Please help. What to expect for baby born at 35 weeks

[GreenDill]

Hi, I’ve also posted on premature birth but it seems pretty quiet over there.

My consultant is going to let me know if DS2 will be delivered by section in the next few days. I’ll be 35 weeks. Just wondering of others experiences as to whether baby needed NICU/SCBU at this gestation or whether they were able to stay with you? DS1 was in NICU, just wondering how common it is with preterm babies and whether to prepare myself for another NICU stay. Thanks in advance

Hello @GreenDill

DC2 was born at 36 weeks, so perhaps my experience may not be relevant to you, but just thought I would let you know what happened in my case.

Baby was put on a heat mat after birth but was allowed to room in with me, he was not sent to NICU/SCBU. He had a nasogastric tube for the first 24 hours and was given formula for his first feed, even though I wanted to breastfeed, because they needed to keep his blood sugar stable and my milk hadn't come in yet.
We were transferred to a special ward for extra support and the baby was put on a 3-hour feeding schedule. I had to wake him for each feed and was told not to let him sleep. The danger with preemies is that if they sleep through a feed then their blood sugar can fall too low, and then they won't wake up when they do need a feed - so it is important not to skip feeds and just let them sleep.
I was instructed to let him feed at the breast only for a few minutes at a time, because feeding for longer would have been too strenuous and would have used up too much energy - more than he would have gotten from the milk itself. Instead, I was given a pump to stimulate the breast, and I topped up after every feed, initially with formula and then with breastmilk.
Baby was monitored closely for jaundice and we were kept in for 5 days. After discharge, our GP and midwife were told to keep a close eye on his weight.
I was able to wean him off the formula top ups within days, and after a week or so, once he had regained his birth weight, I was able to stop the BM top ups. I continued to feed every 3 hours because that was the pattern we fell into it. I had no trouble at all establishing breastfeeding because he could latch on well, but I understand that is not always the case before 36 weeks.
Physically, he was very skinny and had absolutely no fat at all on his thighs or bum. He slept a lot in the first few weeks.
We had to use tiny baby clothes for a while.

I hope everything goes well for you

My 35 weeker needed no additional support at all. Her blood sugars were checked twice the day she was born and they were fine so there were no concerns. She did however develope jaundice and needed to be under the blue light on the ward.

My 38 weeker low birth weight baby however had low blood sugars and needed formula top ups to keep her blood sugar stable. This however was only the first day.

Every baby however is different and you won't know anything until the baby is born.

Good luck!

I had my first at 36 weeks and she was breech. She was a tiny little thing at just over 5lbs but was very healthy. We were monitored for 24 hours and then allowed to go home.

Hope all goes well for you and your little one too.

I had 2, at 35 and ,34 weeks. Dd1,was fine a teeny little thing and jaundice but mo.nicu ..DD2, was. In nicu. For over a week she had an. Infection jaundice and was .low birth weight. You might be given steriofds for theirlungs.

I had time for one steroid injection.. Ds was 5-7 and fine. No tube, no formula. Bf the next day after mw managed to get some colostrum out and syringe fed ds the first day. He had slight jaundice and needed a lamp but just at my bedside. Bay of 4 we were in. All good!! Home at a week old...

DD was born at 35 weeks and needed no intervention whatsoever. Though they did bring it up to me as a possibility. She was quite small, but breastfeed brilliantly. They kept both me and DD in for a couple of days as I had high blood pressure and they wanted to monitor DD. We were out of hospital after about five days and she's now a very very active almost 3 year old. Good luck OP!

It varies a lot at that gestation. Dc2(9) was a spontaneous labour & delivery at 35 weeks exactly, I had steroids shoved in me but he was out 4 hours later so they had no time to work. He was very poorly but a good weight at 5lb 5oz (I make small babies, 3 in the 5lb range, 1 just over 6lb & my 'big one' at 6lb 13oz, had he stayed in he would have been my biggest). His first week was very touch & go. He spent 5 weeks in SCBU in total. My friend had a planned section at 35 weeks, steroids prior to that, her ds didn't need any time in SCBU at all (same hospital).

DS was induced at 35 weeks.

He was a big chubby 8lb.

Labour was v quick and i had ICP both of which probably contributed to him getting a hole in his lung so he was in NICU on cpap for a while and back on the ward he had to have light treatment for jaundice.

Drs said the vast majority of 35 weekers don't need nicu or extra support.

DS2 was born at 36 weeks by planned section. I had two steroid injections in the days leading up to it. He weighed 5lb. Didn’t need any interventions. Fed well from the get go (formula fed as struggled with BF with DS1 which led to him being admitted to NICU). Spent 2 nights in hospital just to monitor his weight but he didn’t lose too much of his birth weight so we were let home.

It does seem to vary a lot.
A friend of mine just had to have an unexpected section at 36 weeks. Her baby girl was absolutely fine and was home within a few days.

Mine was born at 36 weeks. Had no sucking reflex so after 2 days of failing to get anything into her from the breast they put a tube in her nose. I had to point out to them that she wasn't feeding and was very sleepy. I think they should probably have picked up on this earlier. That got her feeding back on track after a couple of days. She got jaundice. Luckily I was in my own room so she stayed with me the whole time, latterly under the lights for her jaundice. We went home after 7 days.

My son was born at 35 weeks exactly, he spent 4 days in intensive care, and 7 days in total at hospital which I stayed for which was mostly so he could have antibiotics etc as precaution. I've known a baby born at 34 weeks needing absolutely no support. It's so hard to know until baby gets here but I hope that when your baby comes they won't need much or any additional support :) it will be fine I'm sure x