Hey Katie,

I know I already told you my story...but I wanted to add that the boy part is tougher in the NICU but they just tend to have a harder time adjusting. They have more apnea and bradycardia than girls tend to, but this is common in preemies in general and it lingers longer in boys. Again, I am praying you don't have to worry about any of this in the end!

Mandy

I'm 23 weighed 1 lb 4oz at 25 weeks this was back in 88 before medical advances of today. If you start contracts they may be able to stop them with a pill. My advice would be to rest as much as possible even if not on bed rest get enough movement where your not clotting. I know it's easier said than done with a 3 and half year old. Boys do have a harder time in nicu. I have a lot of male friends who were preemies on the cerebral palsy group.

Thank you so much for your responses! I am 27 weeks today :). I am just trying to keep him in for as long as possible so I am at my parents house so my retired dad can take care of me and my son. I don't get up for meals or anything. I only take bathroom breaks and showers every other day. The rest of the time I am on my back or side. I hope he just keeps staying where he is :) Thank you again!

My son was born at 29w5d. He was 2 lbs at birth and spent 47 days in NICU. He is now 6.5 months and hitting milestones as per his corrected age. I know it's scary and heartbreaking to leave your baby in hospital but preemies are fighters... I hope you can make it to as long as possible... Prayers !!

My son was born at 27 weeks and now he is 18mths old and doing great. The only thing is that he is behind on his motor skills. He came home on oxygen and a monitor and was only on that for 2mths. But is doing great. Keep him in as long as you can and get a lot of rest.

i was put on hospital bedrest at 27 weeks i almost went into labor with my son they stopped it i left the hospital only to be re admited a week later and stayed till i had my son at 31 weeks! ur in the hospital so if u do start to go into labor they will know and prob can stop it with meds if for some other reason baby comes early the nicu has come a long long way over the years im sure the baby will be ok! being the parent of a nicu baby is hard im not gonna lie its one of the most stressful times i have ever faced i cried all the time because i was scared i lived in the nicu but hes ok now and looking baby i just tell people ya well i got 2 extra months with my son that i wasnt supposed to have! so im lucky :)

my daughter was born at 27 wks weighing 2lbs 1oz. she was a fighter frrom day one. came home at thirty six weeks gestation weighing 4lbs 3oz after having had three surgeries. She just got off of oxygen. and she is also sensitive to almost every formula out there. she also has diabetes type one, which is a hard thing cause i dont like pricking her to check her blood sugar. or if its too high, giving her insilin.
hope this helps.

I was born at 28 weeks and weighed 3.1 and I'm now almost 26 years old :) Medical advances are so much better now a days. I do have a lot of medical problems like Hydrocephalus, Scoliosis, and Cerebral Palsy but I'm living so I guess that's all that matters :) Good Luck

I have a daughter, she was born at 28 weeks and weighed 2 lbs. At 5 months the dr could see her head during an exam and I was told I have an incompetent cervix and would need a cerclage put in but that there was a 50% chance I would go into labor and would not make it. I was taken by ambulance to a hospital with a neonatal unit and was on bed rest for the duration. Within minutes of my water breaking I felt it was time and I had to push, I think it was less then a couple of days prior I was given iv meds to avoid contractions but it didn't do much. As soon as I gave birth she nurse ran with her an in fact all I recall is the nurse hitting her head on a light and I didnt see my daughter for a couple hours afterwards. I was scared to see or hear any bad news cause its hard going thru all that and then something happening especially with hormones all over the place. I remember seeing her and not knowing what to think and was still scared for her and seeing all this equiptment, life support and wires. I was one of the few parents who stayed by the incubator for hrs and often fall asleep with my head on it while my daughter held my pinky with her whole hand. I recall other babies there and not many parents for long. I had the privlage to stay at the Ronald Mcdonald house across the street so I could come visit and bring breast milk but I dont think I slept really. I never got used to the "spells" of heart rate and breathing slowing and her turning blue/grey about 10 times a day and I didnt often trust the monitors. Luckily the state has a program for mothers of babies that need full time care so I had some help, there was no way Id leave her side or trust her to anyone else care, it became too much for me, how they send a baby home when they have those spells as it lasts for some months. Long story short, my daughter is going to be 12 in a couple of months and she is healthy but does have some of the common issues of preemies such as some asthma, a little difficulty in comprehension but she is well behaved and she has actually grown taller then most her age. I am 5 ft 2 and she is right up there with me in height oh and those cute preemie ears, they pretty much grow into them ;) If anyone has any questions or would like to chat feel free to contact me. I am new with these forums so I might have a delay in response but I will check messages at least once a week. Hang in there new parents.

Hi, I had a 27 weeker back in 1999. She is a healthy, thriving 14 year old now. No long-term issues at all, physically or mentally. I am praying for you and your baby boy.

Tonya

I was born at 5 months back in 1984. Weighing 1 pound 11 oz. I have a hearing impairment and learning disabilities. I also have scoliosis and wore a back brace in middle school. I also have emotional issues from being in an incubator for 4 months. That was back in 84 though when they weren't allowed to touch babies that much. Now days they are further advanced. My mom was at bed rest and I was still born early but I don't know if it's different now..

I'm 26 this year born in 1988...I was 1lb 2oz and 5 months premmie I work in my health care field I'm a RNA or Psw where I'm from.

Hi, i saw this post and thought I'd share my success story.

I was born at 27 weeks gestation at 2 ibs 2 ounces and 14 inches long. The morning that I was born, the drs told my mom that I wouldn't even make it through the night. I was born at one hospital, but the transported by ambulance to another one that was a few hours away. On the way to that hospital, I died four times and came back. Every other day after that, the drs kept telling my parents that I wasn't gonna make it. I got open heat surgery when I was five days old, was in the hospital the first five months of my life and was on oxygen until the day before my third birthday. I have had some minor learning disabilities all through school, but that has taught me to be my own advocate. I also have smoke-induced asthma, but it's pretty well controlled now.

I wish you all the best and hope that this story helps you.

Hi Katie! Sorry you're going through all these problem. I have 2 children - born at 30 weeks and 29 weeks. They're both doing great now, even though my latest had alot of problems. Make sure you have alot of support during the NICU stay. My boy actually did way better than my daughter, but I suppose every child is different. Try to take 1 day at a time, my daughter was meant to be a vegetable when she finally left the hospital - shes a normal 11 mth baby doing all the milestones shes meant to!! Big Hugs!

Sorry! Was meaning to add that I had strict bedrest and a cerclage for both pregnancies!