USA Bus Lines

What would usually happen if a baby was born a preemie?

Hi, I am 34w3d pregnant, and sunday, was admitted to the hosp over night because they thought i was going into early labor. So they gave me two of those shots to stop contractions and labor, and im on the pill for of it now. They took the fetal fibronectin test and it came back positive, so the doctors say theres a good chance our baby girl will be born ahead of schedule...possibly in 2 weeks. This hospital doesnt have a NICU area, so we would have to be rbought to the city which is about an hour away. My husband and I dont have a car, or any kind of transportation and have to depend on the transit bus that only runs 4 hours a day to get us where we need to go. Im scared to death that if I have my baby in that hosp, that they will keep her for a month or something, and then we wont be allowed to stay there, so we will have to be an hour away from her every day of the beginning of her life on earth because we have no way of getting to the city to see her....thats going to kill my husband and I horribly. And before anyone asks, no- we have no family that will help us , except my hubbys sister who will only take us MAYBE once a week if we are really lucky. Do you think there is any possibility that due to our situation the hospital would allow us to stay?? I thought that because I am going to try to breastfeed that maybe they will let us stay because of that. But i doubt it from all ive heard. What do you think? what were your experiences?? Also, if she is born at 34/35/36 weeks, how long do babies usually have to stay in the hospital?? and what are their survival rates?? thank you for your answers.

Public Comments

1. Completely depends on the baby, on how long they have to stay in the hospital. I was put on bed rest at 24 weeks for preterm labor and hospitalized several times. They let me get up at 35 weeks because they wouldn't stop labor after that and that babies generally do just fine, they just are a little small.
2. most babies who are born after 30 weeks are just fine...they might need extra support and will be underweight but alot of them grow to be healthy babies....u dont have anything to worry about at this point really
3. my bestfriends son was born 6weeks early but she was taking steriod shots to help devlope his lungs asn was able to go home within 3 days of being born. have they started this with you?
4. I had 3 preemies n it depends on the condition that the baby is in on whether or not they go home and stuff like that. One of my children was sent to a hospital two hours away but they had this Ronald Mcdonald program that let me stayed there u might want to check on that kind of program!
5. I'm sorry I can't answer your question about whether or not they'd let you stay, I live in the UK, and each hospital here has different rules on it. But! I can answer your other question. Babies born at 34+ weeks have a really good chance of survival these days. My niece was born at 33+5 and was really underweight for that gestation (2lbs 3oz). Amazingly she was fine, and didn't even have to be on a ventilator for more than a few hours. She was wee but strong. She left hospital after 5 weeks when she was still only 3lbs 5 or 7 oz. Good luck with it all! x
6. i was born two months early and my family is from a small town i read your question and asked my mom about it . they will keep your baby in the nicu for a little while how long depends on how your baby does every baby is different. i was in the hospital my first two months of my life but i have several birth defects. as for staying near baby my mom says the only way they got to be near me every Single day was the Church raised funds for a hotel room near the hospital i was born at.
7. they usually stay until their original due date. my son was born early at 28 wks. he stayed for a little over 2 mos but a couple weeks before he was actually due. they will let you stay as long as insurance will pay for..i stayed for a week i also had a csection. at 36 wks there is a good chance she wouldnt need to stay there at all..good luck ps my first daughter was born at 38 wks on Valentines Day!!
8. they usually start out small but they grow just fine MOST OF THE TIME!! hope she/he is healthy!! -_-
9. My son was born at 34 weeks and was completely mature- just small. He was 4lbs 4.5oz. He never went to the NICU. Here is my story because the hospital I went to didn't have a NICU either: Started contractions around 11am. Went to Doctors at 12:30 who sent me to hospital for non-stress test. I drove myself there and they checked me at 2pm and I was 2cm dilated and 100% effaced so I was staying there. I was an hour away from the hospital high risk pregnancies normally get delivered at and had a NICU. My son's heart rate kept dropping since his cord was wrapped around his neck. They were going to send me by ambulance to the other hospital but because of the heart rate drop, they didn't want to. So, luckily I got an ultrasound done 2 days before that and they sent those images to the other hospital. The Doctors there said he was a good size and that I could deliver there. If he wasn't a good weight, a Doctor from that hospital was going to come to my hospital. And if my son was in need of a NICU he was going to be brought by the ambulance to the other hospital. My son had to stay at the hospital for 2 extra days for a slight case of jaundice and the hospital let me stay there in an extra room with him. After my son was born I looked online and at 34 weeks the survival rate is like 96% so it is pretty high. Good luck!!!
10. Wow. First you need to calm down and it sounds like you are very misinformed about how all of this works. Do you live in the USA? If so then here is my experience and others I know that have had premature babies. My daughter was 6 weeks early which is not all that early. My friend’s son was born 3 months early. Some babies born premature are perfectly healthy. Some are born with health issues. My daughter’s lungs were not fully developed so they kept her for a week. My husband and I both stayed the entire week at the hospital. While we were there they were transporting other babies via helicopter and ambulance depending on which specialty ICU they had to go to. My friends son had to be put in an incubator until he grew more and could be exposed. If your baby needs to be put in ICU they will transport your baby via ambulance or helicopter. This will not be your responsibility. Also, they will allow you to stay at the hospital. They cannot make you leave while your child is being cared for. My suggestion to you is to go to the hospital or call and talk to the director in charge of Labor and delivery and voice your concern. At that time they will explain to you the process and your options. This will ease your mind and you will know what to expect. Good Luck!
11. I would ask the hospital their policy about you staying. If they say no then ask them if there are any housing accomodations in the area that they could put you up in such as a Ronald McDonald house that are free housing for children in the hospital. Most bigger inner city hospitals have some type of program like this. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1157.asp Are babies born at 34 to 36 weeks gestation at risk for medical problems? Late preterm infants are usually healthier than babies born earlier, and they are almost as likely as full-term babies to survive. Late preterm babies often weigh between 4 1/2 and 6 pounds, and they may still appear thinner than full-term babies. These babies remain at higher risk than full-term babies for newborn health problems, including breathing and feeding problems, difficulties regulating body temperature, and jaundice (6). These problems are usually mild, and most babies make a quick recovery. Most of these babies can be breast- or bottle-fed, although some (especially those with mild breathing problems) may need tube-feeding for a brief time. It is estimated that at 35 weeks gestation, the weight of the brain is only around 60 percent that of term infants (6). Late preterm babies are unlikely to develop serious disabilities resulting from premature birth, but they may be at increased risk for subtle learning and behavioral problems (6). I also found this awesome website where you can read lots of stories from other mothers who had premature babies from the labor through delivery, birth, and the first couple weeks. I hope I helped. There have been tramendous strides in the medical field in the past several years. I am sure that at even 34 weeks baby will be just fine. Many babies are born much earlier than that and grow up okay.