My sister is in labour right now & the baby will be 4 weeks prem, going straight into SCU.
I don't know much about the SCU, are there any rules? Can other kids/babies go in to visit?
Are there any potential risks for 4 weeks prem? My mum keeps saying things like the baby will have no sucking ability...the babies lungs won't be developed...I thought those things happened with babies much more premature.
At 4 weeks bubs shouldn't have a lot of trouble compared to a baby born earlier, but they can be a little slow to start - very sleepy and feeding can be a bit harder to establish. Jaundice is also a big factor too. But I know of other babies that are completely fine born at that gestation and don't have any troubles or need to spend time in SCN. MantaRay's youngest boy was born that early, I will flag this thread for her so she can offer some advice - especially on BF.
Chances are good that the baby's lungs will be perfectly fine - most 36 weekers do ok with breathing on their own, especially if they have a vaginal birth.
When it comes to the sucking thing, your mother is probably right. It's around this time that babies develop the suck reflex. Sam had a very lazy suck at first and due to issues with low blood sugars was tube-fed for a while. We never got breastfeeding right as I had no supply and he couldn't attach properly or stay attached, but I know of others who have had babies that early who had absolutely no issues with eventually breastfeeding.
When it comes to the rules of NICU/SCN, it can vary from hospital to hospital. We only had a SCN (no NICU, private hospital) and it was over Christmas so things were a bit more relaxed. Generally, visits are restricted to immediate family members only (grandparents and siblings, generally). We were able to take Sam to our room for visits so long as we didn't pass him around.
That's a brief overview - I have to go now, but I'll come back later if you've got any further questions.
Ashton my last born came 4 weeks early and was in SCU. Immediate family can go in to visit. Brothers/sisters of the newborn, the parents are allowed to take 1 or 2 people in with them to see the baby. They don't like a flow of people which is understandable, due to the other babies in there. I think it really depends on their own policy as well.
You need to scrub up before you enter as well. Ashton's lungs were fine, and he had no trouble sucking.
At 4 weeks your baby will most likely to in SCN not NICU - all being well. SCN babies are usually in open cots and not requiring assistance with breathing. There are strict rules in SCN as well as NICU.
To enter you need to gown up and remove all jewellery from hands and wrists and scrub up. This is the same for children. (I am discussing tertiary hospitals here not smaller private hospitals that may have different rules - often a little more relaxed due to the lower volume of patient/visit contact). Only allocated visitors can visit your baby and only whilst you are there or the baby's dad is there. Usually only the parents can handle the baby.
If the suck swallow reflex is a little slow as can be the case sometimes - your baby may be tube fed. This is when a tube is inserted into a nostril and this goes into your baby's belly. Your milk will be tubed into this and this is done until that suck swallow reflex is sorted.
As Sherie said some prems can need to be under lights to treat high bilirubin (jaundice).
hi hun, my lil girl was 4 weeks early.
she went to the SCN about and hour and a hlaf after she was born because her blood sugar levels were low after a feed. so they topped her up with a lil bit of formula and her levels went up.
she was roomed in with me from then on, having her blood sugar levels taken every 3 hours until we had 3 high level readings, which we did, they then took her levels every 6 hours.
the next day she was discharged from the SCN and the day after that we were home!
she's had no trouble at all feeding, infact she fed so well they didnt believe she was early! and had only the lowest levels of jaundice which they weren't concerned about.
she was a very sleepy baby for about the first week but now she's just like any other 3 and a half week old!
we rushed out and bout 5 zero sized clothes because we knew she was coming early but in the end we didnt need them because she was 7 pound 6!!!
This isnt the same for all babies and we were very lucky! another lady had her bub 4 weeks early at the same time as me and he had alot of issues.
just thought i'd give u our positive story, i was really really scared she'd be in SCN and not with me, but everything turned out perfect.
Wishing ur sister all the best of luck hun, let us know how her and her bubby go
xxxx
My DD was born at 36 weeks.. There were concerns about her sucking ability and size..
she was born screaming and when she did eventually get to Bf (10 hours old) she attached better then any of my other kids. A real trooper she was.. No breathing issues at all.. Only issue we had was low Blood sugars due to me having gestational Diabetes..
I have to add I had had 2 lots of steroids previous to delivery so this may have helped some what
I can't wait to read a birth announcement! As the others have said, 4 weeks early is not a lot. My DS2 was 4 weeks early, but still weighed 6pd 8oz. He was able to bf from birth (which my full term DS1 was not able to do!!). He didn't need to go into SCN immediately, but they did put him in there a few hours later when he didn't want a feed at 2am. There was really no need for him to go into SCN and even the nurses there said that, it was just our paed being over-cautious. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have let them take him.
The main issue with DS was jaundice. It was only mild, but as a precaution they kept us in hossy for 5 days. I was dying to go home and everything, including feeding was going well, but they kept us there jic he turned bright orange overnight - he didn't!! He had a little bit of oxygen at birth but great Apgars.
My little one was 4 weeks early. She had underdeveloped jaw muscles but that was about it. She was allowed to stay with me in my room. Was a longer stay in hospital and she needed a nasal gastric tube but development wise now she is right on target for rolling and such. Oh and she WASN'T sleepy, anything but............
We had an extremely cautious paed as well. We had no jaundice problems, but spent a total of 10 days in hospital. It took that long for Sam not to get too tired sucking on bottles and to get to full suck feeds. That's basically when they will discharge - when the baby is able to go 24 hours on full suck feeds with no issues at all. It may take a little longer to do this on the breast, but as others have said, if the baby is a good size for their gestation there will often be no issues at all. Sam was a wee little tacker at only 2.48kg (I believe that's five and a half pounds in the old language!). He's certainly not a tiny thing any more and is a whopping 10kg at 9 months old.
I didn't have a prem but I had a LBW so we were in the SCN for 5 days with associated problems. The SCN was behind a door that the nurses buzzed you in on, one of us could bring a maximum of 2 visitors in with us at the time - no children except immediate siblings were allowed. All we had to do was wash our hands on entry and leaving.
Thought I'd give you an update on my sister. My niece was born at a good size - 6lb 9. She feed well at birth but then started having trouble breathing. She was put in a humidicrib in the SCU where she's been since. Her oxygen sats keep going up & down. They're still not 100% sure whats causing the breathing difficulties but she's on antibiotics plus is having a glucose drip.
Worst case scenario is her being transferred to a bigger hospital but at the moment they're keeping her where she is.
I got to see her & she is divine!!
Thanks for the support.
Hopefully they can get the breathing sorted out and she doesnt spend too long in hospital.
My boys were earlier than that, but my youngest, 34+3, was 6lb 13oz... which helped him along nicely! He was only in NICU for 30 hours and then SCN until day 6 when we were transferred locally for 2 days. Even though it's a short time compared to what it could have been it feels like an eternity.
congratulations on becoming an aunty! i hope her breathing difficulties sibside and she was a great weight too which i am sure will be helping her along!
i hope it wont be long before your sister gets to take her little girl home
Another update!! She did get transferred to a larger hospitals NICU. After spending a few days there she is now stable. What she has is common in premmies & she should recover very soon.
Thanks again for the support.
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4 weeks prem
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