Had my baby yesterday at 27 weeks. Anyone in the similar position with a preemie and want chat/ support?

[Esker]

After a tumultuous week of contractions and hospital admissions, my baby finally insisted on entering the world yesterday and arrived at 4.37am. He is so beautiful

He weighed just over 1kg, which is a good weight for 27 weeks. His first 23 hours have gone fairly well, although he is back on the ventilator having been taken off it quite soon, as he was struggling to maintain his oxygen levels.

Just wanted to shout out to see if anyone is in a similar situation for hand holding or general support. Or if anyone has advice from past experience, feel free to share

Hi Esker, I had twins at 25weeks so I know you're going through a very scary and difficult time. How is your baby? I hope he is doing well?

I remember just trying to get through each day at the beginning and not really understanding anything. We ended up 100 miles from home as well but just remember that you will be in the best place for yourself and your little boy. Do you have family support or someone to talk to?

It might be quite a long road for you but this is a great place to ask questions and you're welcome to message me any time xx

Hi Esker, my girl was born 12 days again at 27 weeks weighing 850g so I guess we're in the same place! She's been off the ventilator a few times but finding it hard to breathe on her own so they put her back on. Now we're trying steroid treatment to help mature her lungs. She's doing well with everything else at the moment so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this works and she's off the ventilator in the new year!

Thanks for your responses guys!

Greenjojo, how are your twins doing? That must have been so though to be far from home on top of everything else. I am so fortunate to live pretty near the hospital where my son is (we're in London). As you said, we're taking each day as it comes. It is so nice seeing news things each day e.g. Yesterday I saw his tummy properly for the first time. Before that I had only seen him lying on his side with all his tubes and cannulas in the way so just hadn't really seen his tum. And then I started crying because I felt sad that I hadn't seen his tummy until he was 3 days old! (There have been a lot of spontaneous years over small things )

Hashtag, hope your little girl is doing well. Sounds like we're in the same boat as I too am hoping he will get off I his ventilation very soon. There was talk of taking him off today, but the he had to have some other procedures to insert new lines and it was a lot of handling, which tired him out so much they decided to give him a rest overnight.

Happy new year to you and your babies ladies

Hi Esker. My prem baby was nowhere near as early and wasn't in special care for long but I do remember it all these years later as a roller coaster of emotions.
I hated congratulations whilst we were still waiting but if you'd like them, consider them given.
I hope things go well and 2017 is a year of him surpassing your expectations.

Hi esker hope all going well, Scbu is a massive rollercoaster. I had a slightly later baby (30+0) and we spent 7.5 weeks in a London Scbu too. Our son was on and off the ventilator and everything took longer than they expected but he just needed to do it in his own time. I hope you're doing ok and have support for you too

My DTs were born at 27weeks 2 years ago next week. I know exactly what you are going through. My DD came of vent within 3 hours but my son was another story, 25 days and then eventually home on oxygen. It's a long scary road but take it hour by hour, it's the only way I could get through. Try not to think ahead too much, everything changes. Listen to Drs and learn as much as you can about what's happening, it will help you feel involved. Eat, sleep and cry if you need to.
Sending hugs your way

My dd was born suddenly at 29 weeks. She was 2lb 6oz. This was 15 years ago. Agree with the pp who described scbu as a rollercoaster. It is, but somehow you get through, taking each day as it comes. I was fortunate enough to meet some other "preemie" mothers and became part of a really nice little support club!

It was dd's birthday yesterday. I think she was in scbu for 7or 8 weeks.

All the very best to you and your tiny one..

Hi Esker, I gave birth Jan 4 2017 to a 33+3 day boy. Due to placental abruption caused by pre-eclampsia, he hadnt grown since 31 weeks and the medical team performed an emergency C section. I've just been discharged today and just can't cope. I feel guilty for not being able to keep him warm and safe in my womb for the full term. I feel so guilty leaving him in between all those tubes and lights while I'm home. He's on glucose so he can't even drink breast milk. I've been expressing for him but the NICU team is reluctant to overwhelm him system. His lungs need help and he's bleeding internally. How do I not go absolutely crazy? It'd be great to chat with you to just have someone understand exactly how it feels..

Hi Esker,
Hope things are going okay for you and your son! How is he getting on? My little boy was born 16th November 2016 at 24 weeks + 5 weighing 870g. There is no words to describe those early days, I just felt such an overwhelming intensity of emotions! I also weirdly felt grief for myself and the pregnancy I never got to have.

He's 8 weeks old now and I just wanted to let you know that things DO get easier! We're still on NICU and there are still good and bad days, but the good days are becoming more and more frequent! He finally got on to just oxygen through cannula this morning, is finally tolerating all his EBM (hourly feeds through tube) and finally got to 3 pounds in weight! We still have a long journey ahead of us but I have belief now that HE WILL make it home one day and those horrible feelings I first had have changed to overwhelming sense of luckiness! Sending hope and positivity your way Xx

for everyone on here. We didn't have it nearly as hard as many of you but know how stressful it can be so wanted to offer some support and encouragement.

Our little boy was born in August at 33+6 after a placental abruption. We were quite lucky - firstly that we were both OK and secondly that he only had to be in NICU for 2 days and transitional care for 2 weeks. He's now nearly 22 weeks and doing amazingly well.

Preemies do have it tough but they are resilient little things! As are their parents

Good luck everyone!

Hi Esker - I just really wanted to say hello and that it will get easier. My 13 Month old was born Dec 2015 at 27+3. He came home at 35 weeks on oxygen for around 8 weeks and is now standing and cruising around furniture! I remember how lonely and isolated I felt when he was in NICU, the stress and guilt killed me and I constantly worried. Leaving him at night was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But these preemies are remarkable your baby will get stronger and stronger. Sending love xxx

Firstly, congratulations

More of an oldie here - twins born at 27+6, both just over 1kg too. Twin 1 didn't need to be ventilated, or even have CPAP, Twin 2 needed ventilating for about 24 hours.

They were in for just over 8 weeks, came home at 36+4 weeks. Now 11 years old and thriving.

My top tips - having been told to expect them home at their due date, which was 3 months away, I literally went to pieces. I couldn't imagine not having them home / worrying about them being in a hospital for that long. It just seemed so long. But it did go by quite quickly - you do get into a routine.Take it a day at a time.

Eat and drink lots - especially if you're going to plan on feeding your DS. Don't feel guilty about not being with him / at hospital 18 hours a day or whatever - you need to be in good health too so you need to look after yourself.

I kept a diary - more of a "this is what they did today" or "Dr X said this" (still remember we were told they weren't poorly, they were just in SCBU to feed and grow) - there will probably be some less-than-ideal days and its so beneficial (it was for me!) to be able to look back at how far they've come (when my DS was born, he was having 0.5ml of milk every other hour because he couldn't tolerate it every hour) and then one day when he'd been sick and I got upset, it was actually fab to think he was now on 20ml or whatever - all little bits of progress.

And lastly - do what feels right. Everyone has a different experience / reacts differently - my Mum still holds a grudge that I didn't let her hold the babies until they were about 6 or 7 weeks or something. But they were only allowed out of the incubators for about an hour a day (in fact I didn't get to hold my DS for about a week at the start) and I needed all that time for me - yes it was selfish, but I don't think I'd have got through the whole rollercoaster of SCBU without that connection / that time holding the babies. Long winded way of saying there is no right or wrong way of doing things - be kind to yourself.

And good luck

I had a 26 weekend. Nicu was a tough time. So many ups and downs. Things change so quickly. But she's home now and doing OK. She has another few problems not actually related to the prematurity. Much love to you. Stay strong.