how do babies born at 32 weeks get on??

[confuzed90]

Basically my sister who is 32 weeks was taken into hospital last night in labour, given steroid injection and may be moving to a hospital with better NICU, how will the baby be?

My friends baby was born at 30 weeks . He was a good weight at just over 4 pounds and had to be in hospital for 6 weeks.
He started off needing help with his breathing and eating but quickly came off his breathing tubes and went home with his eating tube which was taken out a week or so later.
It was a long journey and one they found very difficult but he is home now and progressing well.
I think 32 week babies have really good chances but it's a long slog in hospital.
Hope your sister's little one gets on well .

Like suisey's friend, my friend had her little girl at 30 weeks, similar story re length of stay in hospital etc.
Very scary times for everyone, and immensely stressful for the parents but happily they had a good outcome.
Little poppet in question will be 2 tomorrow!

Confuzed, the chances are the baby will stay inside mum a while longer yet. Often steroids are given as a precaution, just in case labour develops, and the baby is born early. However she will probably have been given medication to stop the pain until the steriods have been given. This medication can often stop things for several weeks or until term.

If the baby is born early at 32 weeks, it will usually be on NICU for several weeks until around the original EDD. Sometimes these babies need help with breathing, either just nasal oxygen, or sometimes CPAP which stands for 'continuous positive airway pressure'. It is to assist the baby, not breath for it. Makes it a little easier for their immature lungs. Very rarely they may need ventilating, particularly if there are other complications weakening its immune system.

Often feeding will be via tube at first. Then it will be a combination of tube/breast or bottle. Eventually the baby will be feeding in whichever way mum has chosen.

There are many complications of prematurity, but until the baby is here, there isn't much to add, as I could be here all day listing things, which may never happen!

At 32 weeks babies often do well, although it can be a long slog getting there. The best thing your sister can do is to speak to those looking after her, as they can tailor the information to her needs and what may happen for her. Its very difficult as each case is so individual.

There is no way of saying how the baby will be. I have had two preemies at 32 and 34 weeks and they are both fine. Ds was just over 4lb at 32 and was jaundised and needed cpap (for breathing to clear the airways) and was tube fed and incubated. He was in for 3 weeks. Dd was just over 5lb at 34 and would have been let home had they wrapped her up properly as she became hypothermic and needed 2 wks special care and tube fed. As a general rule babies are let home once they reach 5lbs providing they are in good health as that is the minimum weight for a carseat. Until the baby is born you will not know what will happen but at 32 wks it will most likely need special care for several weeks. Saying that the hospital may have given her drugs to slow or stop the labour as they did with my ds (although for me it did not stop it) and she may not actually give birth for weeks yet

hi,

My DD was born at 32 weeks and five days, but she was a chunker - 5lb 9oz. She needed CPAP for about three days and was tube fed my expressed milk. We were warned that she would be in hospital until her due date but actually only spent 16 days in hospital, 9 of which were in SCBU.

I successfully BF her on the second day, although not a lot as she was too young to suck and was really sleepy all the time, but it helped with bonding. She is fine now and just has a slight milestone delay (but all children are different and she could just be stubborn!) and asthma, which she could have inherited from her Dad anyway.

I hope it all goes well but do get back to me if you have any more questions.

They're keeping her in today for monitoring, she's had some blood loss and leaking water. Thankyou all..I don't think they are seriously concerned. Although they have booked her a place at another hospital with a bigger NICU incase

Confuzed, they can't 'book' a place, but if there was major concerns, they would transfer her out to a more appropriate unit. Is it because the unit there is full? Most SCBU's can take that gestation, so just wondering why the talk of transfer, unless it is just full at the minute.

Glad to hear it is looking favourable!

My twins were delivered at 31+2, we were transferred before delivery, most NICUs won't take under 32 weeks. They were 3lb3 and 3lb1 and were on cpap for 24 hours but no real problems - were in hospital for 6 weeks and are now thriving 8 month olds.

Interesting about the car seats Ace, mine came home at 4lb3 and 4lb7!

I hope your sister manages to hold on for as long as possible.

My twins were born at 32 weeks, at 3.5 and 4.5 lbs. One needed cpap for a day, the other didnt. Tube fed for a day but were going mad to suck so the went onto a bottle, one had a day under the lamp for a touch of jaundice. They were in hospital for 2 weeks. The small one was still under 4lbs when they went home. They had to do a test where they sat in a car seat for an hour and then had their oxygen saturation checked. Apparently they dont breath so well in the car seat position, its not really the weight than matters.

At 31+3 my DS (now 5) was born. I had the steroids 11 days before, and I do think they helped a lot. He cried when he was born. They worked on him for about 15 minutes in the corner (I had had a c-sction and couldn't see) and they showed him to me briefly before he was whisked away to neonatal. DP was allowed to visit after an hour (they put him on a ventilator, more as a precaution than anything else and to let him rest).
He was in the neonatal intensive care unit for 2 days - one day ventilated, 2nd day extra oxygen. He was then in the high dependency room for 2 weeks and the rest of the time in special care - total time in hospital 33 days. I was out after 5 days but was alowed to visit pretty much whenever i wanted.
They are usually good at keeping the baby inside a bit longer so perhaps the baby will be 33 weeks or even longer before born, let's hope . But at 32 weeks the prognosis is generally pretty positive (obviously some babies might have additional complications).
Hope everything goes well for them. DS is now in reception and thriving. You would never guess he was born early - no sign of his premature brth really.

Confused I was a 32 weeker & a twin. Weighed in at 3lb 13oz. I'm fine! (I think!!!!! ;p) 4lb twin ok too and that was 30 odd years ago. We spent 8 weeks in incubators & then were sent home.Both were happy, healthy & normal through childhood & now ; did well in school, good unis & successful jobs. No underlying issues and I'm sure premature care is much better now. Fingers crossed all ok with your sister too. It is worrying but all should hopefully be ok xxx

It may just be a difference in hospitals re carseats. I was certainly told that my local hospital do not let babies home before they reach 5lb although that may be a different situation for twins as they are generally smaller than singles.

My brother was born at 32 weeks 27 years ago, he weighed about 4lbs and was in an incubator for a few weeks. He's fine and no health problems.

my baby was a 29 weeker. everybody's journey is different, but dd did very well. she spent 9 days in nicu then went to scbu and came home at just under 6 weeks old. she was born 2lb 12 oz and lost a lot of weight initially but came home at 4lb 2oz. she is 6 now and has no residual issues :)

DD was 32 weeks. NICU for 13 days, TCU for a week. Very bright, healthy, normal 2.9 year old now. In fact, (if I do say so myself) very bright.

Another with twins, 33 weeks. Four weeks in NICU. Now aged 13, taller than average, in top sets at school, and perfect general health.
Best wishes to your sister confuzed.

my hubby was born at 32wks, 41 yrs ago, and is fine. he was 4lb 4 and only 1lb 6oz less than his son born 40 years later.