Could anyone reassure me about baby in special care?

lipsthefish

Hi all, just after a bit of reassurance really, I know medical advice is not allowed. My great niece was born this morning at 12.22, she was six weeks early and they had tried to stop the labour yesterday. She weighed 5 pounds which I know is not really small. She was taken straight to special care where they said they would be feeding her and that she was breathing fine. At 5 they had to put a mask on her as she wasn't breathing properly and also a line in her back for infection and a feeding tube too. Luckily of all the babies born in our immediate family none have needed special care so I have no idea if any of this is normal, to be honest I am freaking out. I don't want to ask my niece too much as obviously she will be worrying herself. Would appreciate any advice, Thank you

Gillyx

5lbs is a great weight for a baby born so early. There's another thread on here that one of the regulars has posted about her little girl who was born at 28 weeks, she is fighting so hard so I'm sure your great niece will be the same. You will probably find a lot of the things they are doing are precautions and the usual procedures for babies born as early. I was born at 35 weeks, and was kept in a hot cot for a few days.

Also please try and not freak out, your niece and her family needs all the support they can get at the moment.

MrsManda

It must be terrifying having a child in special care and I understand your worries.

I cannot help directly in terms of your great niece but it may help a little to know that my friend's niece was born just before Christmas, 10 weeks early and weighing 2.5lbs. She was put on oxygen, had a feeding tube and was chocked full of anti-biotics for infection control. She also had a sunlamp to increase vitamin d levels and I think steroids to improve lung development.

She is now breathing on her own, has put on weight, is in a cot rather than an incubator and the only medical treatment she's receiving is the sun lamp - they think she'll be going home before her official due date

Special care units are very good and I'm sure your great niece is recieving everything she needs to make a good recovery.

I'm sorry I cannot be more help, *hugs to you and your family*

jojo_2012_2

I had a friend who had a baby around the same time. The reason for the infection was because her waters had broken but they tried to hold off labour for as long as possible, there's always the risk that can cause infection.

Babies are very resilient I'm sure she'll pull through, needing a mask for a bit of oxygen is very different to needing to be fully ventilated.

LL30

Hiya,

First of all congratulations! 5lb is a good weight, that was some good cooking by your niece My lo was 8 weeks early and was 4lb 4oz. Unfortunately she wasn't breathing so was ventilated. All of the things you've said sound par for the course with having a prem. It seems like such a crazy world that you're thrown into with technical terms and hospital equipment, but you soon get used to it. A feeding tube is standard, it takes a while for a prem to get the hang of feeding - it's not just about the suck mechanism, but it's the energy they use to feed which can exhaust them. Also if they've inserted a line for infection, handling may not be possible at the moment.

They are very cautious about infections with prems, and it's quite common for antibiotics to be delivered as standard before test results are even received - this is because a lo can get poorly very quickly (and take a long time to get better). My lo had suspected sepsis and was on IV antibs straight away. Usual problems with moderate to late prems: issues with maintaining body temperature (they will turn the temperature down slowly on the incubator day by day) feeding (usually ng fed to start, progressing onto bottle or breast) and weight gain. My lo was 3lb 15oz on arrival at home - so tiny but I thought other babies were humongous!

Advice for how to help your niece: her head will be in a shed. If she's expressing, she'll be doing it 3 hourly day and night (and it takes around an hour each time due to sterilising and labelling as per hospital procedures) Expressing is hard work. The baby will be on a routine (cares - usually 6 hourly to start with, this is nappy changing and washing in the incubator) she will be encouraged to be there during these times (which is hard to juggle when you're expressing) Feeds usually start 4/5 hourly depending on the baby, again she will be encouraged to be there and tube feed baby to begin with. So she'll be a very busy lady, and emotionally drained. She needs to be kind to herself. If you can organise a way to pass on messages ie your niece only texts one person, they pass it on to 3 others and so on and so on, this really helps (the texts and well wishes are lovely, but it can be overwhelming) If someone can keep an eye on things at home for her, prepare some meals for the freezer etc, that's always a help.

One of my biggest bug bears was that I had no clothes to fit my lo Stupid thing to be upset about, but it felt important to me as a Mum. She had borrowed clothes from the unit. There's no point going crazy, but maybe ask her if she'd like to get a prem baby outfit? Mothercare do them, and there's loads on line. She won't be ready for this yet, but something to think about. Also, I found visitors really hard to handle - I was running round like a blue 4rsed wotsit expressing, doing cares, doctors rounds etc I didn't have time to meet people and have a cuppa, so planning your visits carefully with her is a great idea.

My lo is doing brilliantly now, prem babies are hardy xx

Birdy12

I had my baby who was born at 34 weeks, 2 days, weighing 4lb 8oz. My waters broke early and this, most likely, led to an infection. DD was kept in SBCU for around a week (2 weeks? can't remember now) before I could take her home, just to make sure everything was OK.

My baby is now a big lump of 9 and nearly as tall as her brother (who's 11).

Try not to worry, (although I know I, and most of my family, did!) being in the SCBU is the best place for a baby.

Birdy

travelgran

Both my babies went to special care after being induced a month early - standard practice for diabetic mothers at that time. They are now both strapping 30+ year olds with healthy children of their own.

duchy

Just dropping in to offer a hug.
Sounds like all the standard precautions for a prem baby and nothing else extraordinary going on at the moment . Bless you for being thoughtful enough not to want to add to Mum's pressure levels. Hospital food is often vile or not so easy to get to when you're expressing, waiting for doctor rounds etc so sending a few healthy edibles for Mum and Dad who are probablyboth there 24 7 might be an appreciated gift if you feel you want to "do something" to help without adding to their load.

missbishi

Aw, this must be horrible for you and your family. SCU is the best place for bubba to be right now and I know the tubes, wires and beeps must seem so alien right now but they are there to let the babies conserve their energy for growing bigger and stronger. Like other posters have said, babies are a heck of a lot more resilient than we give them credit for.

I was born at 35 weeks myself, 35 years ago, and was in SCU myself. I've always been in good health since. Remember medical care has advanced so much and so quickly.

I definitely agree that Mum needs as much help and support as possible right now, practically and emotionally, esp. if she can't hold bubba yet.

You sound like a lovely caring lady BTW

lipsthefish

Thank you all for your lovely, reassuring posts, I am feeling a lot more positive now. I know there are little babies fighting and ours isn't really too unwell but when it is something we have never experienced we all sort of just panicked (we lost our nephew in 2010 to suicide aged just 19 so now when something doesn't quite go normal we all worry). I am being very upbeat with my niece and considering she is only 20 she is coping brilliantly. She has just had her little boy in to visit so that has cheered her too as she has never had a night apart from him. My other sister has just done a Mcdonalds run for her as she asked for one as soon as she gave birth :rotfl: , thank you all again so much and I'm so glad that those of you with little ones born early have had such positive outcomes xxxx

betteleyh

My son was born 4 weeks early weighing 5lb 8oz and had to be ventilated for the first 24 hours which they told me he was classed as critical. He was fine and then spent 2 weeks on Special Care to which I can only say that Special Care Units are absolutely fantastic. He is now 13 years old, academically he's a smarty pants, plays football and competes in the atheletics world at middle distance so he's had no affects from his rocky start. Also, my nephew was born 8 weeks early at 2lb 14oz and spent about 6 weeks on Special Care. He is now 7 years old and a right little bruiser who is a little football star who's playing for a football academy.

Hopefully everyones different experiences have reassured you a little bit. Hope everything is ok with your Niece which I'm sure it will be.