less straight back.

I think I got to hpld DTD1 at about day 3/4. I had to wait nearly 2 weeks to hold DTD2 . Part of it was mis-understanding....the nurses didn't reliase I hadn't held her and then she dot really poorly.

REally hopes she gets to hold him on Monday....it is a big milestone.

Message withdrawn

Oh do encourage her not to give up on expressing yet Aimsmum. It's very early days, and most women who go full term and have lots of skin to skin with their babies don't get their milk come until day 4 or 5, so there's still plenty of time for her. She just needs to make sure that she does it as regularly as she can, particularly through the night (sad but true!).

My DTDs were 80something days old (everything is counted in days)...so about a week before their EDD - but having said that I (and the NNU DRs) think their EDD was about a week out anyway.

It was hard, but I wasn't looking for sympathy. It was nearly 7yrs ago now and I look on the whole experience as something that has made me what I am now. V hard at th etime though. I only mentioned the going home thing because it hit me really hard (harder than expected) and so that you can help your friend appropirately.

Message withdrawn