34 weekers

[Sage_SS]

My last babe was born at 34 weeks. Not intentionally tho. It was believed I was 37 weeks so they induced me (nasty complications). I labored for about 3 hours then the OB checked me and said "uh.. thats not a head anymore" then apologized profusely as he assured me it was a head when he induced me. She just got super active and flipped herself breech. I was rushed in for a c/s as they had already broken my water and I was 4 cm. When the surgeon pulled her out he said "Uh, she is not 3 weeks early, her skull is still in three pieces" as a NICU team rushed her out the door because her blood oxygen levels were low.
She was a good size, she was 6 lbs 4 oz. She was put into an incubator but was never in any real danger. She was very alert. The problem was she refused to eat for 4 days and went down to 5 lbs. Her weight loss was a big concern. But a week later she started gaining and now she's an above average sized almost 5 year old.
The surgeon treated me like garbage. Like I had insisted she be pulled out of me, like I had tricked them or something. I was NOT impressed.

When I was at the hospital this week I was in and out of labor. The nurses kept saying "oh, you've got to work on slowing down these contractions! The last thing you want is a preemie and to have your babe spend the next 6 weeks in NICU!"
Because of the polyhydramnios they gave me steroids to mature his lungs faster and according to the many u/s's I've had he's about 6 lbs already!

Has anyone else had a 34 weeker? Whats your story? How did things go?

[BundleFishMama]

My NICU baby was not a preemie (41 weeker actually!) but the mamas in the NICU thread are awesome so you might want to post this there if you haven't already - I'm sure they'll have lots of experiences to share with you!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=371

[OkiMom]

DD wasn't in NICU or a premie (born on her due date) but I couldn't read without offering . That sounds really aweful!! I can't believe the surgeon treated you like that, like anyone would do that to their baby deliberately..
The lady thats acting as my Doula had all 5 of her children between 32-34 weeks and only two spent time in the NICU. One was there for three days and the other for one.

[~bookcase~]

Originally Posted by OkiMom

The lady thats acting as my Doula had all 5 of her children between 32-34 weeks and only two spent time in the NICU. One was there for three days and the other for one.

That would seem rare for babies of those gestations to be in NICU for such a short time. My 32 weekers are still in three weeks later and they are apparently doing really well for 32 weekers.
Most 34 weekers seem to stay at least a week for feeding to be mastered well enough and jaundice levels/ temperature control etc to be stable.

Just adding to put perspective as I was hoping from stories on the net that my 32 weekers might be coming home at 35 weeks, and it might have been more helpful to have had a more realistic 36-weeks-at-earliest type of understanding.

OP: Do go and check out the preemie thread and here's hoping you have a full term beautiful birth and baby. xx

[UberMama]

Lurking in.. My twin boys were born at 33 weeks. I had had the steroid shots to mature their lungs. So when they were born, they only had to develop the suck/swallow reflex (which comes at around 35/36 weeks). They were in NICU for 22 days for that one thing alone (one twin could have gotten out after 18 days but we didn't want to separate them).

{{HUGS}} Mama.

[coyotemist]

It's good for me to read this. I've had threatening labor since about 23 weeks, and I'm starting to dilate now (35 weeks). They wouldn't stop my labor now, my doctor says, but it's good to read that 35 weeker aren't all the way "cooked" so I can focus on 37 weeks.

I'm sorry your experience with your DD was so rough. Hopefully you won't go into true labor for another couple weeks.

[Katielady]

I haven't experienced this but wanted to post a when I read your story. I'm so sorry your first birth didn't go well, and that the surgeon was such a sh*t to you afterwards. What is wrong with some people?

Here's hoping things work out for you to keep this one in a bit longer. Seems like you're doing everything you can, which is all you can do!

[buckysprplmonkey]

Originally Posted by BundleFishMama

My NICU baby was not a preemie (41 weeker actually!) but the mamas in the NICU thread are awesome so you might want to post this there if you haven't already - I'm sure they'll have lots of experiences to share with you!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=371

I totally agree. I've been hanging out there alot since Levi was born.

[gypsymomma4]

I have had two 35 weekers and one spent 5 days in the NICU, the other none. The one that was in the NICU was a boy, and I didn't have the shots to help mature the lungs. My 2nd son, who was born at 33 weeks, spent 9 days in the NICU, I had had the shots to mature his lungs, when pre-term labor started at 28 weeks. He was 6 pounds at birth and dropped to 4 lbs and 10 oz before he started gaining. My youngest was 36 weeks and 4 days, and was smaller than any of the others at birth, but thankfully didn't need to spend time in the NICU. It seems to me that there are alot of factors on how long som babies have to be in the NICU, and also different places have very different protocols on what they have to be to go home. Some places they have to be 5 pounds, but not everywhere, some hospitals consider every baby less than 37 weeks to be a preemie, and they want to monitor them in the nicu. Some places don't want to let you breastfeed if it is less than a 35 weeker, until they have monitored them on the bottle for a few days-pumped breastmilk is ok, but not breastfeeding-which seems crazy to me, but that is another rant.

the best advice I can offer is to really talk to your doctor, and if possible the hospital about what their protocols are, and what your wishes are, so that everybody is on the same page.