6 week premature daughter
Discussion
Evening all,
Currently stuck abroad and wishing I was at home. I left at 4am this morning leaving my wife tucked up in bed. I thought it pretty strange that I got a call just as I was getting on the plane at 7am ish as she`s never been an early riser and on top of that it was her day off, she wasn`t due to start maternity leave for another 10 days.
Anyhow she says she`s having some pain and had spoken to the midwife who recommended getting herself to the hospital to be checked out. In the meantime the pain is getting worse and the contractions have started so she can`t drive. Our wonderful neighbour, with a 19 month and a 3 year old in tow, was press-ganged into getting her to hospital. 45 mins later she gets to hospital (we`re pretty rural) to find out she`s already 8cm so they transfer her to the delivery suite at Great Western and 10 minutes later my little daughter is born. I CAN`T BELIEVE I`ve missed it! As title she`s just over 6 weeks premature and 5lb 1 oz.
I couldn`t get an earlier flight today so am flying tomorrow morning and will be with her by midday.
She`s in an incubator and is being given oxygen and tube fed milk while my wife is desperately trying to express some milk. I think she`s going to be in hospital for a while.
I know every case is different but does anyone have any experience with this and advice.
I still can`t believe I`m not there, it`s our first!
Currently stuck abroad and wishing I was at home. I left at 4am this morning leaving my wife tucked up in bed. I thought it pretty strange that I got a call just as I was getting on the plane at 7am ish as she`s never been an early riser and on top of that it was her day off, she wasn`t due to start maternity leave for another 10 days.
Anyhow she says she`s having some pain and had spoken to the midwife who recommended getting herself to the hospital to be checked out. In the meantime the pain is getting worse and the contractions have started so she can`t drive. Our wonderful neighbour, with a 19 month and a 3 year old in tow, was press-ganged into getting her to hospital. 45 mins later she gets to hospital (we`re pretty rural) to find out she`s already 8cm so they transfer her to the delivery suite at Great Western and 10 minutes later my little daughter is born. I CAN`T BELIEVE I`ve missed it! As title she`s just over 6 weeks premature and 5lb 1 oz.
I couldn`t get an earlier flight today so am flying tomorrow morning and will be with her by midday.
She`s in an incubator and is being given oxygen and tube fed milk while my wife is desperately trying to express some milk. I think she`s going to be in hospital for a while.
I know every case is different but does anyone have any experience with this and advice.
I still can`t believe I`m not there, it`s our first!
Even if you did miss the birth congratulations anyway!
My niece was born last Feb , she was 5.5 weeks early and in an incubator, had bruising to the face and eyes for a couple of weeks after she was born, and although it can be a little worrying she was just fine! there was a baby on the same ward who was not quite 1 lb! I'm sure she will be fine
My niece was born last Feb , she was 5.5 weeks early and in an incubator, had bruising to the face and eyes for a couple of weeks after she was born, and although it can be a little worrying she was just fine! there was a baby on the same ward who was not quite 1 lb! I'm sure she will be fine
Congratulations!
Bound to be worrying but these days premature babies are astoundingly well cared for, and 6 weeks is far from extreme. She'll be fine and you're in for the shock of your life (in a good way!) when you meet your tiny girl.
Unfortunately there's not much that will make that flight go any quicker!
Bound to be worrying but these days premature babies are astoundingly well cared for, and 6 weeks is far from extreme. She'll be fine and you're in for the shock of your life (in a good way!) when you meet your tiny girl.
Unfortunately there's not much that will make that flight go any quicker!
This is the main question I want to ask tomorrow, how long they foresee her staying in for and if she is staying in then so is my wife who is worried about bonding.
I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
Congrats.
Monkey face was 6 weeks early and we had a not quite emergency c section.
It was the most terrifying couple of weeks of my life. Looking back on it, everyone else involved probably found it routine...
6 weeks is within the "if we're unsure about something, better out than in". It's the point where the child is not just viable, but safer if there's any risk of infection in the womb.
Monkey was not incubated, but he was on a heated water pad and tube fed for a week or so.
As long as she's breathing normally and there's no infection, it's a waiting game to put on weight, feed normally and go home.
They will tell you to expect to wait in scbu until term. We spent just over two weeks. We slept there 3 nights.
It's not a lot of fun on the ward, but if you're bored and pissed off and want to go home; treat it as a good sign - if that's all you have to worry about you're doing ok.
If it's the great western in swindon, I know the scbu ward well. The staff are excellent and know what they're doing. You will want to kill one of them after a couple of weeks. This is perfectly normal.
Support each other. Try not to get too wound up being stuck on the ward. There are some tough times in the short term. There are some unspeakably wonderful times shortly after that and they keep coming.
I hadn't thought about the first two weeks for about 12 months until right now. It will feel like forever, it will pass.
Strength and patience.
Monkey face was 6 weeks early and we had a not quite emergency c section.
It was the most terrifying couple of weeks of my life. Looking back on it, everyone else involved probably found it routine...
6 weeks is within the "if we're unsure about something, better out than in". It's the point where the child is not just viable, but safer if there's any risk of infection in the womb.
Monkey was not incubated, but he was on a heated water pad and tube fed for a week or so.
As long as she's breathing normally and there's no infection, it's a waiting game to put on weight, feed normally and go home.
They will tell you to expect to wait in scbu until term. We spent just over two weeks. We slept there 3 nights.
It's not a lot of fun on the ward, but if you're bored and pissed off and want to go home; treat it as a good sign - if that's all you have to worry about you're doing ok.
If it's the great western in swindon, I know the scbu ward well. The staff are excellent and know what they're doing. You will want to kill one of them after a couple of weeks. This is perfectly normal.
Support each other. Try not to get too wound up being stuck on the ward. There are some tough times in the short term. There are some unspeakably wonderful times shortly after that and they keep coming.
I hadn't thought about the first two weeks for about 12 months until right now. It will feel like forever, it will pass.
Strength and patience.
jontysafe said:
This is the main question I want to ask tomorrow, how long they foresee her staying in for and if she is staying in then so is my wife who is worried about bonding.
I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! Your wife will never let you hear the end of it for not being there.... Glad they are both in good condition.I`m going to get my head down, I`m a couple of hours ahead and it`s going to be another early start.
Thanks for comments guys.
Great Western has a pretty good SCBU unit with 4 intensive cots and will be well versed at looking after 34 week prems. 5lb 1 oz (2.3 kg - good weight for that gestation, putting her pretty much on the 50th centile).
In answer to your questions, rule of thumb we tell parents is to aim to go home on your due date. Realistically, particularly those born at later gestations, go home before that date, it all depends on local policy regarding discharge weights and gestations, along with the clinical condition of the individual. For example, an ex-24 week prem, with chronic lung disease and other issues might go home after the due date, whereas a baby born at 36+5, might go home at 37 weeks.
37 weeks is the cut off for what we consider to be term, after 37 weeks all the organ development and processes that need to take place to support life outside the womb are complete and we would expect few problems other than helping to establish feeding (in the otherwise well baby). If your wife is on the post-natal ward and is unable to room in on the SCBU unit, the most important thing she can do to support your daughter is to express breast milk regularly. We say a minimum of 8 times a day, 12 if it is going well. The best times are after she has been on the unit, especially if she has been skin-to-skin with baby.
Skin-to-skin and kangaroo care are both things she should be encouraged to take part in to help bonding over her stay. The SCBU nurses will happily help her get your daughter out of the incubator and skin-to-skin with mum. It is really good for baby and often helps with physiological parameters such as pulse and respiratory rate. Make sure she is doing this - even intubated and ventialated babies can have skin-to-skin - nasal cannula oxygen, CPAP and vapotherm are certianly less invasive so are not an excuse to miss the opportunity. That should help with bonding.
Regarding her stay, the course is like a rollercoaster - big ups and big downs (especially when the baby blues hit mum on day 2-3). In a typical neonatal stay, things can be going brilliantly one day and then you might feel like you're almost back at square one after a bad night. Remember that neonatal teams always treat aggressively so don't be surprised if she ends up on antibiotics with the oxygen. She will also be likely to have a number of blood gases and blood sugars, along with bilirubin checks over the next few days, so her heels might be in ribbons by the end of week 1 (lots of neonatal blood tests are taken from the feet).
Surfactant deficient lung disease shouldn't be too much of a problem at 34 weeks, but if she needs more support than just oxygen, her medical team might opt to give some surfactant (chemical that opens up the airways) to help, as it is likely that if she really had a spontaneous onset of prem-labour, she wouldn't have had any antenatal steroids. Establishing feeding is also very important and tube feeds can be done at home in special circumstances - you will no doubt get trained up on how to do them by the nurses and will be able to help with them. Suck feeds should be encouraged when capable, generally 35 weeks onwards give or take.
There are obviously other factors that will affect her neonatal course, but those are often dependent on the obstetric history.
Get your SCBU unit to give you a 'Bliss' welcome pack - they are the charity who deal with premature babies and have some really good resources.
Happy to offer any advice/help with questions, i'm currently on nights, so don't expect any daytime responses! Again, many congratulations!
Edited by HughS47 on Thursday 30th January 01:07
WoW!
I never ceased to be amazed by people. Many many thanks for the fantastic response and information.
I'm currently at the airport and if I'm completely honest very emotional. I'm pretty old fashioned and always want to do the best for my wife and daughter. I know this couldn't have been foreseen but I wanted to be there so much. I'm will just have to make sure I'm there in mind and body when I get there.
I travel a lot with work, am meant to be in Austria next week and Spain the week after that, can't see that happening now.
Hugh that's priceless information and the info about Monkey earlier as well. Thank you.
My wife has been expressing every couple of hours since wee one arrived and is doing well, she's an incredible woman. I swear she's 27 going on 50 the head she has on her shoulders.
One of the reasons I want all the info about how my wife can bond while Darcy (we've decided on little one's name) remains in SCBU is I was without a mother for the first 2 months of my life and I still stand by the fact it affects the rest of your life.
I might also add I also have a 20 year old son from my first marriage whose side I never left for the first year or so (probably not a good thing either). He's a lovely person and is thrilled to have a little sister.
Right champagne and choccies bought from duty free and I'm ready to go.
I probably won't update until late tonight. Thanks again for your kind words
I never ceased to be amazed by people. Many many thanks for the fantastic response and information.
I'm currently at the airport and if I'm completely honest very emotional. I'm pretty old fashioned and always want to do the best for my wife and daughter. I know this couldn't have been foreseen but I wanted to be there so much. I'm will just have to make sure I'm there in mind and body when I get there.
I travel a lot with work, am meant to be in Austria next week and Spain the week after that, can't see that happening now.
Hugh that's priceless information and the info about Monkey earlier as well. Thank you.
My wife has been expressing every couple of hours since wee one arrived and is doing well, she's an incredible woman. I swear she's 27 going on 50 the head she has on her shoulders.
One of the reasons I want all the info about how my wife can bond while Darcy (we've decided on little one's name) remains in SCBU is I was without a mother for the first 2 months of my life and I still stand by the fact it affects the rest of your life.
I might also add I also have a 20 year old son from my first marriage whose side I never left for the first year or so (probably not a good thing either). He's a lovely person and is thrilled to have a little sister.
Right champagne and choccies bought from duty free and I'm ready to go.
I probably won't update until late tonight. Thanks again for your kind words
5 lb is a pretty good weight for being so early
both my sons were 6 weeks or so early and 3lb odd (now aged 15 and 3). They stayed in the special care units for a while, at least 2/3 weeks. Apart from the hassles of getting to the hospital and back it is sort of a good thing, that it gets you used to having a baby and the staff are normally amazing
Congratulations anyway, no way could you foreseen it so early
both my sons were 6 weeks or so early and 3lb odd (now aged 15 and 3). They stayed in the special care units for a while, at least 2/3 weeks. Apart from the hassles of getting to the hospital and back it is sort of a good thing, that it gets you used to having a baby and the staff are normally amazing
Congratulations anyway, no way could you foreseen it so early
Edited by SydneyBridge on Thursday 30th January 13:51
hello again all,
just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
jontysafe said:
hello again all,
just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
Classic! I find the solution to stop them yanking out the drips is to use loads of the medical equivalent to gaffa tape. That always sorts it. Otherwise you learn quite quickly when the nurses call to say your patients pulled out another one. A touch of nasal cannula oxygen isn't anything too serious, if they step it up to CPAP or Vapotherm, again, not too unexpected at that gestation and they will wean if over the next few days if her saturations and gases are ok. just got back from Great Western, completely exhausted! My wife is doing amazingly and Darcey is beautiful, very very cute. She`s taken a few steps backwards since birth as can happen but is in the best hands. Oxygen levels were going down because she`s very tired as breathing is a bit of a struggle. she started off with two wee tubes up her nose but she kept pulling them out so she`s now got oxygen strapped to her. She also pulled out the drip just before I left the little minx.
She can`t feed yet as putting anything in her tiny tummy will exacerbate the breathing difficulties.
Did I tell you how beautiful she is yet?
I don't think you've told us how cute she is yet...
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