Premature Births

I went through something similiar. I started having mini contractions at 19 weeks and my cervical os was open. It was too early for any meds so I was put on strict bed rest. This continued all throughout my pregnancy-and I started having full, strong contractions. I couldn't take trebudeline cause of a heart condition so I just spent most of my pregnancy at ob triage and on bed rest. They did 3 fetal fibernectomies which all came back negative but I was still having lots of contractions. The big thing is REST! It's hard I know-but it's the best thing. My baby came at almost 38 weeks and was healthy. He might have stayed in longer but they did a c-section because of a irregular heart beat he was having. Take care!

It is very scary, you need to really take it easy. Did they put you on bed rest? I had preterm labor early on and was placed on strict bed rest( he said bathroom previledge only). I still had him 4 weeks early and yes he was fine. Ask for help from anyone that will help around the house, let you husband do the shopping every day that he stays in there gives him a better chance. Good luck, lets us know how you all do.

I went through this with my last pregnancy. I went into premature labor at 31 weeks and had to go on trebutaline and bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy. I ended up being able to carry my baby to 38 weeks (who is now two weeks old) with no further complications. Just be sure to take the trebutaline, REST, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Personally, my daughter was premature. I was already dilated to 5. I was hospitalized and my doctor was able to give me medication to stop the labor. I stayed in the hospital a week and an amnio was done to check my daughters lungs. Since they were finally finished the doctor allowed me to have her even though she was stil 4 weeks early. She went home after 2 days!!

My sister had what they call micro premies. My sister was only 25 weeks when her twin daughters were born. They weighed in at 1 lb 10 oz and 1 lb 11 oz. They were on respirators and has to be fed through a tube for a little while. Praise be to God they are now 21 months old and are normal little girls. I take care of them while mom works so I can tell you they are fine.

There is so much technology in the hospitals today that it is amazing. Even at 25 weeks born they had a 75% survival rate. Which I find incredible. If you do have the baby early and he has to stay in the hospital it is hard but remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel...he will come home.

I can't put enough emphasis on keep checking with the doctor. If you feel bad, if you feel weird, too tired , yucky feeling whatever please, please, call and talk to you doctor so they can check you out and monitor you and the baby closely. Don't worry about being a nag. Things can change in your body in a matter of hours. My labor was able to be prolonged because I went and got checked. My sister was not so fortunate because she hates hospitals and did not want to over react until I made her go. By the time she got there she had no choice but to have emergency c-section.But the good news is her babies made it just fine and so did she.
Sometimes babies just come early no matter what medicine they give you to stop the labor. So if your baby comes early just try to be at the hospital with him as much as you can because that will help him to grow strong and recuperate to go home faster. If you cannot directly nurse him then pump your milk so the nurses may give it to him at the hospital. Its a sacrifice that will make a HUGE difference for his health. Finally, and the most important thing is to pray because God is the one who protects us and strengthens these children with our prayers. This made the biggest difference in the twins even the doctors from their hospital are amazed at how my sister's twins have not looked preemie since they were 6 months old. God gives you the strength you need in these times of trial in our lives.

I am currently 34 weeks and I should go any min this is my third child and I am always a few weeks early the baby will be fine don't worry all the major development is already done the last thing to mature is the lungs and they may use an incubator or a breathing tube it looks scary but it is not going to hurt the baby the best thing to do is calm down take it easy and don't stress let the doctors do there job my friend was born at 23 weeks and weighed like a pound and a half your baby will be fine.

Hello -
I went through the same thing! I went to the hospital when I was 29.2 weeks into my pregnancy.....they told me I was having a baby....I freaked out, they gave me all the medications and told me I was not leaving the hospital or my bed, they kept me on bed rest on my back for 5 days and delivered my baby boy @ exactly 30 weeks. I was very lucky my son was healthy with no complications. The NICU is very good about telling you what to expect, etc... I delivered @ Banner Desert in Mesa... My son stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks.. to learn to eat, etc.. I know do volunteer work with the March of Dimes to fight premature births!!! Let me know you want to talk or know anything else -k- J.

hi, my name is A.. i went throught the same thing, i went into pretern labor around 27 wks. i took the prescription shot it didn't work. my contractions got stronger so my hubby and i went into banner desert. i got admitted because i was dilated 4 centi. i switch docs to phoenix perinatal assoc. they are real good at dealing with pre term labor, and women who have complications. i stayed on bedrest the whole time. it was worth it, my little girl was born 35 wks 6lb 11 ounce. when you tlk to your doc, they'll want you to try and keep the baby in as long as possible. while i was at the hospital they gave me steroid injections to help with the baby lung just incase she came earlier. it was to help make them strong. banner desert has a wonderful antepartum department, they help deal with women in premature labor. if your staying home another great option is matria healthcare talk to your doctor about it. for the last two weeks i used them at my home. they'll give you a terbutaline pump and show you how to use it and give you your own dose of medicince. its very easy. you have your own private nurse you can call, she'll check in with you twice a day to see if your contracted and to talk with you. you also get a contraction moniter to keep until your baby comes or you hit 35 weeks. the best thing is get plenty of rest and stay off your feet. keep the baby in as long as possible. if you have any questions you can email me at ____@____.com

Congratulations on your little boy! Just listen to your gynecologist, he or she cares alot about you and will do everything to make the process perfect. May god bless you, your little girl and your little bundle of joy on the way.

I had my son at 26 weeks. He weighed 1 lb 12 oz and dropped down to 1 lb 7 oz. He was in the hospital for 73 days and still came home on oxygen. They don't know what caused my labor but I was 5 cm when I got to the hospital. They hooked me up to Magnesium Sulfate and gave me a shot of steriods for his lungs. He tried crying when he was born, but only got out a squeak. The doctors had to intibate him. He had a 50/50 chance of survival. He managed to only go back on the ventilator once for a day and then progressed from there. He is a very healthy little boy who will be 3 on April 1st. When he was in the hospital I pumped my milk so he could be fed breastmilk, made especially for his premature body. I also did Kangaroo Kare, it is amazing! You just hold your little one on your chest skin to skin, putting the baby in your shirt. If you watch the monitors you'll notice that as long as you are relaxed and enjoying the time you are holding him that this stats will stay in the normal range and your little one loves it as much as you. Touch is an amazing thing, it can heal in ways you never knew, for preemies it gives them strengh and energy to get better. Also prayer. I hope everything works out for you, since you are around 31 weeks if you have your baby he should do pretty well since you are so close to 36 weeks. In fact my doctor said that if I went into labor at 35 weeks with my daughter she wasn't going to stop it, but she wasn't going to enduce me either. Also the doctors who took care of my son in the NICU told me that white males do the worst and African-American females do the best in terms of recovery in the NICU. But don't let that get you down, because my son surprised them all, and I'm sure yours will too! If you want to know more about my sons stay in the NICU and what happened after he got home feel free to write me back.
KC Ruey

I read your request and understand completely. I had a 4 year old son and was 29 weeks pregnant when I went into Premature labor with my daughter. I was hospitalized at Good Sam, and my daughter despite the meds, was born at 31 weeks. My body just wouldn't cooperate. The good news is that she's a happy 11 year old now. She was born at 3 lbs 8oz and by the next morning was 2lbs 10 oz. She was in the NICU at Good Sam and Desert Banner for 6 weeks. She's had Asthma and Reflux as a result of her birth and needed speech therapy, but despite these minor problems she's done very well. Each birth is unique and although there are various illness's that preemies are more apt to get, the good news is that there are so many fabulous Doctors and Nurses that help. The NICU nurses were the best nurses I have ever encountered and there are organizations that assist parents of these babies and special services that preemies can qualify for.
I was a single mother during this time, but there is something about a preemie that makes people more responsive to your needs and although there were times that were hard, I wouldn't trade any of what I went through. I know my daughter is a better person because of her trials. She's confidant, outgoing and not afraid of doctors in the least.
I hope you experience is a positive one and when your child is born make sure to measure the little fingers and toes, because when they're older they love to see how small they were.
C..

i had my youngest son at 30 weeks. so here is some good news . it seems like you are getting horror stories and that is not what you need right now. my son was the smallest kid inschool until he got to high school. he hated it and to compensate for this he started wrestling and running. preemies are tough. they have to overcome a lot that other kids dont and i think that makes them more deterimined. he is a two time wrestling champion and was the only one form his school to place at state incross country. he has been running 10 k races since he was 9, after his gramdma got breast cancer. he has twon the 1000 stari climb in our twon which is a 5K race where they also have to run up 1000 stairs. he qualified for the national championships in freestyle wrestling last year and went to nationals where he placed third in his weight class in all the nation. he got a full ride scholarship to oklahoma state university his sophomore year and this year he also got a full ride to grand canyon in az. he is also being recruited for running at vvarious univeristies around the nation. when i had him, it was tooo late to stop the contractions. i lived about an hour away from the hospital. it was at a ranch and i hac to drive over a bunpy dirt road for about 20 miles. i waited too long at home cause i thought it was not possible that he was coming so early. when i got to the rural hospital, it was hair but it wasn't pubic so he just came. there was no doctor present until after the delivery when an er doctor came in. he was jsut fine, no complications . he was not ona respirator or anything and i got to bring him home the next day. he has been a real fighter from the beginng. almost to a fault. he isnt satisfied with anything second in anything, he wants to be the best. i sincerly hope that you dont pay much attention to all the horror stories you are hearing. i prayed like i never had before as i drove myslef to the hospital that day. maybe it wasnt for nothing but i have a healthy 16 year old and i hope you will too .

HI,
I had early labor at 31 weeks, I was put in the hosp for 7 days while they tried to stop it, I was 2 cm. and they gave me magnesium and the steroids. The labor did stop and I went home and took the terb for 4 weeks, I had my son at 37 weeks and he was a good weight. He is a sick child but the doctors dont feel his problems were from my early labor. I hope that you make it to atleast 36 weeks, and your baby will be ok. Keep your head up get plenty of rest and just try to relax as much as you possibly can. Good luck sweetie best of wishes to you.

C.

I had my baby girl last year at 36 wks and 4 days. I had a major bleed right at about 30 wks due to complete placenta previa and I had passed sizeable clots. I was put on hospital bedrest right up to the time she was born. So the best thing I could tell you to do is stay off your feet as much as possible, only getting up to go to bathroom breaks. They also told me to not take any showers longer than five minutes. See if you can get colace (sp)? That helps in softening stool so it prevents your from straining, if you have that problem, as that may potentially cause you to go into full blown labor.

If you have great family support, or a very close friend, rely on them during this time as it is vital for the health of your baby. I'm sure they will understand. It will only be for the next 7 to 10 wks...right ;)

I wish you and your family all the best and a safe and happy delivery.

P.S. It doesn't hurt to get the steroid shots now, either. This helps in the development of the lungs should something happen sooner than you hope.

Well first off, I wish you alot of luck and prayers.

While I didn't go into premature labor, I also was faced with a premature delivery. In my case, I had pre-eclampsia and was placed on bedrest at 31 weeks. A few days later my doctor admitted me to the hospital where I was given steroids to help with the lung development and had to meet with a neo-natologist to prepare for an emergency delivery because my BP was over 160, I had protein in my urine, and there was only 5% amniotic fluid left. A combination of a great medical staff, medication and monitoring, bedrest, and staying VERY CALM got me to 35 weeks (they induced me that day) and amazingly enough, my 4lb 9oz baby girl (she went down to 4,2 in 3 days)was as healthy as any full term baby except for her weight. I was able to keep her in my room with me and we got to go home right away...although we got to know our pediatrician VERY WELL in those first few weeks!

I hope the doctors are able to stabilize you for a few more weeks because that time will give your son's lungs time to develop fully but even if you deliver this early, I was constantly being reassured that despite needing to be in the NICU for a while, the babies usually do really well at that age. Its terrifying for us as moms, especially when we are left so helpless and our new little one is so unbelievable tiny and fragile, but have faith that your doctors are doing everything in their power to give your son the best possible care and he will do great.

Again, I wish you the absolute best!

Cynthia, none of these woman that have posted can guarantee that your baby will be okay- I am not trying to scare you, but you need to do EVERYTHING in your power to keep him inside as long as you can. I won't bore you with my stories, but I have been through it twice. When you are in the midst of everything, it seems so long and drawn out and miserable, but believe me- it is ONLY two months. Honestly, what is two months in the grand scheme of things. You may see about switching care to a perinatal office- Phoenix Perinatal is wonderful. Otherwise, stay off your feet (really listen to your docs- it is so important,) take your terb, drink tons of water, (my doc even had me drink a little wine to get over all the anxiety it was causing,) and rest, rest, rest, do not stress, do not "nest" to get your house ready. You have ONE job right now and that is to be a safe home for your baby- do everything you can to keep him in there where he belongs- you are supposed to be pregnant for 40 weeks for a reason and when my kids were in the NICU I even saw full term babies come in for problems, so why risk it. There are so many things you don't think about when you have a pre-term baby and so many more things they are at risk of. Just keep telling yourself you want to bring your baby home with you when he is born and not have to leave him in the hospital. Imagine the feeling of going home empty handed and that will help keep you off your feet. I wish you the best of luck. I believe after 34 weeks the baby has a 95% chance of survival, so keep those legs crossed!!! Good Luck!

I started labor at 23 weeks with my first daughter and we held full blown labor off until 35 weeks. Every day that goes by your little guy is gets stronger and stronger. Make sure you keep your Dr. informed on EVERYTHING! What may not seem like a big change to you may seem like a big change to your Dr. I had no clue I was in labor, I just mentioned the Braxtin hicks to my Dr, which I though were normal and it turn out the amount I was having was not normal which lead to more test, I almost didnt even mention them. Follow your Dr. orders! Take your Meds on time, I found that if I missed a dose of turb I would start feeling the contractions right away! The day my Dr. took me off the meds to clean my system out before my due date is the very day I had her. Literally about 8 hours after my last dose. Oh, and stay hyderated! I will keep you and your little guy in my thoughts and prayers.

my son was born at 33 weeks, he was barely 16inches & about 3.2pounds, now though he's almost 31inches & 22 pounds. its amazing how well babies will do.

Hi Cynthia,

My name is Ronda, I actually just went through this a couple of weeks. I went into labor February 20th, 2007. 30 weeks premature. I deliveried a 3lb 1oz baby boy. He is doing very well. His lungs were developed so he is breathing on his own. He is getting breast milk in a tube through his nose.
Overall my little man is doing very well, he did not have any complications.
It is very hard and sad to leave the hospital without him, but I know he is in the best care where he is.
They tell me to expect he will be there for 10 weeks, it's a long road but I am prayerful he will be just fine.

Blessings and prayers to you..

Hello Cynthia,

I was in the same condition as you are now, just relax, take it easy. I started at 30 weeks pregnant the labor too and I had gestacional diabetes. They stopped the contractions with a prescription and rest. My daughter came early because I had some weeks after membrane rupture, she was fine. She was born 4 weeks earlier. She didn't need extra care in the hospital. And she has been a healthy baby. Try to rest and relax. That's the best medicine. Good luck!!

Sylvia

I had a lot of premature contractions during my pregnancy, bedrest, etc. and my water started leaking at 31 weeks and 2 days later I had my first daughter who is now 5. She was in the hospital for 10 weeks, but she also had Down syndrome, so who knows when she would have gotten out if "typical". The doctors and nurses were very nice and helpful and taught us how to feed her and answered all our questions. If you do have your son soon, know he'll most likely be perfect! He'll be small, maybe 2 1/2 - 3 lbs, and unable to eat, etc. for awhile, but you'd be surprised how quickly they do grow. Just focus on keeping him inside you as long as you can. Each day allows him to be bigger and stronger. But, know that if he decides to come out today that medical technology is amazing and they'll know what to do. I think the hardest part was going home without her, but it becomes routine after awhile and it actually allowed me to get some sleep and recover from my c-section. Good luck!

Hello. I was pregnant with twins in 2002 & 2003 and of course I had premature labor. I was also on the trebudeline and that was the worst part about it. That medication seems horrible but it did help stop the contractions some. My twins were born at 32 & 1/2 weeks and they are four years old now and just fine. Did you get the shot that helps the baby's lungs develop faster? If you haven't I would ask your doctor about it. That is what really helped. The boys were still premature but only had to stay in the hospital for 2 and 1/2 weeks. No breathing problems, but had a slow heart rate and had a little trouble with feedings. Without the shot and the meds who knows what could have happened. Just follow your doctor's advice and rest and relax. I wish you the best of luck. If you have any questions feel free to write.
T.

Cynthia,

I hope all is still going well. I'm sure it isn't easy for you to relax right now, but that is the best thing for you to do. Rest a lot and do whatever your doctor thinks is best. Enlist some help with your 3 year old.

I had my son just over 4 weeks early. After a couple of months he had completely caught up to other babies his age. At 19 months there is absolutely no difference, he is smart, active and healthy.

A friend of mine had her baby 14 weeks early! The story there was a little different. It is definately not something you want to happen. BUT, their little boy is happy and healthy now at over a year old. He is a little smaller than other babies his age, and I think a bit behind developmentally, but is expected to be quite normal.

I also have a friend (who is now probably almost 30 years old!) who was born prematurely. I believe he was 2 lbs something at birth. He is a very tall and healthy looking guy. He's very intelligent and has I think his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

So, my point is that premature babies can grow up and have perfectly normal lives, but it is definately not something you want to go through. Hang in there, stay relaxed and pray hard.

Dear Cynthia,

Its just about faith. I myself had a one year old running around while pregnant again with my second child. I had problems from the beginning with having a placenta previa (where the placenta is convering the exit for the baby) and constant bleeding everytime i did anything short of walking too much. Finally, I had major contractions on my 26th week. My son was sopposed to be born July 4th. Instead I had him on April 25th. I had my contractions stopped but overnight they started again hard. I had an emergency c-section. I knew the risks my doctor told me - it was a fifty fifty chance either i or my baby would not make it. Thank god and my families support. We both made it. My son stayed in the hospital 3 months. I stayed 7 days. Through the time he was getting better or worse i continued to give him MY milk. He was born at 3 lbs went down to 1 lb after 1 month and then came back up to 4 lbs. That is when i was able to bring him home. I first held him on Mothers Day, and visited him every other day. AND Called to see how he was ever day i didn't visit. The nurses said it all helped so much - because there were so many babies no one visited often enough. I then took him home small as can be making sure he didn't need any oxygen or special equipment - treated him no special way than i had my other child. Involved him with my family so he could feel the love. and by the time i took him to his doctor check up 1 month later. He was closer to normal size baby and bigger than other babies that had left the same time. I dont know what i could of done different than other parents but i DO know that love and mothers milk did help a lot in him getting stronger. My son is now 12 years old and healthier than ever. Doctors told me boys have a better chance as premies than girls and those babies who get moms milk helps a lot .and Love can never hurt them. So i pray for your little boy on the way and I wish you the best.

M. ; ).

4 out 5 of my CHILDREN were pretem labor.So what I mainly want to say is i gave birth to happy healthy children.If you would like details I did have more trouble with some than others.Email me if you would like more details.
M.

HI, my sister-in-law went into premature labor and delivered her son at 24 weeks! To make a long story short, he is now over a year old. He is a little behind in things, like crawling and sitting up and eating normally, but he is doing way better than expected. He is a very happy baby! The doctors didn't expect him to live and even suggested that they take him off the machines when he was in the hospital. My point? You're at 31 weeks!! If you should happen to deliver, the doctors and nurses out there can do amazing things. I believe that prayer works too! This is your baby and you'll do anything for him/her. My sister-in-law says that her whole experience has made her a better person. I wish you the best!