Please help! What to expect when born at 35 weeks

[GreenDill]

Hi,

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

I think a lot depends on how well they feed. The sucking reflex isn’t fully developed at 35 weeks in most babies. They will want to see plenty of good feeds before baby can go home so you may be in scbu for a bit.

I had DD at 35+4 in August, she was a good weight but needed some help with breathing and jaundice. She also had an infection so we ended up in SCBU for 8 days and unfortunately I was discharged after 3 days which was the hardest part.

Honestly your baby may need some help or might be perfectly fine which is likely the case. Just prepare for all situations you can and I’m sure all will go fine.

Best of luck x

I had DS by c-section at 35+5. The consultants said that whether he was in the scbu depended on weight. Under 2kg and it was an automatic admission, over 2.5kg and he'd just be in the ward with me. He was in the middle and was fine with me. He had trouble feeding which led to slight jaundice and we weren't allowed home until it was established (either bottle or breast). In the end it was only 3 nights.

Good luck!

I can only bring my own experience and what I learned by it. My baby was born at 32 weeks and we brought him home when he was 38 weeks. Generally speaking, if healthy, babies go home when they can breath well on their own (no saturation issues, brady's etc), they can regulate their temperature and mostly when they can be fed either by mum's breast or the bottle. Under some circumstances they are sent home with the feeding tube, but that's not the norm.
Mine started getting most feeds from bottle/breast at around 36 weeks. At 37 he removed the feeding tube by himself and it never got replaced! He super quickly became a pro and we went home a week later.
But I have seen babies going home in a matter of days even if born at 34-35 weeks. It varies a lot.
Good luck OP!

DS was born at 35+0 and went straight to SCBU as he was grunting. He then needed IV antibiotics, tube feeding, an incubator and blue lights for jaundice, and was in for a week - once he was well enough to feed he was great, and never looked back.

My DS was a 35+1 weeker. No breathing issues but jaundiced and he had low blood sugar/feeding issues. He required some treatment in special care (neonatal unit) and then a stint on a transitional care ward (where he could have a feeding tube and phototherapy still). We were home after a week but the time apart was hard. My first night was on a ward with other new mums except I was the only one without a baby. That was dreadful. It was a tough time but he needed the time to grow. He's nearly 4 now and brilliant. I would like to think it no longer affects him but he does seem to get more colds and coughs than most children I know! He was a good size for his gestation at 5lbs 13oz and was born after my waters spontaneously broke at 35 weeks and labour began.

It varies, my niece was born at 35+3 and went home after 72 hours. The gestation period varies slightly so the affects of being born 5 weeks early vary.

My lb was born at 35 weeks. He also had igr and a low birth weight at 3lb 9oz. He did great from the start. He needed no help with breathing or feeding but did need high calorie formula from the start as he was so tiny. We were in for a week although he stayed with me on the ward. He stayed in the high calorie formula for 18 months and is still a tiny dot now at 3 and a half but no other issues.

My auntie daughter was born at 35weeks on the dot and needed no extra care, she would have been discharged earlier if her mother wasn’t well. As soon as auntie was able to leave few days later her daughter went with her. They didn’t get separated at all.

My youngest was born April this year at 35+5 and he was admitted to nicu as he was flaring his nostrils which meant he needed help with his breathing apparently. But that was only for few hours but his sugar ended up dropping so they kept him for longer. On day three he was discharged to my bed on postnatal ward. I was allowed this because nicu told my ward not to discharge me. After two days there we were discharged.

I don’t know if the rules have changed but one parent per day allowed and only once, in the nicu my son was in at the end of April. For me that was the hardest. Luckily they had a vending machine in parents room so I felt able to stay longer. Yes, ds needed top up milk until almost his due date.

I had DD at 34+6 in April. She was 2040g / 4 lb 7 oz. Fed really well from the start (breast). Lost 7% of weight. Was in neonatal for a week, two stints of phototherapy due to jaundice.
The hardest bit for me has been 11 weeks of newborn, first time mum and didn't realise how hard it would be! She is just starting to smile now (adjusted age 6 weeks).
All the best.

My baby was born 35+1 and did not need to go to NICU, baby was with me the entire time!

My DD was born by C section at 35 weeks weighing 3lbs 11oz due to Pre Eclampsia. She spent two weeks in SCBU as she was so small and sleepy (and grumpy). She did have some additonal oxygen by mask initially but soon came off that, but just needed to learn to feed and get rid of her slight jaundice. She spent about 2 1/2 weeks in hospital and then came home to us. They will assess baby at birth as to whether they need to spend time in NICU, not all 35 weekers do. Fingers crossed that all goes well for you :-)

My baby was born at 34 weeks and she needed to stay in for jaundice but other than that she's fine. She did stay in the new born phase longer but now she's a happy, smiley 17 mo and you'd never guess she was early x

I had a baby at 35 weeks. They spent 6 days in neo natal. Due to low birth weight. Weighed 3lbs.

Was fine. Didn't need any assistance at all. Just a grow bag!

Whereas my first two. We're both born at 33 weeks. Weighed 2lbs and were in patients both around 10 weeks.