PROM @ 34 wks - did yours go to NICU?

[kittycatlover]

I am 34 weeks with DC2 and my membranes have just ruptured. I've also had a show and leaking quite a bit of fluid. Am in hospital & having steroid injections to mature baby's lungs. This is my second PROM. DS was born at 35+1 and had to spend 2 weeks in special care.

Am wondering if anyone else has experience of PROM a second time and how long they managed to last before labour started? Was it different to first time?

Also, anyone else have a 34 seeker? How were they? I am concerned about having this baby a whole week earlier than last time. Should I expect breathing and feeding difficulties? Any advice greatly appreciated. Am so upset this is happening again.

[bishboschone]

My ds was born at 33 weeks and had problems feeding ( reflux) and spent 4 weeks in scbu . However there were 32 seekers who came and went when we were there. No problems with breathing though .

[bishboschone]

Not sure what prom is but I had pre eclampsia .

[TeaandHobnobs]

kitty at 34 weeks and with the steroid injection, breathing problems should hopefully be unlikely, and the baby should have already developed the sucking reflex and so feeding shouldn't be too difficult to establish.

DS was born at 31+5 and bar a few hours of C-PAP the first night, had no other issues, and was in SCBU for 2 weeks 2 days just to gain weight and establish feeding.

Best wishes - I hope LO can hold on a bit longer for you!

[combinearvester]

No breathing probs whatsoever but crap feeder (no suck reflex) and a fair old time under the UV lights, we were only in hosp around a week though.

Really feel for you, PROM is horrible when it happens again.

[TessTosterone]

My ds4 was recently born at 35 weeks and was on nnu 2 weeks. My friend was same and he was home after 2 days. The nurses there told me that the main problem with 34 and 35 weekers is establishing feeding although my ds was jaundice and under lights for 2 weeks as well. She also said boys are often slower to get home.

[imsotired]

My DD was born at 30 weeks and was taken to NICU for 3 weeks. tubefed and had reflux. i was given stuff for her lungs, but cant remember what it was.

She is now 8. No health problems whatsoever. Stong, healthly and extremely witty, shows no after effects of being prem.

Good luck

[oikopolis]

I just gave birth to my 34-weeker on Tues after a PROM (i.e. premature rupture of membranes) and two days of steroid therapy to help get his lungs ready.

He is in NICU, but feeding from a bottle, no drip etc after day 2. Now that they've done the precautionary antibiotics etc., his main problem is jaundice, but that's also to do with me being RH-neg. He's Rh-pos. Also obviously they want to monitor his feeding to ensure he doesn't get sent home and then struggle to feed.

He is a lovely little thing, 5lbs 10oz and alert, loves to snuggle and snooze. He doesn't look like a really really prem baby iyswim, he just looks like a smaller newborn. They're expecting him to stay for another week or two.

best wishes, try not to worry too much. i'm sure the hospital will do a great job with him in NICU.

fwiw i know of one 34 weeker who went home after 2 days... every baby is different.

[kittycatlover]

Thanks ladies for your encouraging stories. It really helps to hear them right now. Am still in hospital but no sign of labour so expect to be going home soon, although having been through this before I don't think labour will be far off. I just know how important every day in the womb is at this point. But we've had the steroids now anyway.

Oikopolis - your experience sounds a lot like my Ds. He was a 35 weeker weighing 5lb 12 and spent two weeks in nnu with the main problem being jaundice. It seemed to go on forever & kept rebounding. I do hope it gets better for you soon.

I don't think anyone can appreciate what we go through with prems and especially the time in the nnu. I think I'm still traumatised from my previous experience hence the reason I'm dreading to go through it again but it's good to hear so many positive outcomes and realise that no two babies are the same.

[kittycatlover]

Also worried about how I will juggle my two year old with a baby in neonatal unit. Don't want DS to feel like I've abandoned him! I do have really good support at home but the hospital is half an hour away and I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle the two. I did read a good tip on another thread about possibly visiting NNU at night when toddler sleeps as baby will not know what time it is but I'm not sure if this will be practical. Anyone else have experience of managing the two? X

[TeaandHobnobs]

Kitty I've just been through counselling following my experience, and one thing I took away from that was 'I got through it once, I can get through it again'.

Ok so you can't know exactly how things will turn out, but you sort of know what to expect this time.

I know some people did visit at night if it was difficult to come during the day, but you must look after yourself too and get enough rest.

[kittycatlover]

TeaandHobnobs - thanks, you are so right and I know we will get through this as we've done it before. I have thought about counselling also as there were some inexcusable mistakes made at the last NNU involving a horrible mix up with the babies, one of which was DS. This led me to refuse to leave the hospital so I spent 2 weeks shifting beds and sleeping no more than an hour at a time while I either tried to breastfeed or expressed milk on a 2/3 hour schedule. It was hell and if I take anything away from that experience it is that I will need to rest more and look after myself much better this time.

I am realistically expecting to go into labour this week and know that baby will need to go to NICU/SCBU for a while but am praying it will be a bit easier this time round.

[AmyJane20]

I had my dd at 32weeks, also had the steriod injections, when she was born she was on a cpap machine for the first day (helps babies to breath) after that she breathed normally :) had to stay in hospital for 5 weeks although dd was healthy, she was 3lb 10oz when born and very slowly gained weigh... that was the only reason they kept her in :) I'm sure everything will be fine and you'll have your lil bundle of joy safely in your arms, good luck xx