Waters have broken at 28 weeks - we're in America!

[Southsearocks]

I've come over to the US for a two week holiday to my partner's family. No problems at all in this pregnancy (my first). Then yesterday morning the waters broke! I've been admitted to a local hospital and although me and baby are fine we'll be here for the duration. It's likely to be three months! Baby could come any time between now and full term so we're keeping everything crossed (including my legs of course) it stays in as long as possible. Either way we're not able to fly home for a looong time...

Our baby will be coming back to the UK an American citizen - how about that?

Pray the insurance works out for us!!

Hi Southsea - you are doing so well, keep hanging in there :)

My PIL often go to the States and buy kids clothes, can defnitely recommend Carters & also Gymboree - pricey but lovely stuff. Can you see if there's an 'outlet mall' nearish to you for trips shopping, MIL often comes back with great bargains and it's lvoely to have something a bit different.

Err just a thought, what's your luggage allowance coming home?!!! was going to say, buy some older stuff whilst you're there, but maybe make sure you're going to make it back with all the crap stuff you'll have acquired, lol!

Think you can watch One Born Every Minute online too.

Hi galwaygal, thanks! That's some very helpful advice and don't worry about upsetting me, I really am feeling very positive about the baby and I don't feel at all worried about him or her (at the moment) so it's all good.

I'm really looking forward now to going shopping! It's given me something to think about and plan so I can have a look online at what shops are about here and what they stock etc. I will definately look into slings in the first instance and I cannot wait to go out and get a few little items with tiny little hats! Aww.. even thinking about it is so exciting. I feel like we've only got another two weeks now and it feels so do-able. It also means I can be more prepared for the birth. I've been asking more questions and watching Birth Stories (or something like that) on TV without feeling quite so terrified! I've been encouraging DP to watch too but he's mentally not there yet . He's very laid back actually so I think he'll be fine when the time comes. The only thing with this programme is, every time I watch it I get terribly upset! Last time it was because they whisked the baby away as soon as it was born to weight it and listen to it's heart, and the mum only got her baby back once it was all cleaned up and swaddled.... I found that heartbreaking! I've vaguely heard about skin-to-skin contact being important but hadn't given it much thought until I saw that. I hope it's not the American way because I really want to hold my baby straight away. Will that be possible with a premie? I might have asked this before, I can't remember. I must ask the nurses here if we can do that.

The nice blood lady has just been in to 'stick' me. I watched The Other Boleyn Girl last night with DP so we were chatting about that, and she's been watching 'Elizabeth'. I've got really interested in it now but neither of us know what's fact or fiction so we're both puzzleing away about it all. She always leaves apologising for keeping me talking but it is really no problem at all. Everyone wants to hear us speaking, it's very funny!

Tomorrow is the 23rd, exactly a month since we got on the plane at Heathrow . It certainly has been an unexpected chapter in our lives but not all bad. I've had lots of time to get to know DP's family, which considering they live on a different continent is just great. Otherwise it could have taken years as they don't get to see each other much. And SIL is very much looking forward to helping with the baby and as she has three children of her own I can feel more confident about leaving the hosptial and caring for our little Pebble with some support until we're ready to fly home. Can you imagine what it would have been like if we'd have gone away on holiday somewhere to a hotel or villa and this happened? Never again for me, next time I'm staying put!

DP is coming in after lunch today but staying over so I'm looking forward to the afternoon now. We'll go for a whizz around the hospital which will not take very long but gets me out of this room.

Two weeks to go!! Probably!! Omg!

Oops - premature posting there.

Also old navy stuff for kids is very nice if youre in the shopping mood!

Carters is nice but the sizing comes up quite big ime

Oshkosh baby things are so cute. Also Children's Place. All American clothing washes and wears really well because their washing machines are so harsh and they tumble dry everything so it has to be good quality to withstand it. Little Pebble is going to be quite small at first- you will probably have to get tiny baby sizes, but he/she will grow quickly once out so I wouldn't buy too many tiny things. I'd also second the sling idea- you can really good and simple slings in the US that are basically a tube of cloth. They're the best I've found. You just need to be sure you've fitted it properly and you shouldn't need a pushchair for several weeks. You will probably need a car seat though- they don't even let you leave the hospital without one here, not sure what they're like in PA.

This is such an adventure you're on, southsea. I've been following your saga for a few days and crossing everything for you. You're doing so well. Hope you manage to hang onto him/her for another couple of weeks. It all sounds good. You're going to have such a lot to tell Pebble later.

Wanted to add that we went on holiday to California for a month when I was 27 weeks pregnant with DD2 without a second thought. Nothing happened, everything was fine (apart from altitude sickness for one night above Palm Springs). What's happened to you has certainly made me think about that again!

Hi Duchesse, I was exactly the same - didn't think twice! I think I've just been very, very unlucky though.

You are doing so brilliantly Southsea. Nearly 32 weeks!!

My US doctor after my US hospital shenanigans told me very seriously (but with a humorous glint in his eye) to never travel on holiday when pregnant again

You'd have thought I should have known better because we went on holiday to get over a miscarriage to the New Forest only 8 months earlier, and halfway through I got an infection from the D&C I'd had a week before and ended up spending 3 nights in Southampton General..

Seriously though, Southsea and me are just very, very unlucky. I went to Canada at 20 weeks with DC1 and not a single problem! We would never get insurance if there was that big a risk. And the US is probably one of the best countries in the world to have a pregnancy "incident" in, in fact it's doubtful I'd have DC2 with us now had it been discovered back in the UK as many doctors would not have performed a rescue cerclage in what appeared to be dire circumstances as most of them would not have had the skill. I just happened to show up at the clinic of "Dr. Cervix" himself (as you can imagine, being America, there was lots of talk of divine intervention for DC2!!) for my routine scan that turned out to be anything but.

Hope the nurses/doctors etc are good with skin-to-skin - it really depends on the hospital (and the health of the baby of course) I'm sure given your circumstances that baby will at least have a checkover - mine was at 35w5d but handed back to DH whilst I was being sewn up (emergency c-section) and then we had skin to skin recovery.

32 weeks!! It's definitely true once you get past those first two weeks you just hang on, and hang on.

HI SouthSea, hope you're well today!

Good morning! We're back from holiday, home in my own time zone (Pacific, 3 hours behind you and 8 hours behind the UK). Unfortunately, JB (DS) caught a cold last week, and passed it on to me. I'm miserable, he's almost over it .

How are you? Much love from the chilly rainy West Coast. I should really have packed up some of that Hawaiian sunshine.

Hi! It's 32 weeks today!

This is my third attempt at posting - it has disappeared twice now so it will be shortened version. But I had a scan earlier today. The baby is estimated to be 3lb 1oz, so smaller than I expected given how much bigger I am, and there was 5cm of fluid today. So not much change but I'm not feeling worried and I was quite elated afterwards. I had a student nurse with me today and it was nice for her to see an ultra sound as she's never seen one.

DP has just spoken to work in the UK. They have people that deal with visas in the US so we might be able to get some help with getting them extended, which is jolly nice of them.

We may only have two weeks left - I'm amazed! I feel more prepared for the birth but we realised yesterday that we don't have anything for the baby when we get out of the hospital. So SIL came to the rescue, put out a message on Facebook and promptly came up with everything we need donated by her friends! I'm going to owe a lot to a lot of people... It's so lovely how people have rallied round for us.

I think someone is coming in so had better go before I lose this one but will be back! X

Good to hear your updates.

Yay! Glad you're doing well! Go Southsea's Cheerleaders! x

Wow! Congratulations getting to 32 weeks. That is great news. Another MN-er rooting for you here. X

Yey for 32 weeks!!!

I bet all those people loved the idea of helping out a mum in trouble, esp a 'Brit' :)

What's the 34-wk plan? Is it expected that baby will stay in hosp for a bit while you stay with in-laws?

Congrats on 32 weeks! I know it's crazy to think you will meet your baby so soon, but you must be soooooooooooo excited, and I bet you can't wait to be free to move around again!

People are really lovely aren't they, I always think babies inspire people and it is great that people want to help - it all makes it seem even more special for you :)

Yay for 32 weeks!!!Hope pebble gets a bit bigger before you give birth! Make sure you go to Carters, OshKosh, and Gymboree before you leave, they have the CUTEST clothes (far cuter than anything here IMHO)!!! And I would suggest Babies R Us for a pushchair or travel system, they are good value for money.

Hi Southsea - I haven't posted yet but I've been keeping an eye on your story and keeping everything crossed for you and your pebble.

Just to pick up on a point made earlier re. luggage allowance and shopping - when we took DD (c. 28 months) to Canada she had her own (full) luggage allowance, plus pushchair and car seat. Plus most US flights have substantially more allowance than to other destinations. You'll REALLY have to be going some before you're over as a family :).

(I'll admit now I haven't seen how/where the reference to slings came up, but I fully agree with anything positive - I carried DD up until she was about 2.5 in a combination of stretchy wrap / woven wrap / Mei Tai and loved every second - she didn't seem to complain either :o. I got a couple of my slings from www.thebabywearer.com, which has an incredibly active For Sale or Trade board based mainly in the US. In the UK you can get slings from Natural Mamas, but they don't have the same throughput, so if you see something you like and can save on shipping... Just be aware slings are addictive ).

(Oh - and if you're still after more ways to pass the time on your IPad, We Rule Quests can be a way to pass the time {with Adventure Bay and We Farm having similar concepts - but sign up to one first and you'll get freebies for loading the others})

Properly off now. The washing up beckons...

Hang on in there Southsea, you're doing great! I've just shed a little tear at the generosity of strangers! That's so lovely.

Uh oh, another screaming lady! [bgrin]

Oh dear . Someone in hard labour?

So how many levels of Angry Birds have you passed? Level 9 on the Christmas one has me stumped.

I 'lost' your thread and kept putting your name in the search wrong, and couldn't think of anything memorable I've said to enable me to find you!! Gahhhh I have put you on my watch list now

I'm very pleased to see you are still incubating!!!

3lb 1oz isn't a bad size at all is it!

I think you are doing a really good job of staying positive.

I'm sure the Insurance company/hospital will all work out OK - you know what they say 'If it's not OK, it's not the end' (Keep fighting!).

I'm sure your DH had everything he wanted for his birthday - you & bump well & safe - it's all that matters isn't it.

You aren't missing anything weather wise. My new winter tyres have driven precisely 1 mile in the snow - it melted the following day and we haven't had another flake!

Keeeeeeppppp on incubating! (Hmm not the same without Bruce & Tess)

That's great news southsea! It's also lovely news about the generosity of strangers. Still rooting for you here!

All good news then southsea!

3pm is a fab weight. Think at our hospital they want babies to get to 5 oz to stay out of nicu ( Obv if no other problems) so you haven't got far to go.