# Surprise! born on mother`s day at 27 weeks - update pg2



## vermeil

Hello ladies!

It`s still strange to be posting here and not in the pregnancy forums.

Our bubbah Vincent was due in august but SURPRISE! He`s here... in fact he`s already 5 weeks old.

He was in a big hurry to meet us and was born May 9th on Mother`s Day.

I was hospitalized suddenly at 25 weeks with high blood pressure. Already knew baby was a bit behind in development a that point, the placenta not delivering him enough nutrients. They decided to keep me there on complete bed rest and monitor his development closely. (it`s amazing what they can do, measure the exact blood flow and pressure in the umbilical cord!) I was told I wouldn`t last another three weeks. I was completely shocked since I had no symptoms and felt great.

I reached 27 weeks, but by then he had a severe developmental delay. He still had the weight of 23 weeks, in the bottom 2 percentile. The circulation to the placenta was pretty low and was getting worse. So doctors decided his chances were now better outside the womb. They put his odds of surviving without health problems at 25%.

He was born at a whole 570 grams. The first two weeks were really rough, he had many problems and complications. There are simply no words to describe the hell we went through. Plus I spent two weeks in the hospital after an invasive c section to give him the best odds possible.

Better news is, now at 5 weeks, he weighs 1380 grams, he`s stable and now receiving mother`s milk. His lungs and intestines are still fragile though. But he`s started opening his eyes, can sorta suck on a soother, and has the most adorable reddish hair.

I`m not quite ready to post pictures. Just writing this brought me to tears again. But I wanted to share this little miracle with you all. He`s certainly a fighter and making mom and dad very proud.

It`s really nice to have other people to share this with. I`ve read a few other posts and realize I know all the lingo now, I`ve lived the same things, the crazy roller coaster of ups and downs.

Thanks for all your encouraging words


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## 25weeker

Congratulations on the birth of your little boy.

That is an excellent weight gain. It took my little girl nearly 7 weeks to reach a kilo and she was 659g at birth!

It is a rollercoaster journey with many steps forward and back. Any questions there is usually someone on these forums which could answer them.

Look after yourself and Vincent keep putting on all the weight so you can be a big strong boy.


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## Bec L

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story so far. 
Sounds like you are both doing well despite the horribly traumatic start. Hope he continues to get stronger every day xx


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## AP

Congratulations, and welcome over here!

My LO was 27+4, theres quite a few of us at this section now, we're like a big family ;)


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## vermeil

thank you everyone for your encouraging words :hugs:


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## grumpymoo

Big congratulations on Vincent!:happydance:

I hope that things go well for you all:hugs:


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## holywoodmum

Just popping over from August mummies, wondering how you and Vincent are doing?!
:hugs:


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## vermeil

oh hello holywoodmum, sorry didn`t see your post!

We`re doing ok... like any preemie it`s been a crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs. Some days he`s doing great and I feel bliss - others I feel like I`m stuck in some hellish nightmare that I can`t wake up from... some days we get only good news and I feel really depressed, in tears. Others I only get bad news and feel a strange peace and serenity. It`s like my mind just doesn`t know what to feel anymore heh.

Just thought I would share a few more recent pics - these are about a week ago. He`s 36 weeks in these. Still way under size for his age, just under 2kg. They`ve started weaning him off the cpap - scary! From 2 hours every 8, he`s up to 4 every 8. But he`s been desaturating a lot more, and had two apnee/bradies today, after having none for over a week :( And today they suspect he has yet another bladder infection. And of course he`s still yellow, jaundice these little guys often get as a reaction from being fed by iv for so long.


daddy holding him
https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/36wdada.jpg


fully awake after his bath
https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/36whee.png

aaand well the original pictures showing how far he`s come - for those who didn`t see them. Yep, believe it or not ladies this is the SAME baby. No really, I check his bracelet every day because I can`t believe it myself ;)

https://www.babyandbump.com/prematu...ip-very-important-preemie-25.html#post5821261


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## jemma193

Vincent is absolutely gorgeous. He is obviously a real fighter.


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## vermeil

Just wanted to give a quick update - lots of positive changes in a row! Crzy huh ;)

Vincent is off CPAP since yesterday! Just on oxygen now 

:happydance: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! :happydance:


after 10 weeks of being on every single breathing apparatus that exists - high frequency twice (a week each), intubated twice, and every single type and setting of CPAP in a NICU. No really I can think of 5 just off the top of my head :dohh:

I've started breastfeeding! A bit tough at first, but both mom and baby are slowly figuring it out. Up to twice a day today, and three times tomorrow. I practically live in the hospital now instead of my usual 3-4 hours a day.

He received his two month vaccine today. Barely cried before going back to sleep.

He weighs almost 5 pounds - he's quadrupled in weight in 10 weeks!!! :wacko:

The only cloud in the picture is his eyes - he's started developping an ROP, already gone from grade 1 to 2 in a week. Despite 80% of low birth weight preemies developping it, I was secretly hoping he'd be spared. Now I'm just praying he doesn't need surgery for it.

I'll post more pictures hopefully tomorrow

EDIT - forgot the obvious. I've been going to the hospital for EIGHTY days now! Crazy! Where does time go :wacko:


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## pachamama

Hi there,

I'm new to this section of the forum but have read through this post and looked at the pictures of your little man Vincent just after he was born. What a difference! And what an emotional roller coaster you've been on! 80 days! Really glad he's doing so well and weighs almost 5lb, I bet that seemed so impossible to imagine back in the early days...

I don't know what ROP is (retinopathy of prematurity is my guess??) - what kind of operation will he possibly need? Does it have a good success rate? I'm sorry he might have it though...

I'm SO pleased he's doing well.:happydance: 

Congratulations to you all.

x


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## Agiboma

vermeil wow vincent is doing so great reading this story gives me inspiration for my NICU expereince in Toronto, i got a question for you i never knew they give them the vacination @ 2 months even though they are premies, wow is that a Canadian thing only? 
thanks for sharing your expereince it really does comfort me


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## JASMAK

Just read your story...what a journey you have been through...and your fighting guy! He is so adorable. I loved looking at all the pics of him growing. Absolutely amazing! :hugs:


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## vermeil

vincent is coming home today!!! After 3.5 months in the hospital! 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I`m in total panic mode :dohh:


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## holywoodmum

wow!! 3 and a half months already!! 
How exciting for you all to have him at home with you... I'm sure it'll be fab, although nerve racking I'm sure!!


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## 25weeker

That's great he is going home. It is scary at first but it will get less scary over the next few days.

Enjoy the sleepless nights!

Agiboma - in the UK they get their vaccinations based on their actual age providing they are well enough. My lo got her first set at 10 weeks (35 weeks gestation).


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## JASMAK

so glad to hear he is coming home. :hugs:


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## Agiboma

:happydance: YEAAAA vincent :baby: that is great news :thumbup:


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## nineena

OMG OMG thats amazing news im so so pleased for you hun. xxx


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## vermeil

Hello ladies!

About time I give an update - after a long 105 day stay in the NICU, Vincent finally came home on august 24th. Here are a few more recent pics:

on his due date, august 7th - so 3 months old, 0 corrected

https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/Vincentduedate.jpg

the big day is finally here! leaving the hospital! getting dressed 

https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/Vincenthome1.jpg

Whoah - what is this strange new world!

https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/Vincenthome2.jpg

Another pic showing off his punk hairdo at about 4.5 months, 6 weeks corrected

https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/Vincent6weeks.jpg

aaaand finally, an group of recent pics I arranged for thank you cards - I sent these out to everyone who helped us along this difficult journey, gave us strength and prayers through the dark times. In these pictures he's 5.5 months, 2.5 corrected. He weighs 11 pounds - that's 10 times more baby than we started with :wacko:

https://nova.polymtl.ca/~miadel/vincent/Vincent merci.jpg

We're now on the long, slow road to healing. His retinopathy (ROP) worsened to stade 3; we were discussing surgery with his ophalmologist and poof - within a week he had a growth spurt and his eyes improved back to stade 1. His lungs are still fragile, we must avoid crowds, disinfect everything and he's still on 4 medications. He's still about 10th percentile for size. But considering we started at the 2nd percentile, that's great news to me ;) Of course he might have other difficulties growing up (speech and/or learning disabilities etc) but for now we're just enjoying every precious day of him enriching our lives.

*can you believe this was 6 long months ago - his first pictures*

https://www.babyandbump.com/prematu...ip-very-important-preemie-25.html#post5821261


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## AP

He is GORGEOUS, im so hormonal today i cried looking at the pics :rofl:

Our Alex's ROP progressed to stage 3, she had laser eye surgery which meant a 2 night stay for me and LO in hospital again, but it really was nothing! I was such a plonker, i cried thinking omg, she'll come out looking scary or something. It was like she never even had surgery!

Shes had check ups on her sight since (shes 16 months actual now) and they say all is fine :) (well it must be because she knows who Lady Gaga and Jeremy Kyle are) :rofl: So dont panic too much if vincent needs the surgery, it sounds 99% scarier than it is!!


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## holywoodmum

Wow, he's a look now Vermeil!!

Oops, meant to say _looker_ !!


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