Did you have a special care baby?

Hi, im due to have my baby by elective section on the 4th of december but i had a growth scan yesterday as my last DD was very small at term. They saw that the amniotic fluid was very low. I have to go back on tuesday to have it re-checked. They said that if its still low then they will probably get the baby out early. I know there is a chance that it will be ok on tues, im trying to prepare myself incase they do want to get it out as it will mean SCBU. I know that the baby shouldnt have any major problems and that it will probs just need help with feeding and growing but i wondered if some of you could share your experience. If not of having low fluid then just what it was like having a baby early and in special care?

Thanks

Em

34+3 weeks

Hi Emma,

I had Leo at 34+1 delivered by section due to pre-eclampsia. He was in special care for 3 weeks.

The initial first visit was the worst as I didnt remember him being so small when he was delivered. He was sedated with morphine as he didnt like the ventilators and he was attached to alot of machines. In hindsight I wish I had listened to the nurses when they told me not to panic at alarms etc. It took about a week for me to get used to them. He was in intensive care for 1 day, high dependency for 3 days and special care for the 17 days after that. He was breathing completely on his own and out of the incubators in 4 days. He constantly had a tube in his nose as he could not feed very well. It broke my heart to leave the hospital with all the cards and baby boy balloons etc and no baby. But I can honestly say that the weeks he was in hospital I had the best nights sleep. I didnt need to get up for the loo or a baby! lol. I also managed a night out on the bank holiday before he came home. Its a great time to build up your energy in time for the baby to come home. It also helps as you are completely prepared to take them home plus youve the practice of taking care of the baby etc as they show you the most effective ways of doing things. I am also greatful of the fact that they put him into a 4 hour routine for me so I never had the every 2 hours etc and that has helped him fall into a night pattern. He is 13 weeks old now (Really only 7) but he only gets up once in 12 hours at night now. Lastly it really helped me appreciate the time with him at home wether he was crying or ill or 2 in the morning, I didnt care cos he was with me.

It is very hard, but you get over it slowly. Once he was home, the time in hospital just didnt seem to matter. It upsets me looking back as I thought I missed out on a lot. But I try not to think of that cos really I dnt think I missed much at all.

He is a healthy 12lbs now (4lbs4oz at birth) and so happy and content.

my email adress is tanyareynolds@hotmail.co.uk if you want to drop me an email or ask me any questions. x x

Emma,

I had Oscar on 3rd Oct, he was 38+5wks so classed as a term baby, but after 3 days he went badly jaundice and was taken to SCBU to be put on a bilibed and overhead light to help him.

I had a very positive experience of special care, the nurses were great and very supportive. That's not to say I didn't get upset at times, but then I had been wanting a home birth and to end up in hospital and then have to stay for 6 days was a slight shock but it is all worth going through as my little man is amazing!

Like Tanya said it really helps you to get prepared to take them home. One of the best things I found with him being in for that time was that I was really supported with breastfeeding so by the time he came home I was really confident with it. I don't know what you're wanting to do feedingwise but at one point Oscar really needed to get fluids into him and they did say about giving him a drip - they were happy for me to express milk and put that into the drip as well as some formula, so they are very accommodating. Fortunately we didn't need to do that in the end.  

Luckily I was able to stay in a flat in SCBU because I was breastfeeding Oscar so I don't feel like I missed out on anytime with him, but if you have to leave him/her there again, like Tanya said, make the most of it because life is certainly not the same once baby is born

Hi Emma

Similar to Rach, I had planned and hoped for a home birth but wee J had other plans - he wasn't early though, far from it, he was 13 days late! After a good pregnancy I had premature rupture of membranes and 70 hours later a very stuck J was born by emergency section - once breathing, his breathing was too fast and he had a temperature from being without waters for so long so after a 5 min hug, he was taken to SUBU... (if a baby gets an infection due to lack of waters they can get very ill very quickly so they are very quick to get them treatment and make sure they are warm, fed & well) I was lucky in that he only stayed in there full time for 24 hours and was then allowed to sleep in my hospital room for the next 5 days on 4 hourly obs but had to go back to SUBU twice a day for IV drip of antibiotics and for any treatment or checks... although my birth experience was traumatic, my experience of SUBU was great - the staff were fab and really supportive, they explain everything and like Rach says, they are really supportive with feeding, etc. As Tanya says, do be prepared for noise as there are lots of beeping and machines going off and on and it can be upsetting to see - luckily J wasn't hooked up to any machines by the time I saw him so I missed that bit personally but even seeing all the other babies on them and the noises is quite distressing. The hardest bit for me that I wish I had been more prepared for was due to having a section, it was several hours before I was fit enough to be taken up in a wheelchair to see J so those hours are tough as you have just given birth but can't get up to go to your baby...

I am sure whatever happens, your baby will be thriving in no time and if he/she does need special care then be rest assured that they are very good at their job and anything you have to go through will so be worth it to hold your baby in your arms - I am grateful every day that J made it here safely and recovered well and is now totally fit & well... good luck with the birth & enjoy 'mummyhood' as it is amazing!

M & baby J (8 weeks)xx