Tell me your premature birth story...

[CloverHeart]

Spoken to my consultant after a scan and baby isn't growing as she should. Basically, they will rescan me at 28 weeks and if still IGUR they will induce me at anytime from 28 onwards depending on how at risk she is.

I'd like to know what your preemie birth was like in preparation of what might come. I hate not knowing and it would really help (before and after) to have something to relate to.

Gestation of birth:
Gestation you were told/knew baby would be early:
Reason for premature labour/birth:
Sex:
Weight:
Delivery (Vaginal/C-section):
How long in special care and where (NICU/SCBU):
Weight on discharge:
Problems after birth (mum and baby):

Gestation of birth: 27+6

Gestation you were told/knew baby would be early: Spontaneous labour at 27+4, tried to stop it (had steriods), delivered at 27+6

Reason for premature labour/birth: No identified reason (but I suspect a UTI)

Sex: Twins - (girl / boy)

Weight: 2lb 6.5oz / 2lb 6oz

Delivery (Vaginal/C-section): Vaginal (even though DS was breech)

How long in special care and where (NICU/SCBU): 61 days

Weight on discharge: 4lb 9oz each

Problems after birth (mum and baby): None for me. DS was ventilated for 24 hrs, both had CPAP for a few days. Usual jaundice. After about 2 weeks, the hospital said they just had to "feed & grow".

They're now 9. Did the London Marathon for BLISS last year and parents / teachers were astounded that they'd been so early. I can absolutely understand your worry but rest assured that staff in neonatal units are brilliant. Good luck

Thank you to all who have posted their experiences on this thread. I am in a similar position to the OP and have found it really helpful to read your stories.

Gestation - 32 weeks

Gestation you were told - about an hour before he was born

Reason - His heartbeat was slow and getting slower but no identified reason as to why it was slowing

Sex - Boy

Weight - 4lbs 2

Delivery -EMCS

How long in special care - SCBU for 23 days

Weight on discharge - 4lbs 10

Problems after birth - Narrowly avoided being intubated, instead had CPAP, quite severe jaundice which needed a transfusion and a heart murmur developed just before discharge which healed itself.
No problems with me

DS is now 5 and is a ball of energy from dawn til hours past dusk

Sorry to hear about your baby's IUGR.
I had a semi- elective c-section at 28 weeks for IUGR reasons.
660g and 12 weeks in neonatal.
Induction not usually an option at this stage for tiny fragile babies.
They don't often make it through the birthday process without some injury fatal or otherwise. Wishing you all the best.

30 weeks

At around 22 weeks into my pregnancy we were told twin 2 was growing small (IUGR) and would prob have to come out early. However they also kept saying he "wasn't viable" as he was so small. They took a wait and see approach. Getting to 30 weeks was very important as a milestone and risks sig improve. As his growth slowed and then heartbeat became inconsistent, we decided to get them both out. It was becoming obvious to the team about a week earlier and they gave me steroids. Twin 2 was doing fine in utero.

Female/male

2lb 12oz / 1lb 12oz

Delivered via emergency c section. Amazing organisation i thought. From decision being made to babies being whizzed upstairs to nicu was around 60mins.

55 days in hospital I think, around 7 days in nicu and remainder in scbu

Discharged a few days of each other : twin 1 at around 6lb and twin 2 around 4.5lb

Twin 1 fine and dandy throughout just needed time to grow. Twin 2 had no major probs in hospital either. At home, he developed severe reflux and we had (still have feeding problems). He is still tiny and will not budge from 0.4 percentile. Weighs 17.5lb at 18m actual. Seems to want to grow at his own pace. Has been on high cal milk and still is. Does not want solids still and we are going to change to a toddler high cal milk now. He is though an amazing baby. Full of energy and doing incredibly well with his milestones. He was walking at 9 months. Everybody adores him partly because of his energy levels and size I think.

Mum ok now but was v anxious and had to take tablets for around 1 year to cope. Saw a psychologist at the unit for a long time. I'm still obsessed with his size and food intake. People constantly telling me what a cute baby he is and how he is too small to be walking!! (Get v irritated with this).

Just get through the experience and take each day as it comes. The end will come and u will go home. Try to mobilise any support u can when u go home. See someone to talk to if u need to.

Anyhow,

Take care and let us know how u get on

Thank you all so much for sharing I know it is incredibly difficult for some of you to do so. Going to have a good read of your stories this morning and reply properly!

Gestation - 28+2

Gestation you were told - 15 weeks

Reason - Incompetent Cervix, had an emergency cerclage placed at 18 weeks which broke through at 23 weeks, on hospital bed rest from then on. Delivery was threatened about once a week due to bleeds and/or rising infection values which they were able to control with a cocktail of antibiotics. Water broke at 27 weeks and I delivered 1 week later

Sex - Boy

Weight - 1080g

Delivery - I went into spontaneous labour but on advice from the doctors had an emergency c-section in order to save the baby the stress of a vaginal birth.

How long in special care - 8 weeks

Weight on discharge - 2400g

Problems after birth - thankfully relatively few. Ventilated for 19 hours, on CPAP for 1.5 weeks, very slight jaundice which required 6 hours under the lamp, iron deficiency (still takes iron supplements), left side inguinal hernia which was operated on when he was 3 months old. He is now almost 4 months old weighs 4kg and is doing wonderfully. He has slight reflux but we're not treating it as he gains weight well and has no discomfort. So far he has met all his milestones well ahead of his (adjusted) schedule.

It has by far been the most challenging time of my life but the outcome has been so positive that the rest fades into the background. In my time in the hospital and NICU I met a lot of preemies and their moms of all different gestations and the outcomes were almost always very good even for the earliest babies.

Hi! I have 2 stories to add, mine from 27 years ago and DS who is almost 6

Me:
Gestation of birth: 26 + 1
Gestation you were told/knew baby would be early:
Reason for premature labour/birth: parents had no idea, mum was in a car crash, unconscious and had a placental haemorage
Sex: female
Weight: 1lb 2oz
Delivery (Vaginal/C-section): c section
How long in special care and where (NICU/SCBU): almost 4 months. Was just called scbu then
Weight on discharge: about 5 1/2 lbs
Problems after birth (mum and baby): mum needed major blood transfusions etc and was close to loosing her uterus but an amazing doctor saved it.
I had: apnoeas, fits, pneumonia twice, meningitis and a brain haemorage, very slow weight gain.None of this has affected me as I hit all the developmental milestones and have gained 2 degrees!! Mum days it was very funny at 9 months old seeing peoples faces when I walked as I was only around 10lbs

DS:
Gestation of birth: 31+6
Gestation you were told/knew baby would be early: about an hour before but had been told they would like to get me to 34 weeks
Reason for premature labour/birth: severe pre eclampsia, oligohydramnios, IUGR, and borderline HELLP
Sex: male
Weight: 2 and half pounds
Delivery (Vaginal/C-section): EMCS
How long in special care and where (NICU/SCBU): 6 weeks in scbu
Weight on discharge: 4lb 6oz
Problems after birth (mum and baby): me: pre eclampsia fit and suspected blood clot. DS: suspected meningitis at 1 point, otherwise all the usual preemie issues. Didn't hit all his milestones on time: ie was 9 months old before he could roll over, 10 months sitting unaided, 2 before he walked and had speech therapy. Not really any issues now at Nearly, other than regular chest infections. He's in year 1 at school but can easily do year 2 work. And he started school a year earlier than he should due to gestation he was born so should only be in reception class!!

Hi OP
I had my baby 10 wks ago and was in a very similar position to you. I had a scan at 28 wks where they picked up baby was small/IUGR. From then on I was montitored and scanned regularly and received the steroids at 32 wks following a large-ish bleed.

I had our baby girl at 36+2. I had known she would come early for a few weeks at that time due to the IUGR. The hope was that we would get to 37 weeks but at 36 weeks the consultant felt it would be better to move a bit quicker as growth had essentially stopped. I had a planned section 2 days later.

DD weighed 4lb 4 on arrival, dropped a little and was 3lb 15 when we went home a week later. After delivery we went straight to the post natal ward where She was fine for the the first day or two but then spent a couple of days in SCBU as it was felt she would benefit from tube feeding whilst my milk came in. She also had a bit of jaundice. Nothing else. I was fine, recovered really well.

Those last weeks of pregnancy were very stressful and I was really worried that something sinister was the cause of the IUGR, but it was placenta-related, as is usually the case, and since coming home my lovely baby has thrived, putting on half a pound a week consistently. She is wonderful!

Good luck with it all x

Sorry if I sound really grumpy - and I don't want to minimise anyone's difficult times - but in response to the last post: can a baby born at 36+2, even if small for dates, really count as premature? I write as someone who had a 28 weeker 21 months ago and got to know the world of premature babies rather well...

Any child born 36 weeks or earlier is considered a premature baby (some call them late-preterm babies), either way, still premature. Full term is 37 weeks +. So yes, a baby born at 36+2 can be considered premature, it's based on gestation not weight.

I understand that, multiplemama, and the formal definition is pretty clear - but in the context of this forum I think this last case is just not really a preemie. And it angers me that people think they can compare their slightly early babies and relatively straightforward journeys to some of the other stories posted here.

A 36 weeker can have simpler problems to that of a 30 weeker.

I think you're being slightly insulting here, not intentionally, I hope. I doubt they are comparing, just sharing their stories and experiences just like OP asked for.

A relatively straightforward journey may not seem like that to the mother in question who went through a lot of emotions and stressful times, maybe not to the extent of other mothers, but nothing that should be dismissed or classed as not as "important or worthy" because her baby was only born 4 days shy of full term.

This forum is for anyone with a premature baby who needs advice, support, or just wants to talk, regardless of how premature their baby is. If poster 1 turned around and told poster 2 that their baby isn't "really" premature and therefore shouldn't be on this forum or be able to contribute to threads regarding prematurity stories/experiences due to gestation etc, I wouldn't think much of that poster 1...

That's just my view. I'm sure it's very varied on here.

Sorry Gurke but I agree with Mama. Every birth before 37 weeks is prem and everyone with a prem birth or risk of prem is welcome here.

In particular, the OP on this thread doesn't know how far she may get - so all levels of prematurity will be of interest to her. She will, I expect, want to see how the experience is likely to be different according to how far she gets. In fact irie's story is one of the closest parallels to the OP in that she also discovered IUGR at 28 weeks.

Of course there are different levels of prematurity and different levels of stress and health problems. Anyone who's been in a neo natal unit will get that. But nobody here is saying that having a 36 weeker is "the same" as having a 28 weeker. Of course it's different. But are they both premature births? Are they both relevant to this thread and this forum? Yes.

What does get my goat is people saying their baby was "premature" when they were born at 39 weeks

Gestation at birth: 33+6
Gestation I knew likely to be prem: 28 weeks, blood supply on right side impaired.
Reason for prem delivery: suspected pre-eclampsia
Sex: male
Weight: 1.86kg (4lbs 1 1\2oz)
Delivery: emergency section
In Nicu\scbu: 16 days
Weight on discharge: 4lbs 10oz
Problems: I had none really, put on medication for high bp. DS grew and grew and grew.

I'm with Mama on this one too. Any baby born before 37 weeks is premature. End of story.

Anyway, my premature birth story goes like this...

Gestation: 23+6 Twins

Gestation you knew baby would be born early: Went into labour at 23 weeks exactly, and it was on & off from there until delivery

Reason: No definite reason, but there were signs of infection, failing placenta & other factors such as IVF & multiple pregnancy.

Sex: Boy/ Girl twins

Weight: 650g & 620g

Delivery: Vaginal

How long in NICU: 4 1/2 months between two hospitals

Weight on discharge: DS was almost 5lb & DD was almost 6lb

Problems after birth: I had a retained placenta & PPH which apparently is more common in premature births. Apart from that I was fine & discharged the next day.
The twins were ventilated for 2/4 weeks, then CPAP, nasal cannula oxygen (DD came home on 02). Both diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. Serious brain bleeds which bith resolved. Sepsis on too many occasions to count including GBS sepsis which was terrifying & was almost the end of the line for them. Retinopathy of prematurity (an eye condition) which resolved without treatment. 30 blood transfusions between them. Suspected NEC. I could go on but that's he important stuff!! DS recently diagnosed with very mild CP, but he is hitting all his milestones for corrected age.
It's a long journey, and it stays with you for a long time. But we have come out of the other side with two gorgeous, cheeky toddlers. I hope everything goes well for you

Don't normally comment but nowfourspuds , your twins were a fantastic weight for 23 weekers. Don't mean to take away from other problems u encountered. My twin 2 was 800g at 30 weeks. Well done to u. Tough journey I bet??

It was a very tough journey, especially for my DD who we nearly lost on a few occasions. She has come out of it with almost no problems, which is incredible after a grade 3/4 IVH. My son who had a 'relatively' easy journey is the one with long term problems.

We were so lucky that they were good weights, eapecially as our IVF dates made them 23+4 weeks. I've said since that I was rubbish at getting/ staying pregnant, but good at growing babies while I was! I hope your twins are doing well now.

Gurke - my post was in no way antagonistic yet it clearly riled you, not sure why.

I am sorry you don't feel like I have a right to comment on these kind of threads but I disagree, and I am glad other posters do too. Multiple, NowFour and Mini I appreciate your comments. The reason I commented was not to try to jump onto some kind of prem bandwagon, but to share my experience of having an IUGR baby early, which I hope will help the OP. I had three hospital admissions before I went in for my section, because despite how minimal you think my experience was, the maternity staff felt differently and treated my case seriously. Those were scary times for me as a first time mum-to-be, and I scoured this forum looking for stories about IUGR babies and births. It helped a great deal. By the time I had the section I was absolutely thankful that my pregnancy had got as far as it had, and that my baby was in relatively good shape, but that doesn't mean to say I found it easy during pregnancy or when she was in special care, however brief. Shuffling down three floors to SCBU at 3am to breastfeed whilst recovering from a section was physically hard and going back to post natal ward to be surrounded by women with their big 9lb babies was tough emotionally. Of course I absolutely appreciated that there were many mums dealing with much worse, but it didn't mean I didn't find my situation upsetting.

As it goes, when I am out with my baby I get stopped constantly as she still looks newborn, so I am always explaining 'She's small, she came four weeks early' - I don't use the word premature. Similarly in my post I was not trying to compare my experience with those mums whose babies had come earlier

Sorry, posted too soon.

Anyway - I was simply wanting to share my experience with OP - our situations are very similar and therefore I think/hope my story is relevant. She will be reviewed with every growth scan like I was and may get to 36 - 37 weeks too, but as it stands she is probably like I was, fearing the worst and worried about her unborn baby.

Gurke, I agree with multiplemama and the others: this isn't a competition to find the gestation with the most problems - it's meant to give the OP an idea of what to expect if her baby is born at 30weeks, 32, 34, 36... The medical profession considers

How are you doing these days MiaowTheCat? It is sad to see that people think there needs to be a criteria for some to post on the board. We have a thread on here you are very welcome to pop on to if you ever want to chat; its like an NCT group :) I truely hope you are in a better "head" space now - really hope that didn't sound offense or insulting! Xx