Premmie Mums #10

Continuing on from here.

I was speaking with DF this evening and have decided I am going to contact the NICU tomorrow and see if I can go in and do a walkthrough - we didn't get to do one with DD as the need for her birth all came about quite quickly but as I have time to prepare somewhat this time I think my mental health will benefit from a trip to NICU before we actually need it

TK.

Have you got a timeframe yet for delivery?

Doing a walk through helped me a little too. Hopefully you're able to. Is it the same NICU your DD was in?

Not yet - at present the plan is to see Obstetrician twice a week, so I saw him yesterday and will see him again on Friday - then next week it will be Tuesday and Friday and continue until the end of pregnancy - my liver function levels are stable at present (well I am not sure of the outcome of yesterday's bloods but am taking the fact that I have not had a call as reassurance ) but Obs is now concerned about my liver remaining at this stable level (which is still triple the normal function levels) for an extended period - this is the 3rd week at this level. He mentioned on Monday that he didn't think that we would get much longer out of this pregnancy... it really could be anytime.

It will be the same hospital DD was born in and the she stayed in the NICU for the first four days - she was then transferred to a SCN at another hospital as she didn't require the NICU services and there were many babies that did - she stayed at the SCN at the other hospital until day 13.

Hi All, I'm new to this site so a bit unsure of how to use it. Thought I would join this forum as I'am a mother to a premmie as well.

My son is now 6yo and doing well. He was born at 30wks weighing only 652grams. Severe IUGR due to placental insuffiency.

I'm now pregnant with no.2
Unsure how many wks I'am and quite worried about the same thing happening again.

Hi Candy_Lee, welcome to BB! My eldest is 6 and was also a 30wker (I had a complicated pregnancy, severe morning sickness, a sub-chronic haematoma which caused my waters to rupture at 28wks) my youngest is 4 and was born at 34wks after a fairly smooth 26wks I went in to labour and was able to hold off delivery with the help of close monitoring and drugs. We had a miscarriage between the boys due to an accident, I received an electric shock off a faulty hot water system at 16wks.

Doctors have no answers for either boys arrival and there's not a lot I can do to prevent another premmie so I had my tubes tied.

I hope your pregnancy goes smoothly this time and you have a nice healthy full term bubba at the end

Hi Early Kids, thanks for your reply! Sorry to hear about your loss ;(

I never actually went into labour with my first, he was delivered by cesarean due to placental insuffiency. I was really small through the whole pregnancy so there was concern. At my 30wk ultrasound they found my placenta wasn't passing anything through, 4 days later (after close monitoring and drugs) they had to deliver my baby or he would of passed away. I remember being told they found a 5cm blood clot when they delivered him. This is what scares me as I never found out why??

This time round I'm going to make sure the necessary tests and close monitoring are done. Fingers crossed everything will work out better and ill carry full term.

Unfortunately, for most of us, the Drs don't know why it happens and it's just 'one of those things'. It sucks not knowing why, but I guess at the same time at least we have the technology to save a lot more premmies these days

Everything is crossed for you!

Anyone lurking in here?

I have had a SCH and partial abruption of the edge of the placental, which is fundal, at 15 weeks 4 days. I am still bleeding, but it is much much less and mostly very old blood, with some old blood. There was a clot evident of scan above the cervix, which has now reduced.

As you can see by my ticker I am inching along... now 19 + 3, and I am certainly surprised that we are hanging in there, given the nature of the acute crisis we experienced. Enough to be hospitalised for 4 days. I am so surprised I got discharged, and haven't been back yet.

I have a complex and mixed Obsteric history, but there's been no confirmation previously of placental abruption or SCH previously... though I am AMA ( advance maternal age).

So the Obs has indicated, that whilst things seem to be plodding along now, that he is expecting delivery to be considered from 32 weeks. I haven't asked yet in more detail, but concerns as to placental functioning and at this stage liquor levels. There is a suggestion there may be a very slow hind water leak. Suggestion only, no amniosure yet, but that's due to the amount of blood loss.

I was a wee bit shocked at first.... as my rainbows were 40 weeks emergency c/s due to HELLP and 37+4 weeks due to non reassuring scan and my wee one spent 14 days in SCN, and 12 on CPAP due to RDS and infection ( I did have a PROM at 27 weeks with that pregnancy and spent a week in hospital, and somehow managed to dodge a 27 weeker or perinatal death). Fortunately we didn't need NICU, but we weren't far away from needing it. Apart from it just being a place where the babies are more sick, it would have been less convenient. Although you do what you need to, it was nice to be so close, and in an environment that I knew.

Anyhoo, long story short, any tips for a 32 weeker NICU stay? We might get lucky and little Popsicle might be well enough to stay at the local hospital SCN rather than being transferred to another hospital NICU.

I will have 2 little ones at home. HB 4 yrs, is starting kindy 5 days a fornight, about the time Popiscle will be 25 weeks gest. And RB, 2.5 might get a 3 yrd old entry in June at the same Centre. Popsicle is due 24 May 2015. We have child care booked for 1 day a week, not that far from the NICU but a 20-40 minute drive depending on traffic from the SCN. I suppose we can increase our days if needed at the CC we are currently at. There might be options for local day care centres, which I have looked at previously. My DH doesn't like the idea of family day care. We don't have a lot of family support, and we have a good mumma network, but it's about learning to ask for and accepting help with child care arrangements. I have looked into a part time Nanny too, given I might be hospitalised again before then. Just waiting for the Christmas/New Year madness to settle down before we start interviews.

But apart from trying to sort out child care arrangements, any tips to prepare? I am waiting on a call back from my grief counsellor to arrange a walk through of the NICU where she works, which is where we might end up. But if no call back soon, will call the hospital myself. It's a tough time of year to organise things with Christmas/New Year holidays.

Does anyone know where to get a NICU journal from?

Is it worth buying a separate freezer for stockpiling meals and EBM? ( assuming we can afford it).

Thanks in advance. But honestly, my next hurdle, apart from getting to the end of each day, is getting to 20 weeks, then my morph scan the next day. 20 weeks means so much to me.... legal recognition.... and then 24 weeks is the next big one.

Hi dory,

I know it's been a few weeks since you posted this. How're you going? How did your morph scan go?

Our DD was a 33 weeker. I was admitted for steroids for 2 days before her delivery to help with lung development. Even so, she had to be resuscitated at birth and was put on CPAP for 3 days (they tried to take her off it day 2 but her lung collapsed so was put back on it. They called the NICU to see if they'd take her but as there was nothing more they could've done for her than the SCN for that, they kept her). On day 7 she was out of the humidicrib and in an open cot to learn to feed and grow and at 4 weeks old, 37 weeks gestation, came home on the early discharge program at 1.9kg.

We had a 5 year old son as well so I spent my days (7-4ish) with DD then came home to DS and DH. It's heartbreaking as I'm sure you know but you do what works for your family..

There are a few groups on fb that do journals but pretty sure they're just normal notebooks..

If you'd generally use another freezer, then it won't hurt. We already had a chest freezer so was lucky in that regard.

She's now 2 years old and although still small (in 00 clothes) and had an OHS in June last year, she's a happy and healthy child she's definitely a determined little girl who knows what she wants and how to get it.

Oh wow.....amazing wee girl. Still plodding along. Have a NICU tour booked for 22 weeks gest.with my grief counsellor to accompany me. I should be OK going in, but maybe there will be some triggers. Your mighty girl did well to be on CPAP for only 3 days. My 37+4 weeker, 4.1kg, was on it for 9 or 10. But just a whiffof O2 in the last few days, so close to room air but still needed the extra help.

Thanks for replying!