Severe growth restriction and prem birth, help me prepare for what's to come

[heyyyyy]

Hi everyone

I'm due to give birth to my tiny baby in the next day or so. Flow to the baby is intermittent and she hasn't grown, estimated 2.4lbs at 32 weeks and she needs to be delivered- we have held of as long as possible.

I have had normal births previously and would really like any tips or list to prepare both for the c section and the SCBU.

I'm scared and worried for my little baby and need a focus, my health isn't the best either as I have pre eclampsia.

Thanks

Hi OP.
I'm sorry you are experiencing this.
It sounds as if the hospital have kept a good eye on baby and if they think she's ok to come out, they will be prepared. From a friend's experience, baby will likely be in NICU and well looked after until they are of due date and a good weight and checks have been done. Have they talked you through this?
Long term, it depends. Sometimes prem or low weight babies have long term health implications. Can you.join a Facebook group or something with mums in a similar position?
Thinking of you 🌹

Thank you for this...I will definitely look on Facebook

Just to say good luck. Bliss is really helpful worth checking out. How old are your other two?

@heyyyyy Parents of Preemies UK fb group is amazing!

There’s an iugr group on fb too. Good luck !

Have you been able to go to your NICU/SCBU and meet the staff? Could really help you prepare a bit.

Honestly, they are some of the very best people around, they know everything there is to know about premature babies!

Good luck, hope baby arrives safely and gets settled quickly.

Hi
My son was born at 29 weeks weighing 1lb 8oz after his intermittent flow finally reversed.
He was a funny looking little thing - covered in fine hair and he had no nipples or ear lobes (they did grow!)
He was on CPAP for 10 day’s but never needed ventilation - the consultant said he’d been so used to fighting in the womb that he got on much better than a baby who had had a comfortable pregnancy prior to birth!
He had a relatively smooth ride through neonatal and - a dodgy hearing test, stop start feeding due to tummy infections and a few bouts of stopping breathing. He came home 5 dats before his due date weighing 3lb 7oz! He’s now 15!
I hope you have a similarly easy journey.

My main bit If advice is don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask more questions - it’s your baby. I was afraid to interfere as the nurses were always so busy but I wish I’d been more vocal.

Get to the IUGR support group on Facebook (you may have already by now). Loads of positive stories and good advice.

Wow that is tiny. My son was born at 31w3days but was a hefty 3lbs 15oz! The most important thing is you and your baby are in the right place and they all know what they're doing. Because the birth is planned you will have had the steroid injections for your babys lungs so hopefully that's one thing that should be ok. For me I gave birth naturally in a private room with about 10 doctors and nurses there. They had a special heated table with equipment and stuff ready and said that as soon as he was born he'd been taken there and stabilised and that I would hopefully be able to see him briefly. That all happened and then he was whisked off to neonatal. I then had a shower and a nurse came to help me express some colostrum into some tiny syringe s to give to him as soon as possible. Within about an hour he was incubated and had oxygen and a feeding tube and other monitors on him and we were able to see him and touch him but not hold him. I stayed in hospital that first night but not with him. I was on a normal ward but in a private room. It was hard because I couldn't walk well and felt weak after the birth so found it hard to visit him on the floor above by myself when my husband had to go home. I was given all the equipment to express and was told to try to express every 3 hours which I did. I went home the next day and continued with the pumping every 3 hours (eventually only every 5-6 as I was producing crazy about of milk!). I got into a routine of getting to the hospital at 9 and doing all his feeds once he had the feeding tube removed and my husband would come to hospital after work and we'd stay until about 9. My son was in for 33 day and for about the last 2 weeks I was in with him in transitional care to establish breastfeeding and ensure he got to a good weight before leaving. We were very lucky that he had no issues other than weight gain. I got to hold him after 2 days and we did skin to skin kangaroo care everyday. It was quite a while ago now my son is 8 now and you would never know he was premmie. I look back and wonder how I copied but you just do it. I hope everything goes well for you and your baby.

How are you getting on OP? Hope all is well.

My beautiful beautiful little girl arrived a week ago weighing 2lb 10oz and is already doing well and a trooper. It's horrific leaving her and she won't be home for 6 weeks she is small but other than that needed no help with breathing and cried as normal at birth.

Probably still in auto pilot and recovering from the birth and shock. My body went into severe shock when I was discharged. Slowly adapting.

Oh goodness, Heyyyy. I don’t have direct experience of this but I was awake and saw your post. Glad to hear your little dot is doing well. Do you have a name for her yet?

Congratulations, I know how hard it is leaving a baby in hospital and that it feels like you are in groundhog day, but it so great news that she is doing so well. Sending our love and looking forward to hearing how she gets on.

She's doing brilliantly well- apparently all girls do. She's 2lbs 14oz now and just like a very alert and normal baby otherwise!

Congratulations! My son was born at a similar weight although slightly earlier and he is an absolute little tank now, it's surprising how quickly they catch up really. You'll be home all together before you know it's well done you

Congratulations!

I remember the time in NICU and scbu very well even though it was over 8 years ago now. Yes, girls apparently do do very well. I was told the same .
My DD sounds similar to yours in reason for delivery. We only got to 29 weeks though and 2lbs 2. She struggled to put on weight (still does actually). But she got through the neonatal unit unscathed and we were home before they predicted. Think we were discharged when should have been around 36-37 weeks.
Good luck to you both

Hi OP, and huge congratulations.
My DS was born at 30wks weighing 2.5lbs. He too was severe IUGR.
He is now 21months old and is doing amazingly well. He has developed on track as a usual baby, the only difference is that he is small for his age. He is on the 0.4percentile and is now the size of an average 9m old. So he gets a lot of praise when people see him walking, I get asked how old he is often.
Few things I wish I had understood better or knew:

1. Reflux - very common in preemies and for us it didn't get diagnosed until after he left hospital and increased his feed amounts.
2. M&S is good for the super tiny preemie clothes. Asda's had the best preemie nappies imo.
3. Similac high energy formula was great at helping him gain weight. Breastmilk is probably better, but if you need to go to formula and growth is slipping ask pediatrician for that (it's on perscription and a ready made, not a powder).
4. ROP also very common in preemies but not at all a concern as it clears itself up. My DS had stage 2 but it had gone in a month. Your NICU should check her eyes before she is discharged.

Hope this is useful, enjoy every minute they really do grow fast x

Hi, I'm happy I found this post as I'm going through the same thing. They found issues with the blood flow and I'm also high risk to develop pre eclampsia.

I'm 31 weeks now and baby needs t OK be delivered in the next few weeks. I'm completely shocked and scared. I'm having constant anxiety about if I can feel her moving or not.

I know I'm lucky to be aware of it and the hospital will look after us but I just can't stop crying. X

@Angeldelight21 hope you and baby are doing ok. Try not to worry, I know that's easier said than done, the doctors and nurses will take great care of you and baby.