Anyone had a baby at 36 weeks?

[Exhaustedmummy1811]

I'm booked into have my baby by section on Monday or Tuesday at 36 weeks due to baby having no fluid. I've had 2 lots of steroids in preparation, but I just wanted to hear others stories who have had baby at a similar gestation. Did baby have to go to nicu? Where there any short term problems? How long did you/baby have to stay in hospital? Thank you

I did at 35+6. She was absolutely fine at birth but had jaundice that needed treating and it was tricky to establish breastfeeding but we managed it after 5 days. That said my full term baby had similar issues but he remained just below the treatment line for jaundice. We were in hospital for 6 days. No other issues ongoing. I’m sure baby will be fine.

I had dd at exactly 35 weeks. Steriods are good, it'll give your baby's lungs the best chance :) I had steriods too.

I had an emergency section and she was immediately incubated. She had to have phototherapy due to severe jaundice, and had not developed her sucking reflex so had to be syringe fed. She was also grunting a lot so we had extra monitoring for that. We were in for 3 weeks, she struggled with weight gain and the jaundice, though at 36 weeks you may find you have no problem at all.

Some prem babies do really well and have none or little short term problems. Hope it all goes well for you

A lady is my ante natal went into spontaneous labor at 36+2, 24 hr labor need in EMCS due to lack of progress, she and baby were home the next day - unlike me who had a planned section 39+4 and was In for 3 days (due to me, baby was good to go) A touch of jaundice but they are doing well. Best wishes x

I had DD2 at 34+1. I had steroids for her lungs 24 & 12 hours before she was born. She had no breathing problems and can’t out screaming in theatre.

We did have a NICU/HDU/Transitional care stay of 9 days, then home for 36 hours then back for 3 days due to the amount of photo therapy needed, but she wasn’t unwell. We just struggle to get her jaundice under control. It was due to feotal anemia rather than just ‘normal’ jaundice though.

DD was born by elective c-section at 36 weeks due to placenta praevia.

She came out looking pink and ready. She was small so we were on the transitional ward with 3 hour feeds for a couple of nights, then went home.

DS was 35 weeks. He looked like a plucked chicken but is now 15 and almost six feet tall.

Thank you so much ladies this is very encouraging to hear. Mine other 4 were either due date or over due so I'm unsure what to expect this time. Its been a very stressful 6 weeks so this is my final hurdle. I'm panicking about the section recovery and how baby will be when she is here, so this is helping put me a little at ease thank you

DS arrived naturally at 36 weeks. He was 7lb 4oz, and the consultant took one look and said to treat him as full term. I was home within 8 hours.

He does have mild asthma, but then so do I, so not sure if that was related to his early birth.

Yes, waters broke at 35+4. A bit of mild jaundice but was a good weight (6lb2) and didn't need any help or spend any time in special care.
Wishing you lots of luck!

Both my DDs were 36+2 (5lb11) and 36+1(5lb13). Neither needed NICU. Apart from being small they were perfect.

I had my son at 36 weeks, when he was born they took him to nicu for about half an hour as he needed antibiotics due to me having strep B. He had jaundice and was in hospital for 9 days due to this but that was the only problem he had which they said was common for a baby born a bit early. Good luck!

Planned C-section with my identical twins (sharing a placenta) at 36+4. One a bit under 6lb, one just bit over. Had the steroid injections before hand. After delivery they were both with me in recovery and looked to be breastfeeding well but frustratingly had low blood sugars when they tested them. That meant we tried formula and on repeat test one twin (the smaller one) was ok to stay with me but the other got taken off to NICU. They put a canula in in case she needed it but thankfully everything picked up and she was back with me in under 24 hours. We stayed in about 4 days but one of those was me asking to as I was very keen to get feeding sorted and it was taking a while. They were mixed fed on discharge and by 2 weeks just breastfed. They are up to 50 centile now and growing like weeds, no obvious delays/issues. Good luck!

Had DS at 33+6 so different situ but by 36 weeks (i.e. 2 weeks after he was born) he was ready to go home. Apparently they learn to suck at 35-36 weeks so that's when they can start feeding, which is often key to being discharged.

Hope it goes well.

I did, and DC was much littler than DC1 but fine and well.

because of a hospital protocol (waters went many days before the C section) DC was almost immediately taken to the baby unit for tests and checks, including a lumbar puncture, which I was angry about. DH was not allowed to follow. DH must have consented (I was still in surgery, he’d had to leave due to minor complications) but couldn’t remember. He was alone for 2 hours in a waiting room not knowing what was happening!

I would ask in advance what their protocol is about checks etc. They could have informed us before the section, but didn’t

Didn’t have any steroid injections. Luckily DH has immense lungs as do both DC

Oh yes, DC had antibiotics and canula, came out next morning.

DS was born at 36+0. No NICU or SCBU visits. No steroids. We did stay on the postnatal ward for 3 nights because he was slow to latch and had to be syringe fed, but once they saw him take a feed we were cleared to go home. Only thing was that I had to give birth under consultant led care rather than in the MLU.

I did - spontaneous labour at 36 weeks had steroids on the morning and delivered the next day emergency c section. Baby did have respiratory issues they think from an infection as they left me too long for the section. Baby was in NICU for 10 days he's been fine since unrelated sleep apnea. Good luck OP

My sister had my nephew spontaneously at just over 36 weeks. He was in nicu for about 2 weeks which was tough when she was sent home after 1 week. They couldn't get breastfeeding going due to him being fed by syringe for so long and it was quite stressful, but it ended up OK in the end.
He's 9 now, he's very advanced for his age and the most wonderful, polite, bright boy. You'd have no idea that he was born early.

35+5 and she had a brief spell, 5 days, in nicu. She had issues regulating blood sugar and needed treatment for jaundice. We went home on day 6.
She seemed to be quite uncomfortable for the first couple of months, always full of wind and having digestive discomfort. She soon settled down though.

My SIL did. She tends to have big babies that arrive early and my niece was fine. First few days she was a bit yellow so they put her under the lamp (but that has nothing to do with the gestation). After that she was home.

Their almost cooked at 36 weeks, even if they need to stay a while it won't be very long.