How early was your baby? Any complications?

Kristina - posted on 12/28/2011

My pregnancy was definitely not what I expected. My water broke at 11 weeks (yes, I do mean 11!) When I saw the Dr about it, he said it was excessive discharge. I went back to work. At 18 weeks I went in for a normal ultrasound to see how his organs were developing and how big he was. They had problems seeing his organs because of the lack of amniotic fluid. I went to see a specialist and he confirmed that my cervix was open and I had not fluid. I was not admitted to the hospital until I was 25 weeks. We waited this long because the specialist told me that if he was born before this time, there would be nothing they could do to save him. I was advised to stay super clean. If I got an infection it would spread to the inside of my cervix and could easily kill my baby and myself. After I was finally admitted, I was in the hospital for 9 weeks on minimal bed rest. I could stand up to go to the bathroom and take showers but I had to stay sitting/laying down at all other times. I was allowed in a wheelchair ttwice a day for 30 minutes as well. I was two hours away from anyone I knew so I did not take those trips often. I was induced at 34 weeks and was in labor for 24 1/2 hours. He was whisked away to the NICU and stayed for exactly four weeks. He started off on a bubble CPAP, a feeding tube, IV's and treatment for Jaundice. After a week and a half, he was only on the feeding tube. When he was released, his only problems were Toticollis (tightening of the neck muscles), Plagiocephaly (a misshapen head), a contracted arm, a dislocated hip and clubbed feet.His feet were treated, he has Physical Therapy for his arm and neck and he is getting a helmet for his Plagiocephaly. He has gotten RSV since he has been out of the hospital but that is almost over. Both the specialist and my original OB have no clue why my water broke so early or how my son survived. He is my little miracle

Anna - posted on 08/23/2011

This was my first pregnancy my due date was Jan. 4th 2011 and our son was born Nov. 18th 2010 When i was 20 weeks I was only measuring for 16 weeks and that is when I found out that I could be having a preemie.... In which I did, Our son Brian was born at 32 weeks 2 days.... he was 4 lbs 13 oz and 18 1/2 inches long... My biggest thing from the start and even more when I found out our son could be early was I wanted to do everything naturally. I did but my nurse had to hold my cervix back while I was pushing because every time I would have a contraction I would dilate to a 10 but when I wasn't having a contraction I would only be a 9.... I also starting having Braxton hicks contractions at 24 weeks, then full contractions at 30 weeks and that’s when I started to dilate… I was 2 cm for 2 weeks
Other than those the birth and everything went pretty smooth

Nichole - posted on 01/08/2011

My first (and only) pregnancy was rough. The first trimester was full of cramping and fears of miscarrying as well as issues with my heartrate (it was all over the place). Then at 21 weeks I found out I was dialated to a 1, and those cramps turned into irregular weak contractions. At 24 weeks I went into labor for the first time. I spent a few days in the hospital while the doctors gave me medicines to stop it. I was also started on weekly hormone shots to encourage me to stay pregnant. As well as steriods to rush the baby's development in case he came too soon. I was sent home after the contrations were again back to irregular & mild. Then I was back in the hospital at 26 weeks, at was dialated to a 2. I went the whole process again, and was sent home when again the contractions were irregular & mild. And was given meds to take at home if they started to get regular. Then at 28 weeks I was back in the hospital, dialated to a 2 1/2 with 25% effacement. I went home again like the other times, but returned to the hospital at 30 weeks, and 32 weeks with no progress in dialation or effacement but strong regular contrations. Then at 36 weeks it all started again, but in my hospital they don't stop labor once you reach 36 weeks, they don't even try. So when I called OB to tell them about the issues beginning again. They said to relax and go for a walk and drink a lot water (to stop braxton hicks if that what it was or to progress me if it was real labor). So I did, and when there was no change, except more closer stronger contractions, I called again. They said relax, take a bath, or something....or come in, but if I wasn't far enough along I wasn't going to be checked in. So I took a bath, then went in. I was 4 cm 50% effaced when I got there at midnight. Spent the night laying in bed, then walking the hospital, by 11am I was only to a 5cm 75% effaced, and my water had not broken. So the doctor came in, broke my water, started pitocin, and got my epidural 45 minutes later. My epidural didn't kick in tho, so 30 minutes later I got another dose, that didn't kick in, so 30 minutes later at 12:45ish (thank goodness it kicked in cuz I felt like I was dying, I never would have been able to push in that kind of pain!). The doc checked me and I was to a 10 and 100% effaced....so she said time to go. And at 1:05pm my son was born. He swallowed some of the meconium so he had to have it sucked out right away, and when he choked a few times while in the hospital. He also was Juandice (like the color of a pumpkin with little lemon yellow eyes), and had a Hematoma on the whole one side of his head....no forceps or vaccum were used. But he was healthy otherwise. I suffered 3rd degree tears and it took 45 minutes to stitch me up. Shortly after getting out of the hospital I was treated for the UTI that wouldn't go away during my pregnancy, & was put on another antibiotic cuz the UTI led to infected stitches, then I had an allergic reaction, which led to different antibiotics & steriods, which led to a horrific yeast infection.... Now we are both happy & healthy. My baby boy, Lacota Ryan, is now 16 months old.

Kendra - posted on 11/04/2010

Hi well I am a first time mummy, so I knew nothing about a safe pregancy and a not safe one....well just over my first trimester I was getting sick alot and my morning sickness had not calmed down.....One day me and my partner got home from work and we were lying on the bed, I went to the toilet and I found spotting at the time I did not really take notice but to be sure I rung a Help Health Line, the lady told me it was nothing but to go straight to the hospital.....about four hours later me and my partner were given a decision keep the baby or have the baby???? two minutes later they needed the answer long story short I gave birth to my daughter at 24weeks 6days and we stayed in hospital for four months....I am so thankful my daughter is here with me now but I do know having no experience in child birth also helped.. :)

Kellie - posted on 08/02/2010

Shelbra you have been home awhile and probably off all machines, I found as much of a pain as the machines are they are also a God send. I wasn't afraid to sleep because I knew that if she was having trouble I would know. Shaelyn was a 32 weeker they say. She was 3#5oz and dropped down to 3 even. She was in the hospital for only 3 weeks and has done pretty good. We now fight weight gain. She is almost 8 months and is just now trying to hit the 12 pound mark. She also really does not like food. At first we thought it was just an adversion to the spoon from the tubes at birth but who knows.
Pretty much I explain that I kicked her out. I got pre-eclampsia and went down hill very quickly. I don't remember to much but know I was miserable. They gave me steroids for her lungs and that hurt the most out of all of it. We went in on a Tuesday for Dr appointment, sent to the hospital and sent home. Readmitted Weds, Thurs transferred to a larger hospital, Fri induced labor only to have her heart rate decelling every contraction and ending in an emergency c-section.

Lynn - posted on 07/01/2010

I was healthly through out this last pregnancy. I never had any pain or contractions. I woke up one morning and was spotting. Nothing major, just the pink stuff. OB figured that I just had an infection and they were going to put me on anti-biotics. Then she decided to check me just to make sure that everything was okay and that I hadnt dialated....not so lucky. I was 4cm already! They told me that it was too late to stop the labor and that I was going to be having a baby! They allowed me to labor without breaking my water so that I could get as much antibiotics as they could give me. I had mild contractions until 9cm when they broke my water and an hour later, Carter was born. He was 5lbs 10ozs at 33 weeks on St Patricks Day. He did have some breathing issues the first night and they thought that they were going to have to fly him out to the childrens hospital (we live in a small town). He recovered and only ended up being on a nasal canula for about 5 weeks. We spent 3 weeks in the NICU due to him not knowing how to eat and he kept dropping his oxygen sats. Now he is a healthy 12lbs and almost 4 months old!!

Latausha - posted on 04/07/2010

My pregnancy was pretty good until one day when i was at work i started having contractions so i called my doctor told everything that was going on and they said to go to the doctor well when i went found out i was in preterm labor they got it stopped i also found out that i had preeclampsia and it was in the severe stage several days later my baby girl was born. She was born at 29 weeks weighed in at 1 lb and 11 oz and was 15.25 in. she is a miracle and a blessing.

Tracy - posted on 02/24/2010

My son was born three weeks and one day early through emergency c-section. I went to my weekly doctor appointment and my blood pressure was at 215 and had protien in my urine and also lost 8 pounds in one week.. They sent me to the hospital where the found out i was suffering from preeclampsia. They the delivered my son that night. I spent 2 days in the intensive care unit because i also got the HELLP syndrome. I did not see my son for the first 2 days of his birth, it was quite hard but we are both doing extremee is now 3 1/2 months old and weigh 15 1/2 pounds, he has tripled his birth weight.

Stacy - posted on 02/21/2010

My daughter was born at 34 weeks gestation after 7 months of bed rest by emergency c-section. I had 3 previous losses (2 in the second trimester) and was given a cervical cerclage for incompetent cervix at 14 weeks. at 32 weeks I was put on hospital bed rest. At 34 weeks I had an ultrasound which showed I had Vasa Previa and was taken immediately in for a c-section. My little peanut came out breathing room air at 5 pounds 1 ounce. She ate on her own and other than not being able to control her body temperature for a couple of hours was otherwise healthy. My little miracle came home with me after three days :) I am very blessed.

Brittany - posted on 01/31/2010

My pregnancy was fine at first. I did have spotting at 11 weeks and then again at 18 weeks but the doctors checked at everything was fine. At 20 weeks I went to the doctor and found out I was 3 1/2 cms dialated. I was sent to a hospital 2 hours away and admitted. I had a pesery put in to try and hold my cervix closed and it went well. I was sent home on bed rest. Then at 23 weeks I woke up and went to the bathroom and my water had broken, I knew it was my water because it was a big gush of fluid because I was still dialated to 3 1/2 cms. I was rushed back to the hospital and my son was born at 24 weeks and weighed 1 lb 7 oz. He is 9 moths old now and still in the NICU he has a Trach and BPD and will soon have a G-Tube. I have incomp. cervix and Hashimotos ( underactive thyriod) also.

Kayleigh - posted on 01/20/2010

i always thought i was going to deliver late
i had a health pregnancy apart from quite bad morning sickness there were no problems and deffinitly no indications
then one day i started getting sharp pains at the top of my bump, three days later i was in active labour in the assessment unit at 12.30 am 4 cm dilated
my son was born 5 weeks early and weighed 6lb 2oz!!
we had to stay in hospital for just over a week on transnatal care but luckily he didnt have to go up to NICU hes now 7 weeks old at home and thriving :)

Tracey - posted on 01/19/2010

I had a really complicated pregnancy. Well, to start with I have Hashimotos (underactive thyroid) & had previous surgery on my cervix. It took us just over 3 years to concieve & the first 12 weeks were a breeze but then things took a steep dive. At 26 weeks my blood pressure started to rise & had protein in my urine. Hospital monitored it with a couple admissions overnight to keep an eye on us. Found to have notching in my left uteric artery which impairs blood flow to uterus. They were worried about Ashton not growing (but he did). Ultrasounds every 4 weeks - they found 2 markers for Down Syndrome so we had the amniocentisis which came back normal. Continued with close monitoring with no dramatic increase just major fluid retention & general feeling unwell. Finished work early at 30 weeks. Had baby shower on Sunday. Partner had surgery on Monday. Routine check up @ 32 weeks & was admitted on the Tuesday with severe pre eclampsia. Given steriods just in case & doubled b/p medication. Thursday night began to feel terrible & Friday morning blood results cam back with evidence of toxemia - my organs were shutting down. 6 hours later Ashton was delivered by emergency c-section at 32 weeks & 4 days. He needed CPAP for 6 days & then was able to breathe on his own with some desats & bradycardia. He had jaundice & lost alot of weight due to not tolerating his feeds. The only issue he has now is severe reflux (we are working on it) & he occassionally chokes/stops breathing when feeding. But he is doing well & gaining lots of weight.

Charity - posted on 01/16/2010

Early on all I had was terrible heartburn. At the end, I was consistently running to the bathroom. But as I later found out, I wasnt peeing, I was leaking fluid for 2 days. At 3am Mothers Day I called the Dr. b/c I didnt know what was happening! She told me to lay down and call back in an hour. Within 30 minutes, I felt like someone was staabbing me in the back. My b/f thought I was just crazy b/c it was way too early. My b/f, my daughter and I were on the way to the hospital at 5am.(Have you ever tried waking a 6yr old that early?) They checked the fluid and it was amniotic fluid so immediately they put me in a room and got my Dr in to do a sonogram. My son only had the fluid he was holding above him left! He was also in the breech postion. They informed us that we were going to do an emergency Csection. But where was our daughter going to be during all this? My b/f went to make phone calls to see if someone could get her and then they disappeared off the premises! I sent the nurse to look for him b/c I was so scared and he was no where to be found! I called him and he was back at the house dropping her off with the neighbor. Needless to say they couldnt wait to take me back so they did. I never thought I would feel so much pain in my life(no not even with my first). They spinal tapped me with morphine and ahhhhhh is what i felt. By the time my b/f got back I was already cut open and bleeding all over. I was so sick I kept throwing up. I felt them inside me moving stuff around but it didnt hurt. I saw my son for the 1st time when the NICU Dr took him across to the warmer. My question was.....What color is he? (I am white, my b/f black). But I noticed he was really dark, thats why I asked. Later on I found out that he was just that blue! He was on a ventilator for the first 24 hrs. I had him at 8:33 am on Mothers Day of all days!! But b/c of him not doing good and me being sick from morphine, I didnt get to see him again until after 5pm. The nurses were nice enough that they took his picture and brought it to me. When I finally begged enough and got a nice nurse she took me to see him but after I washed my hands it wasnt a minute before I was getting sick in the NICU. I started crying and looked at the Practioner begging, " I just want to see him, please, I wont even touch him, just let me see him." And she let me see him. I didnt see him again until the next day and he had NO ventilator but was under the biliblanket. I think that was the best and worst day I have had ever in my life. He stayed in the hospital for only 5 weeks when his due date wasnt for 10. My Mighty Mouse got so strong and healthy that they kicked him out of the NICU 5 weeks early! I was truly a proud Momma!!

Ebonie - posted on 01/14/2010

@ Shelbra don't be afraid of bringing the baby home with oxygen, Praise God she's coming home! I was blessed that my 26 weeker did not come home on any meds or machines @ all. That didn't minimize my fears, I couldn't sleep for fear once I got him home..Preemies make these little noises when they sleep and I was afraid of that so I would sleep with him on my chest so that he wouldn't make those noises but really for my peace of mind...You'll be okay with your little fighter..Our situations are very similar, I was diagnosed with incompetent cervix. soon after my son was born I became pregnant and due to my history my ob knew what measures to take and my pregnancy was term with my daughter

Ebonie - posted on 01/14/2010

My son was 13 weeks early born @ 26.5 weeks my water broke when I was 24 weeks I was hospitalized on complete bedrest which was a PAIN but I did it...The night before he was born they nurses noticed that he had an excellerated heart rate and sent me over for some testing and ultrasound...Upon my return from the ultrasound the dr was there and they began to prep me for my emergency csection...Everything happened so fast I barely had time to call my husband who was home knocked out (it was past 11pm) when I was awakend the next day (around 1am) they told me that I had a baby. i could barely remember my name let alone that I'd had a baby...I gave birth @ midnight and wasn't able to see my son in the NICU until after 9pm but when I seen that little fellow hooked up to every machine u can imagine I FELL IN LOVE!!!

Liz - posted on 01/14/2010

Through my pregnancy with the twins, it was pretty easy up until the last few weeks before they were born. Contractions started but they gave me meds and sent me home. I went into labor at 33 weeks 6 days, and had to have an emergency c-section. Although the hospital was only five minutes away, by the time I got up to a room my daughter was ready to come out, but my son was a breech. Rather than hoping he'd turn they opted for a c-section, which I believed saved his life.

Now at 19 months old, you can hardly tell they were preemies. I am now 13 weeks pregnant with our third, and hope this time I will make it full term.

Laura - posted on 01/14/2010

at 19 weeks pregnant i was struck wiv severe migraines-so severe i couldnt move couldnt sleep couldnt eat or drink-was told constantly that it was hormones n i was fine n at 1 point told by a doctor 2 take ibuprofen 4 it as it was safe-this went on 4 3weeks eventually i was diagnosed wiv intercranial hypertension brought on by sudden weight gain thru pregnancy(even tho i lost over a stone in weight over this time!!). i ad a lumbar puncture n av been well since then!! they then thought my baby was small so was sent 4 a sizing scan at 29weeks wich showed everything was fine!!! at 36 weeks at a routine check up my blood pressure was really high n was sent 2 hospital-by time i got there blood pressure was fine but was measuring small again n was told 2 cum bak nxt day 4 anuva sizing scan, but no one was available the following day so told 2 go in the week after,10th november. on this day they discovered my baby was half the size he should av been the amniotic fluid was missing n the blood flow thru his cord wasn't rite n was then induced, after 10 mins his heart rate ad dropped n i ad 2 go for emergency section, at this point i was quite distressed n had to b put under a general anaesthetic, so missed the actual birth of my son, n was told after how lucky i was cos he had a very short cord so as he moved head down ad started to pull the placents away n i was haemorrhging bhind the placenta. Louis was 4lb 13oz n ad hypoglaecemia(low blood sugars) wich wudnt sort out so eventually at 2 days old was transferred 2 a different hospital where he was then given the wrong dose of glucose thru his canula, it shud av been 12.5% but it was 20% wich we were told that amount thru a canula cud av burnt his skin n left sum horrific scars if it had leaked(it leaked 3 times the day before)!! he ended up been in nicu 4 14days!! 7 weeks later im doing really well n so is louis who now weighs 9lb at 9weeks old n is very happy!! as u cud imagine afta this xperience i dont plan anuva pregnancy any time soon.......EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! hope every1 elses babies r thrivin n doing well!!! x x x

Chelle - posted on 01/13/2010

My son was born at 33 weeks and 6 days weighing 4lbs and 15oz. The lowest he got in the NICU was 4lbs 10oz. He had to have serphactin administered and was on CPAP for the first 18 hours of live. After that they just kept an eye on him in the NICU. He came home 7 days later. He was delivered by emergency c-section due to my severe pre-eclampsia. The delivery went great and he was great in the NICU. But today we are dealing w/ GERD, asthma, tracheomalacia, bronchomalacia (floppy airways), and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). He is now ahead in his speech though and goes to feeding therapy. He's a happy little boy, but still little and I love it!

Shelbra - posted on 01/13/2010

This was my fourth pregnancy, however this one was different. Throughout my pregnancy I had severe pelvic pain. The doctor informed me that it was just my uterus growing faster than my body could adjust to. Each day the pain seemed worse, I thought to myself, something isn't right. At 26 weeks (Nov. 16), I went in for my glucose testing. I informed the doctor that I had a watery discharge. my doctor performed a vaginal exam and noticed that I had dilated 3 cm. I was immediately admitted to the hospital on complete bed rest (I do mean complete, I had to use a bed pan) I was given two steroid shots to help with her lungs in case she came early. Four days later she was ready to come, breeched! An emergency c-section was performed, there were no complications which was great. My due date was February 22, 2010. She was so tiny, when she dropped down to 1lb 13 oz in the NICU, this was the scariest day of my life. But I am so blessed to have my lil one, she was a fighter. (those preemies are tough) God has blessed her to make it through this and now she is scheduled to come home this Friday after 55 days in the NICU. I am a lil afraid that she is coming home on oxygen, but hey we will make the best of it.