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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Babies born at 34 weeks

21 replies

Razzdazz · 17/08/2013 17:17

Hi all, due to complications they are talking about delivering my baby via section at 34 weeks, currently in hospital now having steroid injections at 32 weeks. Those of you that have delivered at that gestation how did your babies do and what level of help did they require? Many thanks for any answers

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strawberrylace · 17/08/2013 17:30

My twins were born at 34+3 by emergency csection after my waters broke. I'd had the steroid injections as one was apparently slowing in growth so they thought they might have to deliver early. They were in special care for 12 days.

They started in incubators but didnt need help with breathing, had tubes for feeding and lines for antibiotics. As soon as they could maintain their body temps they were moved into open cots, still im special care.The suck reflex doesnt come till about 35 weeks so they had expressed breast milk for most of the time they were in, but once they came out of the incubator I did start to latch them on as often as possible.
To go home the three things we were told they had to were maintain their temperature, take suck feeds (breast or bottle) every 3-4 hours and be putting on weight. They also had vitamin drops and an iron supplement
It was quite a surreal experience at the time, but they are now almost 3! I hope that helps, please ask of you want to know anything else. Good luck

lucybrad · 17/08/2013 18:06

not sure if this helps but my twins were born at 35+1 and they didn't need any assistance at all, or special care. Good luck OP

plentyofsoap · 17/08/2013 18:07

Hi my ds was born just after 33 weeks. He had had the steriod injections so needed no help with breathing. We were in for two weeks, but he came up onto the ward with me for most of that. This was due to trying to establish feeding which was quite difficult! I was not able to breast feed in the end. Bliss were a great support though and I know two other little boys born at 32 and 33 weeks and their feeding was fine. He is very advanced for his age eventhough I worried a great deal for the first two years... hope it all goes well.

lucybrad · 17/08/2013 18:07

ps they had had the steroids, were brought out because of possible growth problems, but there were none in the end.

pingulingo · 17/08/2013 18:17

Had DD a little earlier at 32 weeks. Had 2 doses of steroids and she is fine. Born at 4lbs and was out of NICU in 3 weeks. Didn't need any help breathing, just needed help regulating temp and so was in an incubator and then heated cot and she was fed through nose tube in the beginning. Was able to bf her whilst still in hospital, but mostly tube fed I think just to save energy and so they can measure feeds etc. Now 10 months and doing great, still a bit tiny though!

Kelly1814 · 17/08/2013 18:21

OP I may have to go through the same thing, am just coming up to 33 weeks and my aim is 34.

Friend had her baby at 32 weeks few weeks ago, he is doing really well, off,breathing machine, lie others have said they have to,be able to breathe, regulate temp and feed. He is coming home soon.

I had the steroid injections at 24 weeks when they thought my baby was coming, it was terrifying.

By 34 weeks this rout toe lungs are developed, my consultant said shed be delighted if I got to 34 weeks with all my complications and anything after that is a bonus.

Best of luck and congrats on soon being able to meet your little one :)

ifitsnotanarse · 17/08/2013 18:21

I guess it all depends on each individual situation. Whether the baby is ill/distressed, or the waters have leaked, or the mother is ill.

DS was born at 32 weeks. Waters had been leaking for the previous 4 weeks. (not that anybody believed me ) I had a steroid shot and antibiotics about 6 hours before giving birth. DS born bruised but breathing and in NICU High Dependency for about 3(?) days before moving to normal NICU. He was released at 24 days old when feeding was established.

MrsSpencerReid · 17/08/2013 18:23

DS was born at 34+5 or 35+1 depending who's dates you use!! He had 12 hours help with breathing and 4 days in nicu stabilising blood sugars but both of those problems were probably due to my pre existing medical conditions, he took a while to establish feeding but that was more to do with his nipple allergy than anything else he is a cheeky 16m monster now!! Good luck

MrsSpencerReid · 17/08/2013 18:24

Oh and he had no steroids as there wasn't time!!

neversleepagain · 17/08/2013 19:19

My twins were born at 34+5 after my waters went. I had the steroid injections in time and they were born by EMCS the next day.

They were in NICU for 3 days and managed to breath on their own, however DTD1 was grunting a bit and they thought she may need CPAP. They had tubes for feeding and lines for antibiotics. They moved to SCBU on day 3 for another 10 days and went into an open cot from an incubator on day 6 once they could maintain their body temperature. They were dressed really warmly in the open cot, vest, sleepsuits, cardigan, hats and about 6 layers of blankets plus the SCBU was boiling hot!

Once they they were able to feed without assistance they were allowed home.

Best of luck

valiumredhead · 17/08/2013 19:43

D was born at 32 weeks 12 years ago.

He was 3 lbs 9oz, bit jaundice and had a pneumothorax just to complicate matters

He was in scbu for 3 weeks and got up to 7 lbs by his due date so didn't ever have to treat him as anything but a full term baby as he'd out weight on so quickly.

He's sitting next to me atm and is huge, all lanky legs and size 7 feet, not sure what happened to my little prem baby

valiumredhead · 17/08/2013 19:43

Put weight on

TeamSouthfields · 17/08/2013 19:47

My friend just had her baby, at 26 weeks old... Shes ok x

eccentrica · 17/08/2013 19:49

my sister, now aged 28, was born at 34 weeks. my mum's waters broke at 32 wks. my sister weighed 4lb something, she was in scbu for a few weeks but had no serious difficulties and came home totally healthy.

she has always been very slight and thin but otherwise you wouldn't know she was premature.

good luck

JaquelineHyde · 17/08/2013 19:57

My waters went at about 32 weeks and I went in to labour at 34 weeks.

DS was born slightly jaundice but that was it. He spent 5 days in SCBU but didn't need it at all. The Drs were just being ultra cautious.

JaquelineHyde · 17/08/2013 19:59

Oh and he weighed 6lb 8oz.

eccentrica · 17/08/2013 20:18

wow Jacqueline he would have been huge full term! were the dates definitely right??

nicecupofteaplease · 17/08/2013 20:33

Mine was born at 34 weeks - 5lb8oz - and needed to be fed with a tube for two weeks before he developed the sucking reflex but apart from that was fine. On the ward with me for three nights, then we moved hospitals and I wasn't allowed to stay so he was in SCBU for two weeks. He was about twice the size of all the other babies, and needed no additional care apart from tube feeding whilst I wasn't there. Good luck.

Original poster

Razzdazz · 17/08/2013 21:28

Thank you so much for your replies, helping me to feel so much better about the possibility of 34 week delivery as I lay here in this sweltering hospital!! So glad all went so well with all your little ones.

OP posts:

MrsSpencerReid · 17/08/2013 22:02

My DS was 6lb9!!! So am secretly quite glad he didn't wait potentially till 42 weeks

RosinaCopper · 17/08/2013 22:12

My twins were delivered at 34+4 by planned section and looking at them now against their friend who was born 2 weeks later at full term, you wouldn't know which had been early.

My smallest twin was 3lb 14oz, the larger 5lb 1oz. They spent 2 weeks in scbu because of being tube fed, I expressed and they were breastfed once they had the sucking reflex. Both cried on delivery (which was a marked contrast to my 41+4 older dc who had an apgar of 2 at birth, 4 at 5 mins and who also had to go in scbu). Twin 2 had CPAP for the first few hours but they both breathed on their own within 24 hours. They had to have light therapy for jaundice while they were in and blood tests were done daily. They also had vitamins and iron supplements until they were 6 months old, but I think that was because of being bf.

It's a scary time for you and I remember being very upset when the consultant said she wanted them out as I felt it was too early, but really they are fine.

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