Due a C- section at 35w baby growing slow and measuring 5th percentile. Help!

[Minimin]

Hey Ladies :wave:
A post to ask about advice, experience and generally banter my thoughts.

Bump has been measuring small since week 28. They have had me on growth scans and discovered the fluid around baby was also low.

Fastforward to today- scan with a doppler consultant shows she hasnt grown and the consultant doing the scan has recommended to my regular consultant to get a C- section done in 7-10 days time. I have an appointment with her on Friday so I guess we will discuss all this then.

I could be going to surgery Friday at the earliest or she could be here next Friday at the latest. The most recent scan shows she is 3lb 8oz so only a 2oz gain from last Wednesday. Effectively not growing. Also blood flow is reduced to the 5th percentile to the brain and she is breech, so I think accumalatively her staying put will not be good.

I am scared and worried as she will be so tiny and I cant do anything to help her! I wish she was just one pound bigger I would feel so much better.

Her lungs could be fully developed-rom what I understand they can do a amniocentesis to check otherwise give me some steroid shots to help mature her lungs and that should help her. The doppler consultant today said she will probably get one week of IC to check she is breathing and feeding ok and be home if nothing else is wrong. I am so scared!

I have so many questions, emotions and thoughts going around my help and wondered if there was anyone out there with advice

 

[Marleysgirl]

Best advice I can give you is don't stress It sounds like your medical team is really on top of the situation, and your baby will have the best of early arrivals into the world. I had the steroid jabs too.

Little babies are not a problem. My son Andrew was an extreme preemie, born at 29+1 weeks and weighing just 1lb 6oz;he spent 11 weeks in NICU. He is now 18months actual age, and has only just progressed into aged 3-6m clothing. He's well below the 0.4th percentile ... the 5th percentile sounds big to me

Ask any questions you may have, there are some very knowledgeable and experienced mums on this section.

And please, post us some photos when she's here!!! Celebrate her birth, and don't worry so much.

 

[Minimin]

Thanks Marleysgirl. I am please your lil man is doing so well! I love that the 5th percentile is big to your ears. They do like their charts these medics.

Like you said I can not complain about the care I have and am and will be getting. I have to remain calm and level headed for the both of us

Thanks so much for taking the time to write back and share your lovely story. It does give me hope.
I think as mothers we will always worry and fear the worst. I am trying to be calm and rational. Prepare /as much as I can
Did you have a C section? I am a little unclear on how recovery goes and what the best case scenario is. Will I be kept in a few days or released straight away. I am guessing babba will be monitored, at least for a while so she will be in for a bit.
I have questions i am going to ask consultant which I am writing down- like their policy on skin-to-skin for preemies and breastfeeding. Things that I can ask about makes me feel less out of control!

Thanks again and if you or anyone else can help with questions that would be great. I dont know how I am going to wait 7-10 days!

 

[alparen]

Hey girl. I just had my baby girl 2 weeks ago from c-section. She was born at 26 weeks and 2 days weighing just 1lbs. 11 oz. She is still in NICU and will be there till around her due date. She is doing fabulous. I had the steroid injections to help her lungs. My water broke for no apparent reason so she lived in very little fluid for 4 days while I was in the hospital. I went in to labor with her and my cervix wouldn't dialte so i had to have a c-section 12 hours later. I won't go into my c-section story it was not good lol. You get an epidural so you won't feel anything. They keep you in the hoispital for a few days to make sure your recovery is starting off well and your bowels and bladder start working properly. Here where i am from it's 3 days in the hospital and if you can fart it's get the hell out lol. they every hour asked me if i farted yet hahahahaha. Bye Bye Dignity! lol. You will be sore. Try and take it easy at home! I fell down the stairs a few days after having my c-section thanks top ice and it really set me back. sit instead of stand or laydown instead of sitting. I can't sleep in bed yet. I sleep flat on my back o nthe couch everynight. they will tell you everything you need to know at the hospital. Just make sure you rest as much as you possibly can to help speed up your recovery!! you ned to be healthy to to take care of your LO Good luck hun. Hope everything turns out great for you all

 

[Minimin]

Oh thanks for your story alparen... and how cute is your little one. I am glad she is doing well.
I go in tomorrow to see the consultant so I will get some more info and the date I am meant to go in. Just doing some reading and as I am 34 weeks I am not sure they will give me the steroids.

Good luck and thanks for sharing. Love to babba

Minimin

 

[alparen]

You'll do fabulous! Keep us informed on how you and cupcake are doing! Xoxo

 

[Marleysgirl]

I got to spend two weeks in hospital!! I had a c-section that wouldn't heal, it kept leaking (once spectacularly whilst stood by the side of the incubator in NICU). I was only one ward away from NICU so it was really handy for trotting down every couple of hours with my bottles of breast milk, and then stiting by the inci for hours.

 

[aob1013]

Leni was born at 34 weeks, he was breathing, alert and screaming. He weighed 4lbs 14 1/2oz and stayed in hospital for 10 days. He had severe jaundice so was always under the billibed.

34+ weeks is a good gestation.

Please try not to stress xxx

 

[baileykenz]

hi hun
i have had c section on 3 of my babes and both my 1st and 3rd were huge babies and their lungs wernt so good as the weeny little ones..strang as it sounds my little boys were the biggest in scubu but were much slower than the tiniest..so dont worry about the size hun and you will get the steriods before hand so lungs will have a boost..
goodluck hun
x

 

[Minimin]

Thanks aob1013! Glad your little man is doing well. I am hoping she will also come out screaming and be in a short time. I am dreading not being able to take her home!!!

 

[aob1013]

Thanks aob1013! Glad your little man is doing well. I am hoping she will also come out screaming and be in a short time. I am dreading not being able to take her home!!!

Me too, it was awful.

I was induced, and ended up having an emergency section. I saw him for a split second then he was taken to NICU. I didn't see him for 24 hours. It was hell, but i chose not to see him (which was the hardest decision) as i NEEDED to recover. The section really took it out of me for the first 3 days.

It is hard, so hard. But at 34 weeks + they won't be in there long.

Please PM me if you need anything xxx

 

[JGray]

My daughter was delivered by c-section at 35 weeks due to IUGR. She was below the 5th percentile. She was 4lbs 11 oz at birth and never spent anytime in the NICU. She came home with me after 4 days. She's now a very healthy 20 lb 13 month old.

Good luck to you. I know it's scary but it is amazing what they can do these days with medicine. The fact that your doctors are watching you closely is a great sign!

 

[Minimin]

aob1013 I can imagine you were torn. But recovery is important so you could be strong when you saw your little one! Did you find BF hard. I see you are 5months in!!

JGray- Thank you for sharing. I wish my little one was a heavier then I would feel more comfortable. I am just worried about how she will do on the outside. Bless everytime I feel her wriggle I think of how I will miss this and how she doesnt even know whats gonna happen. Ok- I hope that is hormones as I am not normally this sappy! LOL
I'm also in the 5th percentile though they have not said it is IUGR per se. How were your little one's lungs? Did you get a shot of steroids to help her lung maturation. How did you find recovery? Did you BF straight away!

Just been reading on what to expect for a C- section. Didnt realise they shave you or that you start bleeding straight away- I thought it might take a few hours

Will find out the plan tomorrow morning so I hope to post then.( I am sure I will have more questions too!)

Thanks for sharing ladies

 

[JGray]

The last time they estimated her weight before delivery they estimated that she was right at 4lbs. We were pleasantly surprised that she was a little bit bigger than they were expecting. She dropped down to 4lbs 6 oz on day 3 but then started gaining quickly. I did not have a shot of steroids and I've wondered since why they didn't do that. As it turned out though, she didn't need it. Her APGARS scores were 8 and 9 and she screamed the moment they took her out...music to my ears!

She was delivered at 10:25 am and they had her in the nursery until almost 4. Given her size, it took a little while to get her temperature up which was the reason for the delay. I was able to breastfeed when they brought her to me and she did great. I had to pump, in addition to breastfeeding for the first 6 weeks and had to feed her the pumped milk with a syringe, in addition to what she got from nursing. She grew really quickly though and was 7 lbs 4 oz by her due date.

The recovery was not easy but it was manageable. The first day or two are the toughest but the meds help. By the time I went home from the hospital, I was feeling pretty good and I was able to move around pretty well. The doctor told me to limit stairs and not to lift anything heavier than my baby but within a week or two, I was able to be out and about.

Keep us posted on everything!

 

[Fiestagal]

My son was born at 34+6 and had been monitored for slow growth through the pregnancy. I had steroid injections at 33+6 and 34+0. I had a C-section. Connor was 2lb 11 1/2 oz at birth and no problems with breathing. He did spend 3 days in an incubator but for warmth only due to his small size. He had minimal monitoring equipment on. He had expressed breast milk for a few days down his naso-gastric tube but on day 3 I tried him on the breast and he took to it like a pro.

He came out near his due date weighing 3lb 10oz, if he was heavier he would have come out much sooner. Once he was out of the incubator he was just basically a 'grower'.

I did find the breast feeding advice in hospital variable. In the end a nurse made sure that he was only to be cup fed ebm and no bottles at all, some of the staff preferred to bottle fed ebm as it was quicker for them to feed if I wasn't there. The nurse was a breastfeeding adviser and she told me to stick to my guns as he was my baby. I was also a pain as I insisted in living in so that I could bf through the night. They had a 2 'rooming in' rooms so one was always empty. I do know some of the older nurses didn't want me there!

Do ask for a tour of the neo natal unit before you go in, this really helped me prepare and it didn't seem so scary (once I'd stopped bawling!).

I'm convinced Connor's later gestation really went in our favour despite the small size. He was smaller than some of the 31 weeks but health wise needed the least intervention.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Minimin]

Thanks JGray. I like hearing about lovely stories such as yours. It gives me hope that my story will be a happy one.

AFM-
basically- C section booked for Tuesday 8th,when she will be 34 + 6 days so effectively 35w. They are monitoring me now everyday until then to make sure she is ok HR wise and movement. I have had the steroid shot for her lungs to mature this morning and will do so again tomorrow. They do not test to check if they have matured in this hospital (I had to tell her about a test they could do that picked up two proteins- she said it was invasive and came with its own risks. I said not if your leaking amniotic fluid. She said, oh well it is contaminated with mucus etc so it doesnt work. i said, actually it does as the two proteins are present ONLY in AF so it doesnt matter if the sample is contaminated! I hate smart [rear ends] like me!!) I was also further questioning on her as to why they are waiting if there is a problem of blood flow to her and then played the devils advocate and said- well if you can wait why not wait two weeks and she will be nearly 37 weeks. Suffice to say they are not used to agro preggo women like me! but she remained nice and informative. She has booked me in on Tuesday. There are 3 other C sections going in. I am third but may be done first as she is small and the pediatrician can have a look at her.

I spoke a little re BF to the MW and they do promote it here.. even if she is in special care. I will take my own bottles but I think they do provide special place and sterilisers too if I need. I also think they have private rooms so I may ask for one of those for immediate recovery.

They are thinking I will be in around 4-5 days so until the weekend. If she is strong enough, breathing on her own and eating on her own she will be allowed home. I am going straight to my mums then. If she is kept in special care as she is low in weight she may be in longer and I can come home after around 4-5 days.

Please pray she is strong and able to breathe and feed on her own. I dont want to think of coming home without her

 

[Minimin]

Thanks fiestygal. I just posted and saw your post- Sounds like you your dates are similar to mine. I am pleased your son is doing well.

One question- for heat isnt it also useful for mums to hold babies to chest as it helps regulate their temps? Also they can bond and get to know smell of her? Or is that ok for full term but not for preemie?

I am so glad conner is doing so well and thank you so much for ocming on and helping to ease my mind. I will definitely ask to look at the neonatal unit tomorrow as we are in every day now until scheduled C section and like you I will be persistent on BF- I know they like the easy option and would do so if we dont perservere!

Thanks again.
Minimin

 

[Fiestagal]

'Kangaroo care' is beneficial for premmies. I certainly saw plenty of mums with babies down their tops! Their should be plenty of info on the internet explaining it's use.

Connor was in a heated open cot when he was in special care until he could regulate his temperature.

 

[Minimin]

So I shall push for Kangeroo care in the hospital then- if she can be cared that way. I need to pack tops where I can shove her down LMAO

 

[Fiestagal]

I would go in and ask the questions when you tour the neo natal unit. I didn't do kangaroo care myself but it didn't interfere with our bonding, I fell in love as soon as I saw him and felt so proud. Because we did bf I did hold him alot anyway. Some of the nurses will encourage you to feed and then put them back in their cots as the babies needed their rest to sleep and grow but it's certainly worth asking about kangaroo care.

I'm trying to remember what I asked now, I asked would he be whipped away once born and was told that in 99% of cases mums get to see their babies when born. Connor's APGARs were 9 and 10 so there was no rush in taking him to special care, he was cleaned up, wrapped and had a woolly hat on when he was presented to me. After I left recovery I was taken on the bed into the neonatal unit to see him in the incubator and we took photos with my camera before I was taken back to my ward, the NN nurses also gave me a printed photo straight away to take with me. (Be warned though I was taken to a ward full of mums with babies which was tough at first, might be worth asking about private room). Later in the night another nurse came to visit me with more photos.

I was told not to worry about clothes, they don't wear much in the incubators usually but they do tend to have a communal wardrobe full of tiny clothes to use if you wish. I did need to provide my own prem nappies but they have some spare anyway to get you stared. I got pampers micro nappies.