I'm having a ELC on 4th October, I'll be 31+3. This pregnancy has been high risk from the start due to being twins but due to more complications; me and one baby, it's been stressful and heartbreaking. I won't go into too much detail and ramble on.
Here's the facts:
T1's has Oligohydramnios, started at 9 weeks. Always up and down.
T1's has SUA and severe IUGR diagnosed at 20 weeks.
T2 is healthy and estimated at 3lbs.
T1 is estimated at 1lb 5oz.
I had an Iron IV at 24 weeks.
Went into preterm labor on Monday. Had magnesium until Friday afternoon and steriods.
I have 4 other DC who are thankfully in school/nursery all week.
I'm struggling to deal with it all and have no idea what I should pack in my bag seeing as I won't be bringing them home. We've had a tour of the wards but it's not really helped.
What should I expect involvement wise. I want to use cloth diapers but no idea where to start for babies that small or even if they're allowed. I plan on calling the NICU but was hoping you lovelies with experience could lend me some tips and advice.
Sorry for the long post! Stuck in a hospital bed has left me nothing to do but think.
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Premature birth
Tips/Advice on how to cope please.
MultipleMama · 29/09/2013 13:43
Congratulations 
My ds2 was born last December at 24 weeks weighing barely 1lb. My pregnancy was extremely high risk and he had thankfully had steroids and mag in utero. He was ventilated, sedated, transfused etc but he came home a few days before he his due date. At 9 months he's now happy and healthy.
Definitely read to them, I read to Alex it was the one thing I could actually do if that makes sense. I read Jane Austen to him 
Are you able to have kangaroo care?
Mothercare also sell micro preemie nappies. I use cloth ones now but they were too much hassle in nicu.
Take care of yourself x
Congratulations!!!!
In April I had twin girls at 31+3 weeks Via Csection. Do not worry, they will be just fine. Don't pack anything for them at first, just yourself. The neonatal unit will provide the basics for their first couple of days and they will be in snuggly warm incubators with just a nappy on :) mine were 2lb 10 and 3lb 7oz. The little one has Down's syndrome which we discovered may have been the reason for the slow down in her growth. It's all good though after the initial shock of course.
They like you to provide your own nappies eventually so get yourself down to tesco and buy the tiny baby ones ...I don't shop at tesco usually but looked EVERYWHERE and tesco do the tinyest nappies in the land, and they're really cheap.
I'm so excited for you. I know it is scary but although they will be tiny, they are absolutely brilliant on the neonatal units. I had the steroids and mine didn't need any help breathing at all, but if yours do it's usually only for a day or so at this gestation.
I expressed every time I was around them to stimulate production and it came in buckets eventually. They will put your booby milk in their tummy through tubes until they learn to feed but you can also wipe a bit on their lips, they love it! The unit my girls were on provided me with a fantastic pump (I'm sure yours will too) and they'll keep what you express in their fridge so you can go home and rest at night.
You can see them whenever you want! 24-7 and the more skin on skin you have the better! It regulates their breathing, keeps them warm, stimulates your milk, increases their oxygen saturation...etc.
I could bang on all day but I won't 
if you want a chat or any advice (as I've been in the same boat) I could give you my number...if there is a way on here??
All the best! Xx
I didn't realise you'd already had them! Stupid me! Congratulations!!!
How are you all doing? So small but they will be just fine!
It is so hard having someone else care for them but they are getting such good care and you get to mend yourself before they come home, they need you to be strong because they are so little. I had photos of them and looked at them every night and their clothes that smelled of them. I also would leave vest tops that of been wearing and put them in with them to snuggle. They remember and are comforted by your smell
Yes, read to them! Talk to them all the time and touch them if you can't have kangaroo care. I read somewhere that high pitched noises are clearer for them so use your silliest voice
If the unit will let you, take something musical in, we used the "tranquil turtle" from Amazon and play it every evening before you go home, you can continue this when you get them home and they'll find it familiar in their new surroundings- x
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