Induced at 35 weeks, on Sunday for small baby, worried

[cheesemumma]

Hello,

I'll be 35 weeks exactly on Sunday and bring induced for small baby. 4lb 2oz.

I'm worried about baby, because Drs have said she will be in nicu, I will probably be unwell on postnatal, due to BP issues. Worried about leaving my 2yr at home for so long without her mama.

Anyone had experience with this. I've already had 2 doses of steroids. Small prem baby I wonder how long we'll be in for.

35wks isnt that prem so try not to worry, ive had a 28wk was in hospital 7wks & a 33wk was in hospital 2wks. At 35wks it would be more feeding that will keep u in, so maybe a week or 2 at the most.it will feel like much longer but when u get home it will be amazing.x

I had my DD at 35+5 and apart from mild jaundice which required no treatment to she was absolutely fine and we were discharged within 48 hours.

Have you had steroids injections I think they help? They expected her to be small around 5lb but she was born 6lbs.

Hope all goes well for you xx

I've just been booked in to be induced on Monday, I will be 35+4 and baby is currently estimated at around 5lbs.

Being induced for low fluid and slightly reduced growth.

Its all come as a bit of shock and I'm a bit nervous but hopefully it's what is best for the baby and same for you.

@mrsryan yes. I think that's what we hve to think. It's for the best. I think our baby will only be 4lb at 35 birth weight. I think this is why I'm nervous. Small and prem. My dd1 was 5lb 4oz at 38 weeks. She just avoided nicu. I went to breastfeed and am worried about the difficulties if she is put in the nicu. Good luck on Monday.

Thanks for your replies guys.

I was in the exact same situation as you. Pre-eclampsia. Induced the day before 35 weeks. She came at bang on 35 weeks. She was actually smaller than your baby is estimated to be. She was in scbu for 1 night I believe. Not in an incubator.
So all in all really good - better than we were led to expect.

I on the other hand was in for a week after due to blood pressure (she was in with me of course)

... So don't worry!

@purpleme12 that sounds tough but what I would like. Don't want to be separated on different wards for ages. Did your BP go up after birth. Mine did last time and it was a struggle to control. Did your baby come back on your ward after a day then?.

My blood pressure was up before and after. I was quite bad apparently. Yes she came to join me on the post natal ward

It doesn't sound like you're as bad as me anyway I was in hospital a few days before. So you probably won't have to stay as long anyway

My SIL is a neonatal nurse who deals with REALLY prem babies (20weeks+) so this is something she told me re breastfeeding...

They get their mums to express and then they will feed that milk to the baby if it's not able to be fed actually on the mother's breast. The mums then to on to breast feed normally as soon as they are able to hold babies and/or go home.

She told me this as I was worried as MN posts do make out that breastfeeding issues are more common than they are sometimes. Her point was that if we have no issues with mums who have babies in the early 20 weeks then most won't have an issue!

My DD2 arrived at 35 weeks and had no NICU/SCBU time (spontaneous preterm labour) - breastfed from the start. They put her in a heated cot at first but quickly realised that they were cooking her! Kept in for 3 days due to early birth but no actual need.

We induced DS at 36 weeks for pre-eclampsia and they estimated his weight at 4.5 lb. He came out at 6.5 lb so the scan was clearly inaccurate. Also no NICU/SCBU time and bf from the start. Kept in for 4 days due to my blood pressure.

Fingers crossed all goes well for you and I don't blame you for being anxious but 'late preterm' babies generally do extremely well. I found that the midwives really initially pushed supplementary feeding as a protocol (rather than for a specific clinical reason) for early babies which was a pain when they were clearly breastfeeding well, but other than that there were no issues. I am pregnant again and planning to express syringes of colostrum to use if we do need to supplement.

My 4lb 35 weeker was in SCBU for three days then on ward with me (they had space!) for another four till he'd regained birthweight. Was sleepy and difficult to feed (NGT for a few days), for the first few months. Remained small, but grew steadily - now 5' 6'' so short - but we all are! He's off to university this year. I hope....

Dd1 32 weeker 3lb 4 oz scbu for 3.5 weeks.

Dn 35 weeks exactly no scbu but in hospital for 4 days with feeding issues. 6 lb7oz

Dcousin 27 weeks in scbu 12 weeks 1lb 12oz.

Me 35+5 4lb 13 oz in hospital 5 days but this was just seemingly the norm 37 odd years

They rand this morning to sy no bed on nicu for baby so not being induced yet🙄. But have to be on delivery suite sweating to be monitored. Very frustrating. But nothing I can do. I've been tryi g to express colostrum for a couple o fb days but only managed to get about 1ml in total. Hope that doesn't bare poorly for upcoming feeding.

Waiting around is the worst. Hope they get you sorted. I wouldn't even bother to try expressing yet. Just try to keep hydrated and eat well - hard in hospital I know. All the best, I hope a bed comes up soon.

Good luck op! I’d also bare in mind they do get the weight wrong so she might not be that small. 4lb2 seems a good weight for 35 weeks, is it for static growth? Good luck OP, things will be fine I’m sure!
(Have you got little nappies?)

My DS was induced at 35 weeks, he weighed 8lb 😳 but was in NICU 4 days as he'd got holes in his lungs (fast labour and underdeveloped lungs, Drs had said I didn't need steroids as they wouldn't make a difference at that gestation 🤔).

He was on cpap oxygen and had a feeding tube but was fine. once he came off the cpap we went onto the main ward for 4 days where he pulled his own feeding tube out on day 1 and started breastfeeding like a pro!

The drs and nurses all said most 35 weekers don't need NICU or special care and we were just unlucky.

Good luck and try not to worry, the hospital staff are all very experienced with early babies.

I had ds at 35 weeks after they found a big blood clot and emcs it was. 4 hours notice!
He was 5-7 but dropped to 4-12 at take home weight. Bf on day 2, mw helped express colostrum and syringe fed him til then. He was next to me on the ward as breathed fine on his own. Home at a week old.

@cheesemumma hope you get a bed sorted soon so you don't have too much waiting around to do..
Just wanted to let you know though my son was born at 37 weeks weighing 5lb 2 oz and he unexpectedly ended up in nicu... He had stopped growing weeks earlier. He was in for a week before we got home.. I wanted to breastfeed but they also thought he maybe had an infection at birth so he was in an incubator tube fed. For the first 5 days I expressed what I could (not a lot) topped up tube feeds with formula.. Then day 5 he was allowed out of the incubator and they helped me latch him on... He had no bother and I exclusively breastfed for almost a year... The odd bottle of formula thrown in if my mum was babysitting for a bit... Just wanted to show that breastfeeding can be possible even if your little one does end up on nicu! Although hopefully they won't need nicu at all!
I hope all goes well for you

Hope all goes well!

My DS was induced at 35 weeks, no steroid injections first, weighed 4lb 4 and didnt need nicu despite being told he probably would. Perfect just tiny xxx

DS was born by ELCS at 35+2 after my waters broke at 35 exactly. He had trouble maintaining his blood sugars at birth & was taken to SCBU. It was touch & go at times if he would require a feeding tube but we luckily managed to avoid it. He also had severe jaundice but was successfully treated under a heat lamp thing. We were home after 5 days, he was on the ward with me for 2 nights before we came home.
He's now a very healthy 1yr old.
Hope you're okay OP. Sending you lots of good thoughts.

Managed to get into the hospital. Waiting now to have cervix stretched to see if they can pop waters. Midwife said it can take 32 hours to get onto delivery to pop waters 🙄🙄

Hope things are progressing for you, good luck

My son was born at 34 weeks due to pre eclampsia and weighed 4lb 1oz and was in nicu for 9 days, I stayed in for 4 days I think as my bp wouldn't stabilise enough to be discharged, easy enough to say but try not to worry! The nicu team at my hospital were absolutely amazing and massively put me at ease

Baby arrived safe and sound today. 4lb 4oz so bigger than expected and so far so good no nicu!!!

Congratulations! Hope you can get home soon