25 weeks waters broken - help

[lolacola1977]

Can’t believe I’m asking this on mumsnet but...am lying in a local hospital bed, waters have broken, not yet in labour but cervix open a bit...local hospital have been trying for 2 hrs to find me a bed in a neonatal unit...they have found one at St Thomas’s but waiting to hear whether there is a bed for me. They have told me I might then have to wait another 2 hrs for an ambulance to transfer me. Has anyone ever used a private ambulance service? Any advice as to what I should be asking for / demanding? I am conscious that I could go into labour at any minute and at that point it will be touch and go for the baby who will need a neonatal bed. They have given me steroids / antibiotics etc.

Congratulations! I had to have an emergency section at 30 weeks. We spent 7 weeks in NICU but he came home without any issues and is now doing great (Just small).

My main advise would be to be as hands on as possible with Alexander. Ask the nurses as many questions as you can. Get to know the equipment (it’s not as scary as it looks). Change his nappy, do his tube feeds etc (with assistance from the nurses) as often as you can, as this will help you bond with him even more. My DH done these things for the first few days when I was getting steady on my feet and then we both did. Do skin on skin as often as they allow. Find out what time the doctors do their ward round and try to be there each day- I found this was the only one way to keep up to date with his progress and to ask questions. As I was so clued up and informed I knew when he was ready to come home and constantly badgered the doctors to start preparing for his discharge.

Also, ask if they have bonding squares! You keep a square on you and baby has a square next to him. You then swap so you can smell each other’s scent.

Best of luck, stay strong xx

Hope all is going well op

@lolacola1977 hey hope everything is going as smoothly as possible for you and baby Alexander.