Advice please........

[shanz]

Ok lovely knowlegable ladies I am after a bit of advice here, as a just in case.
I was 35 weeks yesterday, and up until now pregnancy has been progressing absolutely fine. This is #2, #1 was actually induce at 8 days over.
SO i am completely lost.
Friday morning 4am I was awoken by some very strong and painful tightenings. They persisted all day, but were irregular etc. We had a wedding to go to so i just dealt with them when they happened, all the while just expecting they were painful braxton hicks and would just all of a sudden stop. Well I saw the wedding out came home and they still hadnt stopped, then i went to the toilet and passed a bit of my plug(only about the size of a 50 cent piece)so i rang the hospital and they recommended i go in and get checked out. So off we trotted. They did a trace and called my OB, he wanted a urine sample and swabs done to check for infection, and started me on amoxycilin as a precaution, and also wanted me to have steroid injections to help bub, just incase. So i had to stay til late this arvo. He still hadnt got the pathology results back, but considering things had eased off and i live less than 5 mins from the hospital he was nice enough to let me come home.
Anyway after that ramble, sorry:oas you can tell i am a little concerned!!
I am curious as to what i can do to prepare myself just incase bubs comes early and is in SCN. I'm really worried about an extended stay in hospital, but more so for my 2 year old son. And really I just dont know how to handle any of this, it was really a big curve ball.
Also is there anything i would specifically need? etc.
Ideally bubs will now stop and i wont have to worry about any of this, but i would just like to try and prepare myself.

[HoopDeeDoo]

#1 and #2 were early. Noah was born at 35 weeks, Lachlan at 34 weeks.

It was really hard for #1 when #2 was in hospital. But thankfully we had family who could help us out, and DH could take the time off that we needed.

If you are planning on breastfeeding you will need to express every time you would normally feed, about every 3 hours. Because premmie babies don't have the sucking reflex that full term bubs have.

So Dh and I would take it in turns to go to the hospital, and one would stay home with DS1, as NICU isn't really a great place for a toddler, so we tried to limit his time in the hospy with us.

Basically all your time is taken up going backward and forward. Maybe see if you can organise some meals to be frozen, or things that can be made quickly and easily. Because it's very tiring emotionally and physically make sure you've stocked up on nice healthy snacks and food to keep you going.

Both my boys only stayed in hospy for 10 days each, #1 came home fully BF, #2 was still having a few tube feeds a day. They put a tube through the nose down into the stomach and you or the nurse puts milk into a syringe that gets sucked down into the tube and into their stomach.

Baby might need some photo therapy for jaundice

Lachlan had low blood sugar levels, and he had anti bs, so he had a drip, as well as the other monitors

Noah went straight into an open crib, where as Lachlan had to go into the humidicrib for a few days.

So 35 weeks is pretty good, not too early, but depending on your baby's size and how well they are breathing, feed, gain weight, and can control their temperature will depend on how long they will be in NICU or SCN in your case.

:hugs::hugs::hugs:

I hope bubs stays in a bit longer, every day makes a difference :hugs::hugs:

[SPC]

Hello. I'm in a similar position and a NICU nurse, so I'm familiar with 35 weekers. I'm 35 weeks and just hanging on in there, now on medication for hypertension. At 35 weeks they are pretty well cooked. Usually steroids aren't needed after 34 weeks, but they might just have been a bit cautious. Most 35 weekers will stay in hospital for a week or maybe two if they are very poor feeders. Do not let anyone persuade you that you'll get home quicker if you bottle feed, it really makes no difference. They can find breast feeding less stressful because they can feed at their own pace. Often they might need a feeding tube for a few days, down their nose, and sometimes some phototherapy, if they are jaundiced. Lots, however, come out raring to go and never even come to special care.
You can buy extra little baby clothes in most large baby shops and don't forget hats. Slings can work well with little ones, as your body warmth will help them to regulate theirs. Worst case scenario, they are almost always home by their due date. Good luck, I hope you get to 37 weeks - it's plain sailing then!

[sandy cheeks]

My dd was born at 33weeks and i have a 4yo ds and the hosp trips r hard i was in hosp for 4 days b4 birth as my waters broke then i got a infection and they induced me dd was in nicu 4 4 days and scn 4 9 days at a big hosp then 9 days at close to home hosp so the travel to the big hosp was a pain as id b driving 4 1hr (round trip) and would do that somtimes 3times a day to drop off milk.
I expressed as no suck reflex for the first 2 weeks and she had tube feeds they prob wont let bubs go until they r on all suck feeds for 3 days (my hosp did this) I let them give her a bottle of ebm as it was near imposable to get to hosp for all of her feeds (every 3 hrs) A pump handy
As for ds he adjusted well didnt take him to hosp much maby 4 times as it wasnt the best place for him to b with all the other sick little babies it freaked him out.
DD got a infection so this didnt help.
She was bf for the first 1.2months is now fully formula feed because it was hard for her to put on weight so had to fortify her feeds and make sure she was getting enough milk and with all the stress and insomnia i dried up.
So as hard as it sounds try and get enough sleep now and if babe comes early try and rest in hosp I didnt do this i was with dd all the time in hosp and got myself all sleep deprived and stressed and im only just getting relaxed now its been 4months so dont overwork yourself as baby will be home b4 u no it and theres plenty of time to overwork yourself then.
Make sure your dh helps out im single but lucky im close to my parents who helped out heaps u will need all the help u can get with ds.
Hope all goes well and u hold off till 37 weeks then babe is considered term

[trouble]

yes my DD1 was born at 32 weeks, and my waters fully broke one morning at around 5 am, so I went to the hospital, and they made me stay, gave me steroids, and things to try to hold off labour, but at 8 am the next morning I went into labour and had her at 8.18am, so that was suprising!!!

But she was ok and in the little hotbox, and I was allowed home the next day, but all I did at home was shower and eat really, and the rest of my time was spent at the hospital for feeds, until I could hold her then I was there longer.

It was a very hard 4 weeks, but I was lucky I didnt have another bub at home.

My DD2 was born at 35 and a half weeks, and I had her via C/S and I went home on day 3 and took my baby with me, so I dont think I would be too concerned if I went into labour at 35 weeks. but it still is early.

Im more stressed now about the fact that my doctor wants to do my C/s at 39 weeks, Im 20-25-mins away from hospital, and worried if I go into labour at home, I wont make it, and doubt I will last till 39 weeks, I d love to though. :yes:

I was lucky enough to go into labour whilst at hospital anyway, both times.

[shanz]

thanks for all the advice ladies.
I was just in a very emotional state last night, which i know doesnt help. But because DS1 was induced 8 days over something like this had never even crossed my mind, even when the pains started up it was a matter of "oh well its too early it cant be that!!" silly me. It is good to hear that i wont particularly have a long hospital stay, and i realised last night i would still be able to go and do stuff with DS1, which was my main concern. I just didnt want him thinking that the baby was taking his place with mummy. I do have an awesome network of family and friends that will be there in a heartbeat to do whatever they can to help. We also left DS with his aunty last night aswell, because he hadn't ever spent more than 1 night away from me, and he handled that absolutely fine, which has relaxed me a bit. He is understanding a lot more about the situation then i thought he would. And so far is just taking it in his stride.
The pains have eased off, though now i seem to be getting more period like pain. But tightenings arent as intense or often. So fc its slowing down. Also i seem to be getting a bit of CM discharge, it isnt goopy like the mucous plug though. is that normal?

[HoopDeeDoo]

It sounds like you might still be in labour, and the baby has moved to a better position, so the pain isn't as bad? all I felt with DS1 until the last 3 hours was period type pain

I hope I'm wrong, but just keep an eye on it :hugs::hugs::hugs:

[shanz]

mmmm :yes:i am actually starting to think you might be right aswell hoop, the pain is now period like cramping and sharp radiating pains shooting up my spine every so often. I know bubs is definately in a different position, at the hospital it moved from spine down the right side limbs on left to spine more in the centre limbs towards the back. I am just trying to take it easy and rest as much as possible. But have also decide that I just have to accept it may be happening now and i have no control over that. You ladies have put my mind at ease anyway. I'll just continue on and what happens happens. The back pain i am getting is very similar to what i experienced with DS's labour. I have to call the OB in the morning anyway, so i will ask him about it then.
I'm still trying to decide if DH should be going to work tomorrow, he has offered to take time off, but i am concerned that i will need him to have more time off if i do go early and dont want him to use leave unnecessarily, IYKWIM.

[shanz]

ok next silly question. Since the day after the hospital stay I have been getting the really bad period pain like cramping, like enough to stop me in my tracks. Should i be concerned? I was induced with DS, so i am not sure what all the things are i need to be worried about. I was at the stage of thinking that its just bubs moving down lower and all just part of the process. But how long should it go on before i get concerned, if at all??