Premature child

Supergrit · #1 03-21-2016, 11:33 AM

Pre term baby Wondering what are the experience of others out there thx.

Zip · #2 03-21-2016, 12:46 PM

28 years ago our son was born 5 weeks premature, everything went okay, but he did look really small...I mean really small. I told my wife that he looked like a poorly done plucked duck. Anyway at first we were very careful and scared to hurt the poor little guy...but as I look back on that I realize we had no reason to be anything but happy to have him.
I'm not sure about your situation but good luck and I hope everything is going okay..don't stress to much!
Zip

iliketrout · #3 03-21-2016, 12:53 PM

We had a 8 week premature girl in August 2014. Was very scary at first and came with a crazy range of emotions...there's lots of time to think about these things in those long days in the hospital. Listen to the doctors and nurses, they really know what they are doing and are some of the best around. She was in the hospital for 31 days before she came home with us, but here we are a year and a half later and we're spending our days chasing her around the house wondering if she will ever listen to us haha. She has no side effects from being born so early, and to those that don't know she was a preemie, they tell us they would never have guessed.

Feel free to PM me if you want more info or just to chat in private!

Puma · #4 03-21-2016, 12:59 PM

I was a preterm baby in the 1950s. They kept me in an incubator in the hospital for quite a while. I am fine .

With technology today, much less of an issue I`m sure.

Ebrand · #5 03-21-2016, 01:16 PM

HE was strong. On CPAP for a few days. In the Blue Light incubator for a few days to deal with jaundice.
Had a scare where he was diagnosed (incorrectly by a student) with Necrotizing Entracolitis so a week with nothing by mouth to ensure his stomach had time to heal. Then we had to start from scratch with feeding him again.
Nurses are amazing. Learn from them. Grey Nuns Nicu was great. My son was a monster at 5 lbs in there. Amazing is the only work to explain the care he got in there.
24 days before we got him out of there. Get your rest. While you can. Support Mom. Lots of things go one for preemie moms ( guilt. Fear remorse etc. ).

My boy is fine now. No issues that can be attributed to his early arrival.

Friend had a boy at 24 weeks. Very tiny. Very weak. He is 18 months now and catching up fast. He will likely hav no lasting issues from being super early. Use the nurses. Ask them questions.

Pm me if you need to talk or have more questions.
Alberta is one of the best places in the world to born early. They Re good at dealing with it here.

Stay strong and ask for help if you need it.

heybert · #6 03-21-2016, 01:24 PM

Have twins born at 34 weeks. Little girl stayed in the NICU for 17 days and little boy for 27 days. He was just over 3 and she was just over 4. It's disheartening seeing all the wires and stuff, but be calm and talk to the nurses. They'll give you updates and tell you that babies are quite resilient. My kids are now almost 3 and have basically caught up. We do need to work on their speech, but seems to be common with twins as they develop their own language.

Redfrog · #7 03-21-2016, 01:25 PM

Grand daughter weighed nearly two pounds when she was born in Oct, due in Dec. 7 years ago.

Her hand was the size of my wife's thumbnail. she was released when her weight was about 5 pounds. She had no issues there or since then.
She's 7 and far too smart for her age.

RolHammer · #8 03-21-2016, 01:48 PM

Twins at 30 weeks in 2003 (premature by 10 weeks), 3 lbs & 3 lbs 5 oz. Three weeks in NICU, followed by three in ICN, then home. Very scary the first couple of weeks - scary because it's all new, scary because you're just finding out entirely new ways that things are able go wrong, scary because you don't have any control over how it's going to turn out.

There'll be monitoring for a particular kind of brain bleed preemies are predisposed to, there'll be monitoring for an eyesight problem called retinopathy of prematurity that'll go on until they're into middle school, there'll be monitoring for a gastrointestinal situation called necrotizing enterocolitis which is every bit as bad as it sounds.

Preemies born before 33 weeks won't have matured reflexes for suck/breathe/swallow automaticity and sometimes simply forget to keep breathing, particulary if they're eating. So, they'll be attached to various leads (heart rate, chest excursion, blood oxygenation). They won't be allowed food by mouth until 32 weeks and even then will be only allowed to feed on a drained breast. Up to that point, they'll receive all of their nutrition as a mix of parenteral nutrition (IV food) and expressed breast milk by syringe pump through a tube going through their nose into their stomach (NG tube). As their instestines grow used to the idea they're supposed to be intestines and do intestinte-type stuff, the rate of breast milk delivery through the syringe pump goes up and the IV nutrition winds down. Having to pump and store breast milk will almost certainly be a part of the future of the preemie parent for the next several months. This wasn't onerous for us at all, as it basically fully empowered me to feed them myself whenever required, rather than it having to be my wife breastfeeding every time. Breast milk in the freezer is the definition of flexible freedom.

They will be very sensitive to bright light and loud sounds. Darkened room w soft voices will be the order of the day for you. Depending on how early they are, they may have little to no body fat and will be very lean - most of the fat deposition occurs in 37 weeks on. They will get cold very, very easily as a result and won't be able to dependably self-regulate their body temperature. They will also be exquisitely sensitive to even the lightest touch and the rubbing and patting you normally do with babies will stress them out. Steady, firm, light touch is best. Kangaroo care (baby clad only in a diaper on your bare chest under a blanket in a darkened room) has been shown in trials to be beneficial in every studied parameter of the infant and of the parent. I can't describe it exactly, but it's a simple-sounding thing but it's absolutely wonderful and you will gain as much as you give.

In NICU and until they're able to demonstrate temperature self-regulation, they'll be in a glove-box kind of affair called an isolette that keeps them warm and their environment quiet.

My twins turned 13 on Mar 1 and are the most normal couple of kids you'd ever meet, both healthy and well-adjusted and doing just fine.

In 2003, the odds of long-term complications of a 30 week preemie were less than 2%. I can't help but think that that number has improved from there in the last decade.

Please don't hesitate to PM if I can be of help in any way.

Vacation · #9 03-21-2016, 02:16 PM

My twins were born at 3 lbs 8oz and 4lbs 2 oz. They were teeny. My dughters hand was the size of my thumbnail. No probs with their health as a result of being premies. I sure hated the desat machine beeping tho, hah. It took 1 month till we were able to get them home. It was a pain at the time but it all worked out.

Sooner · #10 03-21-2016, 02:21 PM

Good friends daughter was born real early, just had her 18th. They do wonders today with pre me babies. I was early a few weeks, compared to today, that's nothing. Good luck with your new one, congrats.

^v^Tinda wolf^v^ · #11 03-21-2016, 02:29 PM

Congratulations! My son was born prematurely but you would never guess that today. Question the doctor about steroids for your child's under developed lungs. We are having a bit of an issue now, both lungs and iron deficiency. Other wise healthy as can be

masalma · #12 03-21-2016, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolHammer

Twins at 30 weeks in 2003 (premature by 10 weeks), 3 lbs & 3 lbs 5 oz. Three weeks in NICU, followed by three in ICN, then home. Very scary the first couple of weeks - scary because it's all new, scary because you're just finding out entirely new ways that things are able go wrong, scary because you don't have any control over how it's going to turn out.

There'll be monitoring for a particular kind of brain bleed preemies are predisposed to, there'll be monitoring for an eyesight problem called retinopathy of prematurity that'll go on until they're into middle school, there'll be monitoring for a gastrointestinal situation called necrotizing enterocolitis which is every bit as bad as it sounds.

Preemies born before 33 weeks won't have matured reflexes for suck/breathe/swallow automaticity and sometimes simply forget to keep breathing, particulary if they're eating. So, they'll be attached to various leads (heart rate, chest excursion, blood oxygenation). They won't be allowed food by mouth until 32 weeks and even then will be only allowed to feed on a drained breast. Up to that point, they'll receive all of their nutrition as a mix of parenteral nutrition (IV food) and expressed breast milk by syringe pump through a tube going through their nose into their stomach (NG tube). As their instestines grow used to the idea they're supposed to be intestines and do intestinte-type stuff, the rate of breast milk delivery through the syringe pump goes up and the IV nutrition winds down. Having to pump and store breast milk will almost certainly be a part of the future of the preemie parent for the next several months. This wasn't onerous for us at all, as it basically fully empowered me to feed them myself whenever required, rather than it having to be my wife breastfeeding every time. Breast milk in the freezer is the definition of flexible freedom.

They will be very sensitive to bright light and loud sounds. Darkened room w soft voices will be the order of the day for you. Depending on how early they are, they may have little to no body fat and will be very lean - most of the fat deposition occurs in 37 weeks on. They will get cold very, very easily as a result and won't be able to dependably self-regulate their body temperature. They will also be exquisitely sensitive to even the lightest touch and the rubbing and patting you normally do with babies will stress them out. Steady, firm, light touch is best. Kangaroo care (baby clad only in a diaper on your bare chest under a blanket in a darkened room) has been shown in trials to be beneficial in every studied parameter of the infant and of the parent. I can't describe it exactly, but it's a simple-sounding thing but it's absolutely wonderful and you will gain as much as you give.

In NICU and until they're able to demonstrate temperature self-regulation, they'll be in a glove-box kind of affair called an isolette that keeps them warm and their environment quiet.

My twins turned 13 on Mar 1 and are the most normal couple of kids you'd ever meet, both healthy and well-adjusted and doing just fine.

In 2003, the odds of long-term complications of a 30 week preemie were less than 2%. I can't help but think that that number has improved from there in the last decade.

Please don't hesitate to PM if I can be of help in any way.

Wow. My twins were born with the exact weights and timing except in 2012.

My advice is be strong. It is very tough on you and the wife but it will pass and you won't even remember it.

The only time I remember crying in all my life was when I went home without my kids.

They turn 4 in April and development wise are better than full term born. Weight and height are at 50 percentile.

dogpound · #13 03-21-2016, 02:52 PM

My first little girl was born at 1.9 pounds and 29 weeks.

She spent 80 days in the hospital and we took her home on oxygen for 6 months.

It is a very overwhelming situation but anyone who complains about our healthcare system won't after going through something like this with a child. Ask lots of questions, your child will have great care and everyone that dealt with my girl was top notch, Foothills and Lougheed.

Expect them to lose up to 10% of weight in the first few weeks, its normal. It's a tough schedule and leaving your child there isn't easy but you get use to it.

My little girl is doing great, some speech (auditory comprehension problems) and small learning issues (math) but she is a a wizard when it comes to reading and is very visual. She is an amazing snowboarder, has been since she was 5 years old.

I had a nurse tell me that the old rule of thumb is for each week of prematurity you could expect up to 1/2 to 1 year to completely catch up, not sure if that's true, but she always seemed to take to kids a year younger. Adjusted age is important to consider when starting school etc.. We held her back in grade one and her confidence really improved and school was fun again.

My girl had a severe brain bleed on one side, a minor one on the other side - you don't know what effect if any they will have and you have to be diligent in watching there development.

You will have highs and lows, its all worth it and I wouldn't change anything about her. Your child will be in great hands.

At 10 years old, perfect happy well adjusted girl!

RolHammer · #14 03-21-2016, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masalma

My advice is be strong. It is very tough on you and the wife but it will pass and you won't even remember it.
The only time I remember crying in all my life was when I went home without my kids.

Same sort of thing here as well, though it was all of us coming home together for the first time when my wheels fell off. We got through the door and I fell to pieces.

My advice to the OP is to make sure you and your spouse take care of yourselves. This is a race it is simply not possible to diesel your way through, no matter how strong you are or powerful your will. I know - I tried. There time will come when you simply have to rest. When that happens, allow yourselves to do so. There will be people around (hospital staff while they're admitted, your spouse or other family members when you're all home) who will make it possible.

FishingMOM · #15 03-21-2016, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Pre term baby Wondering what are the experience of others out there thx.

Don't worry they grow up just like the rest, but they tend to be more determined than their counterparts.
Mine does everything sooner. He's skinnier. So he was walking sooner cause baby fat didn't hold him down.

You will do great!
Just forget sleep

3.14lbs
7 1/2 weeks early
5 days nicu
Then home!
2005

DisplacedCaper · #16 03-21-2016, 07:53 PM

My son was 6 weeks early. Spent 15 terrifying days in the NICU. On cpap for most of it, under the blue lights, wires hooked up to him. I felt pretty helpless. He will be 2 this summer and he is smart, fast, and into everything lol.

Springerman · #17 03-21-2016, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishingMOM

Don't worry they grow up just like the rest, but they tend to be more determined than their counterparts.
Mine does everything sooner. He's skinnier. So he was walking sooner cause baby fat didn't hold him down.

You will do great!
Just forget sleep

3.14lbs
7 1/2 weeks early
5 days nicu
Then home!
2005

x'2 don't worry about I was born 2 mths premature atv 4 lbs 7 oz, was in the hospital for the 1st 6 weeks and I am in my 70's now. Medical care is much better now than the early 1940's and I have servived quite well. Plus according to my sisters I was always her favorite,
z

Tfng · #18 03-21-2016, 08:07 PM

My daughter was six weeks early and I nearly lost my wife in the process. It was a nerve wracking experience. We spent over a month in Edmonton at the Grey Nuns. It's hard to watch the nurses poke and prod your little one looking for a vein strong enough to hold an IV. I had never seen an IV in the heel of the foot until that day.

She spent a lot of time in the incubator as well as "kangaroo care". After a while she gained strength and started feeding on her own rather than through a tube. Once that happens it's just a matter of meeting the minimum weight of five pounds to be released. She was born at three pounds and I could hold her in one hand. It was a trying time but everything worked out.

She's a smart, sassy, stubborn four year old now! That's enough for now, it kinda chokes me up thinking back on that time of my life.

Edit-
I didn't mean for my reply to sound so gloomy. The best advice I can give is to stay strong for your wife and little one. She will be leaning on you a lot and her emotions will be all over the place. She may feel like it's her fault, reassure her that it is not. You should help her feel better about the situation. Your time to be less strong will be once you get the two of them home safe and sound.

I hope things go well for you.

yoteblaster · #19 03-21-2016, 08:22 PM

Oldest boy was born at 28 weeks. 1lb 11 ounces. Doctors here in Alberta are amazing. Zero health issues. Turned 18 8 weeks ago. All good

ESOXangler · #20 03-21-2016, 09:59 PM

2 years ago my boy was born at 30 weeks, he came with grade 3 IVH and 3 heart murmurs. Ones still hanging around a supra ventricular aeorta stenosis. In total we spent 52 days in the NICU. So many scares and the tough part is we are only the ones that will understand it. Family tries, friends do too but no one understands it like you will! The toughest part about this is you can't fix it. And as men they say that hits us the hardest cause we are fixers. Women can handle the situation and for us it just builds inside. You're going to feel alone sometimes but your not. Your going to be angry sometimes and that's ok.
The one thing I really hated was when people would say everything's going to be ok. How the hell do they know that?! They don't but they're trying. Here's the best part! You are in the best province to have a prem! Specialists from around the world work with and develop technologies with our specialists. The Stollery is on an other level with talent!
Make sure you take care of yourself and your wife! That's your job. Stay healthy cause it's cold and flu season and that can really set your child back! Especially RSV. Keep visitors to a bare minimum! People mean well but people I general are walking germ bags!
Hang in there and if you have any questions or anything really pm me and I'll shoot you my cell! Otherwise lines tight and always wash your hands!

Oh and if you're ****ing family off hen you're doing our job right! You'll get what I mean. Social workers said on average at least one close relationship will suffer long term from the ordeal! Your family first!

220swifty · #21 03-21-2016, 11:27 PM

My first daughter was 4 weeks early, and spent a full month at the Red Deer NICU. It was scary, but listening to the nursing staff and trusting them helped me overcome those fears.

The second daughter was 8 weeks early, born on Christmas Day, and they had trouble stabilizing her SPO2 level in Red Deer, so she got an emergency ambulance ride to Foothills, was stable before they even got her there, and spent a week in that NICU before coming back to the Red Deer NICU. In total, she also spent a month in hospital before she came home. The added complications were definitely scary, but again the professionalism and technology we have the good fortune to have access to ruled the day, and all worked out well again.

Ultimately, barring any major health issues, I would look upon the time in the hospital as a blessing in disguise. It will give momma some time to rest and heal, and it seems as if the nurses will help get your baby on some sort of schedule. After coming home, both of our girls were sleeping through the night most of the time, within a month or two. Talking to many friends, that's pretty atypical.

If you have any specific questions, I'm just a PM away.

Supergrit · #22 03-22-2016, 08:58 AM

Thx for the comments they helped me learn from you all and made me and my wife feel a lot better about our new baby girl.

aulrich · #23 03-22-2016, 09:53 AM

Twin boys born at 27 and change weeks (750 and 870 grams), they turn 20 in a few days.

They were in till basically their due date and they came home on Oxygen and were not off for at least 6 - 7 months . Our time in the hospital was a emotional meat grinder, we had just about every complication in the book, but that said for the time we got out with relatively little long term one son had something that looked a lot like asthma and before 5 cause a few trips to the hospital and the other has very mild cerebral palsy. At the time there was a high chance of significant handicap.

But that was 20 years ago and things will have changed.

Work with your doctors if they still do it try an get a primary nurse assigned

With the stress of being in the NICU and the post birth hormone storm take extra care of your lady.

Congrats

densa44 · #24 03-22-2016, 11:03 AM

That's how big our guy was when he got his start. He now is over 6'2" and 250 lbs. Just love him and feed him up, it will all turn out just fine.

JRuel · #25 03-22-2016, 11:54 AM

I was born 3 months early 30 years ago. Born at 2.2 lbs and went down to 1.4. There were some hiccups mom tells me early on but I like to think I turned out fine. That plus medicine has come a long way in 30 years. Best of luck! Think positivve!

Ice Fishing Maniac · #26 03-22-2016, 12:53 PM

My second boy was 4-5 weeks early -when born all was good ( he was almost 8#) then 3 hours later his heart stopped and he stopped breathing. Neo-natal team from Stollery flew in. (Local doctors bag-breathed my son for 3 hours-the Stollery unit made it, stabilized him - took a polaroid picture of our son for us, and it was bye----that was the longest night of my life) He spent 22 days in Edmonton and another 8 days in the unit in GP prior to leaving to home. But I have seen the outcome the other way as well and its very sad from being in the Stollery.

He is now an energetic, happy 8 year old that loves to play hockey, go fishing/camping, plays guitar, loves Super Mario and leally loves to annoy his mother...lol. He knows how to push the right buttons. That's when I run

....lol

Its a scary time for everyone not knowing the outcome. The doctors, pre-natal nurses, respitory specialists and the rest of the staff were great. A lot of the nurses are very young looking BUT they do their job with the utmost care and professionalism. All I can say we had great health providers !!

FishingMOM · #27 03-22-2016, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Thx for the comments they helped me learn from you all and made me and my wife feel a lot better about our new baby girl.

Oh if you cant find clothing that fits......... GO shopping for cabbage patch clothing.
Seriously that is all that fit mine.

Toys R US.

Stop laughing boys!

cricketlakehunter · #28 03-22-2016, 03:17 PM

First off, congrats on your baby girl! Our triplets were born at 33 weeks and were at the NICU for 3 weeks. Our time spent there was a blessing. The staff is nothing short of miraculous and got the babies on a schedule that really helped later on. 220swifty was bang on about them sleeping through the night about two months in. If at all possible make sure to be there when the Drs are doing rounds and ask any questions that you may have.

Purple Farmer · #29 03-22-2016, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Thx for the comments they helped me learn from you all and made me and my wife feel a lot better about our new baby girl.

Congratulations Supergrit, thoughts and best wishes to you, your wife and your new baby girl.

I can't add anything else, but wish you nothing but happiness as a family.

Burrowing Owl · #30 03-22-2016, 07:52 PM

My son, now 41, was born at six and one half months. Spent 31 days in neo natal care in a capsule type incubator with ultra violet light to break down jaundice. At the time we were told he'd be a vegetable.

Today he is a tall, strong, healthy man - put himself through his CGA certification by correspondence while working full time, is an accomplished IT expert and an all round week adjusted member of society.

His ONLY issue is he can't stand having anything over his face (sheet, total, scarf, etc) because he feels he can't breathe.

As so many others have stated, these early kids are fighters, and will grow up to be wonderful people. Hang in, it only gets better and better. 💗