preemie baby?

[PregnantKitty]

So, as a lot of you know ive had some complications and my doc has said we're just gonna try to make it to 36 weeks. So i was wondering i any ladies here with exoerience with babies born between 35-36 weeks could tell me how their labors went and how their LOs faired afterwards?
Like how long were they, if at all, in the NICU? How does that work with BFing? Do i need to buy preemie clothes? What advice would you give?

 

[Srrme]

My 35 week preemie was in the NICU for 3 weeks establishing feeds (he was also put on low-flow oxygen because of the altitude here). I had him VIA Emergency CS because he was early and breech.

He did great. He was fed my expressed breast milk from a bottle during his entire NICU stay, and once he was discharged I began exclusively breastfeeding him. He had no nipple confusion or problems switching from bottle to breast (neither did my older son).

He quickly outgrew his brother's premature clothes (while in the NICU), so if I were you I would only buy a few preemie outfits for your baby to wear, but definitely some newborn.

I have also had a 28.6 week preemie, so if you want to talk, feel free to message me.

 

[misscyn]

I can't help but just wanted to suggest you post in the Premature and NICU Babies forum. The ladies there seem very supportive and I've seen quite a few posts about babies born in the 34-36 week range. Hope you can make it to the 37 week mark.

 

[slongson]

My 35 weeker was a very painful but quick labour waters broke, went to l&d was admitted and waiting to be transfered to another hospital as there was no nicu room, got checked before they were to send me by ambulance and was 5 cm then walked upstairs to the delivery suite up two flights of stairs then the pain started It only lasted about two hours and my lg was born weighing 5 lb 10 oz all seamed well, she came onto the ward, fed well ish and they gave me little sterile cups to kind of force a little extra breastfeeding milk into her. She got jaundiced and then was incubated stayed in 7 days and was fine after. My 34 weeker was a similar story except I was induced due to her heart rate not being stable, I was told she would be taken straight to nicu but she wasn't she was 5lb 4 oz and then followed the same pattern with the jaundice as her sister except hers was worse, they kept saying she needed a blood transfusion but each time tested her levels before it and had just dropped under critical levels so stayed in 8 days incubated with double photo therapy for jaundice. She has a few problems with walking due to mild brain damage, but is as bright as a button and could have happened in pregnancy, labour or after birth so no guarantee it was because she was early. Xxx

 

[Kirsty3051]

I gave birth to my son at 35+2 and he weighed 5lb 8oz. My labour was painful, but not unbearable. He had problems with his breathing at first and honestly, there's no words to explain the amount of heartache we went through in those first few minutes. He's a healthy 4 week old now though!

He didn't feed directly from my breast for the first 4-5 days but took pumped breast milk from a bottle like a champ

As for clothes, we just rolled up his sleeves (and still do!).

The hardest thing for us was waking him to feed every 2 hours. We were exhausted but he's obviously completely worth it. Good luck x

 

[rosegarden620]

My dd#1 was a 35 weeker. She came in after a 5 hour labor post induction. After pushing for 15/20 minutes she was born.

She weighed 6lbs 8oz and was 19" long.

No complications at all except for being jaundice - but both my girls were even wth one being born at 37+ weeks. She never spent any time in the nice, no problems with feeding.

Essentially a perfect baby'!!

 

[PregnantKitty]

Thank you guys. Hopefully this LO behaves and stays until 36 weeks, at least. Lol.

 

[lanet]

My 36 week daughter was 7lbs 9 oz, no nicu time, breastfed like a pro.

 

[Dawnyybus]

My baby was born by planned cesarean at 36 weeks. He was 6.4lb, but only fits in tiny baby clothes. He was in nicu for 3 days and then the transitional care unit to establish breast feeding. He is still jaundice and didn't gain weight straight away but is fine now. Xxxx

 

[misspriss]

DS was a bit earlier at 33+5, he was only in preemie clothes for maybe 1-2 weeks at most, we spent way too much on those! He was 3lb15oz at birth, 4lb10oz when discharged after 18 day stay, he had been in newborn for a week. He wad slightly jaundiced, had to gain weight and learn to feed. That was it, 18 days.

 

[AnonymousCAT]

DS was born at 35+1 via planned c section. He weighed 6 lb 5 oz. I had steroid shots at 29 weeks, but despite this he still had trouble breathing. He was on a ventilator for 24 hrs and Cpap for 3 days. He spent 5 days in nicu and 1 wk in special care nursery working on growing and feeding. Had jaundice throughout but did not need photo therapy. Breastfeeding was really challenging at first and I had to use a nipple shield. We weaned the shield over 2-3 wks and now he is a bf pro and weighs over 12 lb. I've heard girls do better than boys as premies. His medical team said usually babies do fine at this gestation and his breathing troubles were uncommon. They said usually babies born at this gestation would spend sometime in special care but rarely nicu. He wore NB clothes for about a month.