Do pre-term (?) babies always spend time in hospital?

[TeacupTempest]

What I mean is if a baby is born before being considered full-term (37 weeks?) do they always have to spend time in a special care unit or is it different for individual cases?

Random query I know.

It is different for individual cases IME but your Trust might have a different policy. My friend's baby was born at 36 weeks weighing over 10lb(!) and didn't have to go into SCBU, but then had to go in a week after discharge as he developed bad jaundice. Another friend's baby arrived at 36 weeks + 4 and was in SCBU for a week. My DS was born at just a squeak over the 37 week margin and didn't go in, despite having jaundice and only weighing 5lb.

No, I definitely know of 35 weekers who have come pretty much straight home.

Thanks.

Not really sure why but this has been playing on my mind a bit recently.

It depends entirely on the baby, but generally the closer they are to full term the less chance there is they'll need to spend time in SCBU. I had my DS at 35+5, he didn't need SCBU but stayed in for 3 days (with me) due to feeding problems. My niece born at 34+5 spent one night in SCBU, as did my friends baby born at 38 weeks.

We had to stay in 5 days with our 35 week baby but like seven it was feeding problems if I hadnt been breastfeeding would have been able to go home.

I had twins at 36 weeks on the nose, they needed no special care at all, we stayed in for 3 days and that was it. No problems at all.

SIL baby born at 36+5 IIRC was 5 days in special care. It's not always indicative.

Our unit is also based on birth weight of the baby - my friend had 2 of her babies at 36 weeks. Neither had to stay in, although she told me that her daughter was 'borderline' weight for SCBU (she was 5lb-something, can't remember exact amount) but was allowed home same day in the end. Had she been a few oz's lighter she would have needed to go to SCBU for monitoring.

My boy was born at 36 weeks weighing 6lb 3oz, he never left my side after I came round in recovery and we both came home 48 hours later. He did end up being readmitted to hospital with jaundice day 5 but apart from that all was fine.