Church member's baby is 6 weeks preemie. How bad is that?

[momofkhm]

Mom was induced early due to pre-eclampsia. They've said mom will be released Tuesday (which seems long for normal) but baby will probably stay 6 weeks. But how hooked up will baby be? Is this the kind of tubes everywhere only touch by going in the incubator? Or will they probably be able to bring baby out and hold her? I realize this is all "it depends" stuff, but what is usual?

 

Thanks!

[Cindy in FL.]

My son was born 7 weeks early. He was intubated for a week, had the heart monitor wires, blood pressure cuff, pulse/ox, and had tubes going in at his belly button. He was not allowed to be held while intubated. He was in the NICu for only two weeks.

[Mynyel]

I was 6 weeks premature at birth. I know someone else who had one six weeks early too. We are both here! And I was born in '75 (ugh)!

 

I wasn't incubated or anything. If I remember hearing my mom right, I was treated as a "regular" baby. I had no issues other than my mom having a hard time finding clothes and diapers to fit me.

[Ottakee]

Of course it depends but now days 6 weeks early isn't really that early considering those born at 24-26 weeks. If the baby was suffering due to mom's complications then that might be different.

 

My youngest was born 4 weeks early and they sent her home with me at 2 days old. Really shouldn't have but I was the foster (become adoptive) mom and they were anxious to get bio parents out of the hospital as well.

[mandymom]

My nephew was born at 24.5 weeks. Obviously, he was in NICU for months with all sorts of machines. I believe my BIL and SIL were able to hold him well before 32 week mark, but he was already over a month old at that time too. He is definitely a miracle child. He was 1.4 lbs at birth and now is about to celebrate his 2nd birthday with not a thing in the world wrong with him except being a little on the small side. He's such a blessing!

 

My dd was born 4.5 weeks early, and she came home with me the next day. I think it really depends on the situation.

[*Michelle*]

It depends. My first was 7 weeks early, had many complications with multiple intubations, and feeding issues. A friend of mine just had a baby 8 weeks early and her little one was off oxygen by the second day and home in just four weeks.

[PrairieSong]

Our youngest son was born almost 8 weeks early and was in the NICU for only two days. Then he was moved to the special care nursery where he stayed until his sucking reflex kicked in at 35 weeks, so 3 weeks in the hospital total. Unless your friend's baby has some complications, he/she probably won't be hooked up to lots of tubes and wires, etc. Our son had a feeding tube in his nose because he didn't suck at first, but we could hold him.

[Zebra]

In this case, size matters :). Also gender can be a factor, boys tend to do worse than girls.

 

How big is this preemie? When preemies are 4 1/2 lbs they can hold heat and don't necessarily need to be in an incubator. Also, does the baby have any health issues? It varies so much with preemies as to how many tubes they might be hooked up to and all that.

 

My dd was 9 weeks early, just under 3 lbs. She was best case scenario, had to stay in an incubator for 3 weeks but had no tubes except a feeding tube up her nose. Preemies can't suck until a certain point, so they have to eat through their nose. My dd came home at 36 weeks and 4 1/2 lbs and was not hooked up to anything. She had no problems except for being born early.

[momofkhm]

Thanks ladies!

[Jann in TX]

My middle dd was 6 weeks early (postive about the dates) and she was 6 pounds. They had to take her to the NICU to be suctioned because her nose was so small-- they brought her back to me in 3 hours and we went home the next day (we should have stayed longer as she could barely stay awake enough to nurse). We did have our time in the NICU later-- she caught RSV from her sister before her lungs had fully matured and spent 3 weeks in the hospital (hooked up) at that time. She has had (and will always have) life-long heath problems. Nothing life-threatening, but she has never been healthy.

[Laura Cook]

I had preeclampsia with our oldest and he was delivered 8 weeks early. I also had been diagnosed with IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) with no known cause and so he was pretty small, only 2 lb 14 oz. his lungs weren't developed enough so he had to have help breathing for the first several weeks. His bilirubin was too high and he was under the special lights for a couple of weeks. He also had a transfusion at one point, though at the moment I can't remember why. We weren't able to hold him until he had been in the NICU for a week. After the first 3 weeks he was breathing on his own and no longer had to be under the bili lights. He stayed in the incubator for a little longer. After another 3 weeks he had put on enough weight and could regulate his own body temperature to pass all of their tests and we brought him home! He is still on the small side but otherwise very healthy.

 

My son hasn't had any lasting affects from his time in the NICU but I was surprised to discover that I did. I have a really hard time being in that hospital now. The atmosphere and the scent of their antibacterial soap triggers the same feelings of anxiety and helplessness I felt while he was in the NICU. I hope that the woman at your church has a good support network and someone she can talk to.

 

 

[Paige]

Six weeks early is not that bad unless there are other problems. My girls were 7 weeks early and we were told if they had just held out one more week they would have had it much easier. Assuming the baby is just a feeder and grower, I would expect the baby to stay in the NICU 1-2 weeks depending on size. She should be able to hold the baby frequently unless baby gets jaundiced. In that case, they will want the baby to stay under the lights as much as possible and may restrict how long he can come out of the incubator. Baby may need some low level oxygen support for a short time but most can breathe at 34 weeks. I'm thinking maybe a nasal canula, or cpap at most. He will be covered in wires but most wires are just monitors. It looks scary because they are so little. The big things are they will want to make sure baby breathes independently with no drops in heart rate, baby needs to be able to drink by mouth, and baby needs to keep her temperature stable in a regular crib. Baby will also need to pass the carseat test. He'll be put in a carseat and tested to see if he has trouble breathing in it. Sometimes babies have trouble breathing sitting in a carseat because the position may cause them to drop their chins to their chests and it restricts their airways. We were told to limit our babies' time in their carseats to as little as possible. My girls were 4lbs 0oz. when they were allowed to come home and they had no trouble keeping their temps up at that weight. It just depends on the baby.

 

I saw some 34 weekers with more serious problems in the NICU but most of them were in there with other infections or because mom was diabetic.

[GoVanGogh]

There is no 'normal' with preemies. Hospitals generally give the due date as a goal of when the baby will be released, so as not to get hopes up about a short stay.

Our child was 7 weeks early due to pre-eclampsia. He was intubated for a week, on c-pap for a few more days. At first, no one could even touch him, as he was unstable. He was in 3 weeks total. His sucking reflex didn't kick in until due date, so that was one of our biggest challenges at the time.

He had asthma due to immature lungs for years after.

Sadly, more than a decade later, we found out that DS has long-term neurological complications due to being premature. I hear people say their 28 week preemies don't have any complications and it is so upsetting. I am happy for them. But, as our doctors said at the time, "all bets are off with preemies and how they develop."

As we have been trying to wade through all of DS's medical issues, the one thing all specialists have said is, "We are just now realizing that preemies from that decade did not fare as well as we first thought..."

Any bit premature runs the risk of complications, setbacks, high moments, low moments. It is a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions from day to day and you really don't know what to expect.

[raceNzanesmom]

It really is case by case. My oldest was 6 weeks early and the youngest 5 weeks 5 days early. Both had fully developed lungs. Oldest ds stayed 7 days, all regular nursery time, due to jaundice; youngest ds spent 9 days in the NICU until he could properly digest breastmilk. Both boys had extended jaundice (several months), but were otherwise healthy.

 

However, I know a few babies born only 3-4 weeks early that had major complications from immature lungs.

 

Mom needs lots of support and encouragement. Others need to step up and help with other kids, shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc, so she can focus 100% on baby.

[wapiti]

As the others said, it really does all depend. And, any time in the NICU, when you are leaving the hospital without your baby, really is bad, a nightmare, from the parents' perspective. Long-term prognosis is usually very good, if that's what you're asking.

 

My twins were 33-weekers. One was breathing room air and stayed 13 days for feeding/growing/temp control. The other was intubated, on a ventilator, for respiratory distress syndrome. He was septic and had a central line through the umbilical. He was also small-for-gestational-age. He stayed 18 days. At the time, I literally could not process the seriousness of his health situation.

 

Longer term, there is an increased risk of complications from illnesses such as RSV. My little one got RSV at 12 months and ended up in the hospital on oxygen. His twin was fine from that cold (which is all very ironic, as big twin later turned into Major Asthma Boy, complete with his own hospitalization at 9 y.o., while little twin has had fewer breathing issues in childhood -I often wonder if little twin got some advantage from the surfactant poured into his lungs when he was intubated).

 

Longer term, there are greater chances of developmental delays and probably greater chances of LDs (though I have not seen research on that). It is difficult to know what is genetic or other health-related and what may be a consequence of prematurity. My little twin recently ended speech therapy - at 10 years old.

[GoVanGogh]

 

Longer term, there are greater chances of developmental delays and probably greater chances of LDs (though I have not seen research on that). It is difficult to know what is genetic or other health-related and what may be a consequence of prematurity. My little twin recently ended speech therapy - at 10 years old.

I have been doing a lot of research on this lately. The studies are fairly new, as they are just now realizing preemies do not catch up like previously thought. Higher rates of retained reflexes and LDs. Most of studies have been out of UK.

[momto10blessings]

My earliest was born 5 wks early, He was fine besides labored breathing and he had to be hooked up to monitors. Went home at 4 days.

 

My friend had a baby born at 23 weeks and he's been in the hospital for 2 months now.

[wapiti]

 

I have been doing a lot of research on this lately. The studies are fairly new, as they are just now realizing preemies do not catch up like previously thought. Higher rates of retained reflexes and LDs. Most of studies have been out of UK.

Thanks for pointing this out, especially about retained reflexes. My little one had OT for SPD at 4 y.o., but my big twin seemed relatively normal at that time. Years later, they both have handwriting and processing speed issues that are significant and hold them back in many ways (they are 2e-ish). The development of the nervous system is so important and not well-understood. Seriously, there should probably be some sort of OT program recommended for all premies from infancy until such point that the neurological developmental deficit is remedied, though I doubt the science is developed enough for what therapy should look like, optimally, for a premie infant.

[GoVanGogh]

 

Thanks for pointing this out, especially about retained reflexes. My little one had OT for SPD at 4 y.o., but my big twin seemed relatively normal at that time. Years later, they both have handwriting and processing speed issues that are significant and hold them back in many ways (they are 2e-ish). The development of the nervous system is so important and not well-understood. Seriously, there should probably be some sort of OT program recommended for all premies from infancy until such point that the neurological developmental deficit is remedied, though I doubt the science is developed enough for what therapy should look like, optimally, for a premie infant.

 

We found out last year than our preemie has mild cerebellum damage (prob lack of oxygen momentarily at birth) with a related neuromuscular disorder. As we progress through therapy, he has been diagnosed with retained reflexes and a few other odds and ends. He is freakishly 2e, due to the cerebellum damage scattering his abilities. (ETA: I only bring that up because I have been unable to find any help in this area. It has been frustrating. Doctors keep saying it is good that we homeschool so we can work around his abilities. But how?)

We have tried since he was 18 months to find out what was going on with him, but our doctors were clueless.

I would have loved for him to have been in therapy at birth. He is a pre-teen now and struggling to deal with this and the therapies. He actually went through OT/PT screening at 22 months but his neuromuscular disorder made his early motor skills look advanced on the surface so he didn't qualify for services. In hindsight, had we known he was at such a high risk for neurological complications, we would have pushed for therapies.

The specialists we are now seeing keep saying how much has changed in the past few years for testing and understanding of preemies. The next few years will probably be exciting in terms of research. I know our school district is struggling with an explosion of autism and learning differences, at the same time as premature births rise and survival rates increase.

 

ETA: it is unlikely baby will stay until due date but it is standard practice to use that date for goals. As a PP said, leaving the hospital without the baby is the hardest thing. Then the seperation is unbearable at times. If she can't drive (due to csection or meds), she will need rides to and from hospital. One of the kindest things anyone did for me was bake a ton of quick breads, already sliced and ready for freezer. I could pull out a few slices in morning, on way to hospital and it would be thawed when I was ready to eat. If she is visiting baby in nicu, the cafeteria may not be open when she wants to eat. Nice to have a decent snack on hand.

[LMA]

I had pre-eclampsia twice with my oldest and my youngest. 6 weeks is considered pre-term these days, not preemie. I was told this when my youngest was born at 7 1/2 weeks early. He was in the NICU for two weeks and would have been sent home earlier if I hadn't had more problems from my c-section.

 

My oldest, now 14, was 4 weeks early. It took him a while to "catch up", partly because he was the oldest and had no other stimulation (esp. from kids) except for what we provided in terms of books and music. My youngest was born in 2011 at 7 1/2 weeks early and is 20 months old. He is very stimulated by my older four (ages 7 to 14) doing things with him and the pediatrician said that is the best OT he could have. He has really caught up and surpassed where my oldest was at this age. They need extra attention in the early years and the attention he has all day from at least one person in the household has really helped him. I see a big difference between him and my oldest.

 

To OP, why do you consider the mother's stay in the hospital long? Pre-eclampsia is hard to recover from sometimes even with a natural birth. The mother could have had complications afterwards, which are more likely with pre-eclampsia. I did not have natural births and had emergency c-sections. I had a lot of blood pressure problems and bleeding after the babies were born.

 

Meant to add, holding the baby in the NICU depends on the hospital policy. I was not up to holding the baby until 3 days old, but my husband was able to hold the baby with the wires and tubes and all from the beginning. The hospital encouraged as much touching as possible. My husband fed the baby when he could.

[I.Dup.]

Not bad. Not bad at all.

[Unicorn.]

It really does depend on the child. Ds was 3 weeks early, turned blue, was on oxygen for over 12 hours, had a bit of juandice (not enough for lights- but did have to have him in the sun as much as possible after ging home). He went home at 2 days. Twins were born 5 weeks early, one was 6 lbs 11 oz, and one was 5 lbs even. I was told they would be there at least 2 weeks. We all went home on day 4. They haven't had any problems.

[prairiewindmomma]

My baby was born 7 weeks early, spent a full month in NICU.

[Meriwether]

I was 6 weeks early. I appeared fine at the hospital and went home at about 5 days. At 4 months, it became apparent that my hip joints weren't fully formed. I was in a cast for a few months and then a harness.I walked at 13 months and had no lingering trouble.

[arstephia]

My first born was 6 weeks early too. He was hooked up to a bunch of things and during the couple weeks he was in NICU. We could only hold his hand at first. My tiny preemie is now 6'4" and an outstanding student, so no long term delays in growth or skills.

[zillymom]

I had pre-eclampsia with my daughter, who was 7 weeks early. She had IUGR, too, so she was smaller than a normal 33-weeker. Spent almost 3 weeks in the NICU, fighting jaundice and learning to coordinate suck/swallow/breathe - we could only hold her for short periods of time so that she wasn't burning too many calories trying to keep her body temperature regulated. She had the apnea and bradycardia spells common to preemies. She came home still under 4 lbs and has done really well (she's 3 1/2 now). Every preemie is different, and you never know what's around the next bend, or if prematurity is going to rear its head again later on (teeth enamel issues, sensory issues, etc.). Pre-eclampsia isn't a walk in the park, either - I still struggle with my blood pressure (had no issues with it before pre-e).

[DaffodilDreams]

Back in the 80s, my brother was born 6 weeks early. I was 10, so I remember a little. He had a pretty bad case of jaundice, but other than that I don't think there was anything terribly wrong or scary. He wasn't in the hospital an unusually lengthy time, and he certainly didn't have developmental delays in early childhood. It wasn't long before you would never have guessed he had been born early.

[kiwik]

It is not so bad - not like being 10 weeks early. But it is frightening and shocking for the parents so they will need as much support as possible.