Premature baby - 34 vs 36 weeks

[Lalla525]

Hi, I'm looking for information about the difference (in birth outcomes as well as later in life problems) depending on how premature a baby is.

In particular, I am interested in knowing if there is a significant difference between 34 and 36 weeks.

Does anybody have some reference (or personal experience) they can/would like to share?

Thanks very much!!

Can I ask why you're asking? I had a 36 weeker, if you can let me know your circumstances I can probably answer the question better

Ds was 35 +5. Didn't need special care and bf the next day. Did have jaundice and used a mat in his crib at the side of my bed...
I had 1 steroid jab pre birth for his lungs...

I don't know the answer, but I remember a chart in Expecting Better by Emily Oster, which one of my friends found very reassuring.

I have vasa praevia and they will need to get baby out with a cesarean. I have divergent consultants opinions and trying to understand better for myself. Not that I have 100% control over it, but I can push for one option or the other, which is the reason woof my question.

I had a section at 34 and 37 weeks exactly
34 weeks was small, needed special care for temp control, oxygen and feeding. After 3 days was off all equipment. After 5 days was starting to bottle feed and we were home 2 weeks after birth. Now a perfectly healthy, no educational needs 6 year old.
37 weeks, healthy weight but needed oxygen and feeding, off oxygen and feeding after 3 days. We had to stay in for a week after birth as needing treatment for jaundice. Now a perfectly healthy 2 year old.

I have had an unexpected 34 weeker. We had 12 days on neonatal unit which involved about 24-36 hours treatment for jaundice. The main issue keeping us in was feeding and needing an NG tube until feeding was established. Had I not tried and failed to breast feed I suspect we could have been discharged a couple of days earlier.

It was a vaginal delivery and they managed to get the 2 doses of steroids in and there were no breathing issues. There are no long term problems related to prematurity.

34 weeks is obviously early to plan a delivery so the opinion which suggested that you need to be delivered that early must have been given for good reason and it would be worth trying to understand that a bit more rather than get experiences on here. Our situations aren’t really comparable as mine was an uncomplicated pregnancy until I went into premature labour. Having said that, if you have either a 34 or 36 week delivery it is very likely to be ok although the baby may need some help initially.

I had a 36 weeker due to suspected placental insufficiency (type 1 diabetes).

Forceps delivery after quite a long induction but the actual labour was quite quick and fine. Requested intervention at the end as was very tired.

Baby was 6lb5 which I think was 50th centile for her gestation? So average basically. She was very sleepy and we had to wake her for a feed every 3 hours. She had trouble breastfeeding so initially pumped and gave formula but she got the hang of it around 6 weeks old. She was quite jaundiced so needed UV lamp but other than that totally fine.

Shes hit her milestones so far and seems happy (9mo).

Good luck

Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl? Girls do slightly better than boys at the same gestation I think.

I had a 33w5d emergency c section. Only one lot of steroids given. He had 16 days in nicu to help with breathing, maintaining his body temp and then feeding. He was tube fed for about 8 days. He was 4lb 6 so small but not tiny and struggled to gain weight but once he did thrived. The new born baby phase was much longer and lasted about 4 months. Now a very bouncy 3 year old!

I have a 36 weeker - she just couldn't wait! She was born 6lb. I had gestational diabetes but she passed her blood sugar test, latched on and bf within minutes of birth and we were home less than 24 hours later

Had a 34 weeker. Slight breathing issues in the first few hours, jaundice so was on phototherapy for 3 days. Breastfed no problem and more than caught up by the time he was 1. Was 5lb at birth but crept up to 95th centile.

Also difference between being born at the very beginning of week 34 and the end.

Awww OP I’m in a similar position!

My waters broke at 25 weeks and whilst I’m nearly 29 now I’ll either be induced between 34-37 weeks or I’ll go spontaneously at any time!

So scary isn’t it xx

I had a 36 weeker, no special care but did have jaundice so we were in hospital for 8 days. She struggled with bf, so we mix fed which worked for us. She'll be 4 on Sunday, and hit all milestones.

DD1 was a very late 33 weeker (would have been 34 weeks if the clocks hadn't changed the week before) - 3 days in NICU, fortnight in hospital establishing feeding (would have been longer if we had stayed to get breastfeeding) - was late end of the normal window for crawling, sitting, walking - very early talker and has never shut up since... fairly near the top of her class academically and a stroppy little bugger.

DD2 - 36 weeker (had steroids at threatened early delivery at 33 weeks) - has had minor issues and special needs throughout - dairy allergy, reflux and threw up for a year, speech delay and verbal dyspraxia, motor dyspraxia, eczema, chronic constipation causing faecal incontinence. Also a stroppy little bugger (I breed them stroppy). Was up to the ward with me on delivery, only had to stay in for hospital prematurity protocols and because of jaundice.

Both had stints under the jaundice lights.

My baby was born at 36 weeks exactly. No intervention necessary and discharged from hospital the following morning. He was 5lbs7. He was sleepy for the first month and we needed a lot of help getting breastfeeding going. He’s almost 2 now and doing great.

Aww thanks all. This is very reassuring to hear that babies are overall doing fine.

I am really torn because I would like to go to 36 weeks, but appreciate the risks of doing so (which of course are reduced at 34 weeks, while risks associated with prematurity are increased).

@MrsRose2018 yeah - it's terrifying. You have the added worry that baby is without waters (can't imagine how stressful that it) and I have the added worry that if I go into labour spontaneously, baby dies. I really envy people who have straightforward pregnancies. Not sure how they do it.

I had DD at 35+5, slight issue with maintaining temp but that was it. She was in SCBU for 5 days, most of that was because I was too ill to care for her. Sightly later reaching milestones such as sitting/crawling/walking/talking but is totally on a parr with her her peers at school now (she's 5). She was also physically small until she was about 3.5 but is now in age 6 clothes.

DS was born at 33+3. He had issues with his breathing and problems with his bowel. He was in NICU for 20 days. Same issues with delayed milestones but he's caught up much quicker physically. He's 2.4 and the same size as his peers. His speech is still slightly behind but that will come in time.

I had steroids with both of them due to pre-eclampsia.

I had a 36+3.

Waters went but contractions induced (birth 4 hours after first pessary). She was 6’13 lbs. No intervention needed. Just uv treatment for jaundice.

She was v sleepy for months and we had to wake to feed. Took 8 weeks to fully establish bf but I expressed and cup fed in the meantime.

No health issues so far (she’s 4 now).

Hi!
All my babies have been prem
DC1 born at 29 weeks via CS weighed 2lb 11oz. 9 week stint in NNU. Came home on oxygen. Now a moody(healthy 16 year old)

DC2 born at 35+5 natural delivery weighed 6lb 6oz. Home the next day. Now a moody(healthy) 8 year old

DC3 born at 30 weeks natural delivery weighed 3lb 14oz. No problems after birth, just needed to put weight on. 4 weeks in NNU. Now a moody(healthy) 5 year old, who I BF for 2 years

How many weeks are you now? I had vasa previa but it was only picked up at 36+4 at a growth scan. I was admitted there and then and had a c section the next day. I don't know if it was because I was so far along at that point but the consultant who saw me said that if it wasn't for the steroid injections that were needed, they would have taken out baby that day. I'm just wondering if they'd let you go to 36 weeks?
She was absolutely fine but she was a big baby, weighing 3kg500 3 weeks early!

I am 30 weeks now. Consultant1 mentioned straight away 36 weeks. He was even unsure about pre-hospitalisation because of covid. I will insist on it though.

I have seen since another consultant privately, who said they would not let their patients go to 36 weeks as there is a lot of risk and between 34 and 36 there is no much difference.

Hiwever, in the research I read seems it makes quite a big difference (34 vs 36).

I really dont know what to do

I will insist on pre-hospitalisation at 33 weeks, but from there is guess work because the consultant was ok with 36, but I'm worried to leave it too late.

Jesus OP that must be utterly utterly terrifying! You poor thing.

I don't know if this makes any difference to you OP but when I went in to hospital at 25 weeks I was told there was a 70-75% chance of viability and of that percentage a 70-75% of baby having no birth defects! By comparison I was told that at 28 weeks that goes up to 90-95% so I think at 34-36 you're pretty much fine either way!

As seems to be the case with the responses here it's all dependant on the innate and individual differences of the baby. Some delivered at 34 weeks are healthier than the 36 weekers etc. You just don't know how your baby would fare!

I hate the thought of having to deliver at 34 weeks but the way I see it is if the consultant is SUGGESTING delivery at 34 weeks there is no way there could be serious genuine risks to the baby? I would rather get him out earlier happy and healthy and maybe slightly less strong as he could be at 36W+ than hold on longer and get an infection or some other complication associated with my PROM! That's totally just my opinion though and in no way am I trying to put that on your position 💕 x

@MrsRose2018 are you in hospital now or are you home? I'm dreading the hospital experience as I will be completely alone (no visitors allowed). I totally agree with the policy, just feels shit. On the other hand, cant wait to be there and feel safer and monitored.