Anyone have a preemie but no NICU?

[kwilki8]

My dd was born at 36 weeks with IUGR (she measured at 32-33 weeks). She didn't have significant breathing difficulties, so her ped decided not to transfer her to the NICU (which would have been a helicopter transfer to a hospital an hour away). She was hospitalized for a week and then released.

I sometimes don't feel like I fit anywhere--it's hard for me to talk to moms of term babies because my dd is slower in her development. Yet the only preemie moms I know had lengthy and difficult NICU stays, which is something I know nothing about.

So I was just wondering if anyone here had a preemie but did not have to be in the NICU.

(And do I fit here?)

[loving-my-babies]

Hi. I'm not exactly a preemie mom, but my dd was born at 36+4 weeks and she was in the nursery and not the NICU, but in Chile it's all in the same physical place. She isn't slower at all because of being born early, she's 5 now. She did need 60% oxygen after birth, she had a transitory tachimnea for 24 hours after birth (which is why she needed the oxygen) but other than that, we were both discharged together after 5 days (c-section)

[Lousli]

My first was a preemie with no NICU stay. She was 36 weeks, 5 pounds 4 ounces. She was sleepy at first and had trouble nursing, but seemed to catch up with most of her milestones after about 2-3 months. I know that you're in a slightly different situation than some people in this forum, but I think you're welcome here!

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by kwilki8

(And do I fit here?)

YES! You fit here. A preemie is a preemie. Alot of the lengthy NICU stays are for pretty young babies (we have some 25 weekers here, I know). Your daughter's stay in the hospital is not too far off what a 32-33 weeker would normally stay in the NICU anyway. And development issues - they don't have anything to do with whether your baby was in the NICU or in a regular nursery. So post away!

[Valian]

Welcome! We're in a similar position as you. Our Ds only spent the night in the NICU (it was just up the stairs) and was sent down to us by the Dr so we could room-in and do kangaroo care.

Although we don't share the same long-term NICU experiences of some preemie families, we certainly experience the develomental, feeding/nursing, what age to say my kid is, what can he possibly wear issues that come up for early babies regardless of their immediate post-birth experiences.

I hope this (sub)forum comes to represent the full diversity of preemie birth experiences, including ones like yours since IME, so many books about preemies focused on micro-preemies leaving us with little guidence for an early but not super early baby (34wks)

[Cinder]

My daughter was born around 34-36 weeks (no one would ever agree on my dates) and was 5 1/2 lbs at birth...she received diuretics cause she retained so much fluid and after that she was 4 1/2 lbs and doind remarkably well, she spent only a couple hours in the NICU, then together we spent about a week in the hospital, then she came home with me.

ETA...she hasn't had any delays though...we had difficulty nursing the first few weeks, but overcame that she rolled, sat up, walked, and talked rather early and never crawled.

[Houdini]

I had two preemies. My son was born at 34 weeks and weighed 4lbs. 5.5 ozs. He came home on day five (I had to stay longer and they wanted to send him home with hubby : ) and was never in the NICU. He weighed 4lbs. 2 ozs when he came home.

My daughter was a preemie born at 35 weeks weighing 4 lbs. 13 ozs. She had a NICU stay for surgery, not the prematurity.

I agree a preemie is a preemie. Doesn't matter the length of stay in the hospital or where in the hospital they were.