Next pregnancy... How did you cope after you'd reached your previous week of delivery?

[Snowboarder]

Just that really... My DS1 was born at 28 weeks and spent 2 mo in NICU and SCBU just over a year ago. It was a horrible time and traumatised me more than I realised, although he is now doing wonderfully.

I am pregnant with DS2 (an unexpected surprise!) and am 28 weeks pg tomorrow. Feeling very anxious although I am having some telephone counselling sessions paid for by the premature baby charity Bliss, which are helping me cope just about.

My question is simply, how do I get through the next few weeks? Any words of wisdom?

Hi, my dd1 was born at 29 weeks. She is 3.5 years now and I still occasionally burst into tears when something triggers me (eg. the sight of an ambulance, the hospital, photos, though often I'm absolutely fine with seeing any of those things...)The week leading up to that date when pregnant with dd2 was horrible, my anxiety and fear of the same thing happening again was at its worst then. Once I was past 29 weeks, the anxiety just lifted and with every passing week I felt so blessed and saw it as a bonus week. So, for me personally, it only got better from dd1's delivery date onwards. I wish you all the best and try to just enjoy! It'll all be new to you (being this pregnant) and should be exciting in a good way :)

Same as the previous poster really. I went into labour at 27+4 and delivered at 27+6 so that week was horrendous. I had to work, but moved as little as possible (don't know why I associated being active with causing problems). I was a nervous wreck. But the rationale part of my brain was telling me that I'd had lots of scans and been advised that it was unlikely to happen again and I just had to think positive.

I also thought that since my prem babies are now fine with no lasting effects of their prematurity, and I'd done everything right (nutritionally etc) to make this one as healthy as possible, although the journey would be horrendous if I delivered early again, ultimately I'd end up with another healthy baby.

Good luck, it is a really difficult time, but fingers crossed all goes well.

P.S. I got to 39+6 second time around - still early but only by a day!!

Thank you both so much for responding. I'm 29 weeks on Saturday so i've beaten my 'personal best' pg wise by almost a week now and weird though it seems, each day I feel a tiny bit better.

I'm just hoping I can make it to at least 34 weeks so that the baby will have only a short SCBU stay hopefully. I'm taking the remainder of my pg in 2 week goals now so the next one is 30 weeks - then 32/34/36!

Jokat - did you make it to term with your next baby?

Mandy - well done on (almost) reaching term - what a fab outcome! How did you find your last few weeks of pg? It's all new to me from here on in.

Hi there. Congrats on getting so far, the magical big 30 is in sight . I did find that I calmed down, as I got closer to the end, and after about 32 weeks I really enjoyed it. I loved all the things that I'd missed previously - where you can watch your bump and actually see the baby turn over or move, the really BIG kicks that take your breath away, the packing of my hospital bag and putting normal sized babygros in it. Sounds mad but it was just really special. Everyone kept saying "ooh, you must be fed up now" when I was big and nearly at the end - I had restless leg whichs was a nightmare and wanted the loo every 5 seconds, developed quite an unattractive waddle, but I loved it.

My prem babies were whisked off without me even seeing them properly 1st time around, so this time, after a quick labour, the midwife handed me the baby and I was a bit like "so what do I do now? what am I supposed to do with her?" ;-) it was fab but so different.

I know its so much easier said than done, but try to relax, enjoy it, think positive and trust that even if the worst were to happen and you went into prem labour again, you'd got through it once and you can get through it again.

Hi Snowboarder, my second baby arrived only two weeks early, after 37 min of labour
So you must be 31 weeks by now, are you enjoying your pregnancy now without the worry? x