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In my experience...
I'd feel safer
having a preemie at home than in an NICU. My second son was in the NICU for a few days, and it was absolutely horrible. The
treatment he received there was barbaric, and totally contrary to current medical standards. Eventually a pediatrician figured
out what was going on and helped me get him out. One of the nurses even told me that until I was willing to formula feed him
she wouldn't consider me a responsible parent and wouldn't release him to me! He was a perfectly healthy term baby. I had
some high blood sugars in pregnancy, but he wasn't born hypoglycemic. They kept him in for 4 days anyway. I would rather loose
a child, than put them through what he went through. I am also not crazy about the risk of serious infection in hospitals,
and would rather have a fragile child at home where it's safer. Not long ago an NICU in our state was closed down because
babies were dying because of infections they were catching in the hospital. When it was discovered they found out it'd been
going on for a long time, and nobody had questioned all the deaths so they just kept happening.
Kiley
UC Board CL
I would *probably* stay home if I was at least 34 weeks and could not stop the birth process, being prepared for
a very quick, 30 second ride to our local ER if the baby was non-responsive (doing CPR the whole way) after trying all the
things to get baby going (I would be very quick about this and leave the cord attached). Before 34 weeks, I'd do everything
I could to stop the birth process from proceeding, and seriously consider transferring if I could not stop it. ~Carrie
UC Board CL
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I think it depends on your personal feelings
on it. Some women may feel more comfortable managing their labor (bedrest, etc) and preventing pre term birth at home rather
than in a hospital with medications. If birth is imminent regardless of these efforts, again it's up to the mother's feelings
if she feels comfortable birthing peacefully at home, and then evaluating the condition of the baby and deciding if it is
necessary to transfer to obtain further medical care, or simply transferring in labor if she feels uncomfortable birthing
"early" at home. A personal choice, a personal preference that needs to be pondered and thought about in the event that pre
term labor should occur.
karly
What I'd do...
I would do everything in my power to stop labor on my own. Bedrest, warm baths, a few
alcoholic beverages if the contractions got really intense.
If I couldn't stop labor, I'd call my ob and probably
go to the hospital to try and stop it. I would not, however, take brethine, as I've researched that drug and I'm afraid of
the effects it could have on my heart. I already have a heart murmur. I would accept steroids to help mature the baby's lungs,
increasing its chance of surviving an early delivery.
I would not be comfortable birthing at home before 36 weeks.
We weren't at the hospital with the full-scale NICU, and if I'd chosen to go to the hospital in preterm labor, it would
have been the one half an hour away.
I've spent several hours in the newborn nursery breastfeeding Jack behind a screen,
watching and listening to all that goes on. I'm appalled by what they do to healthy newborns. The ones they treated as "sick"
were actually fine. Babies given IV lines and placed on warming trays when they just needed to be cuddled and fed.
Based
on this experience, I don't think I'd ever birth in a hospital, even if my baby was very early. I'd rather do kangaroo care
and pray for the best.
Ruth
This is really something that is up to the parents-- how long were your other childrens' gestations, how long
were your own, how are you feeling, has there been a lot of stress in your life lately, what do your instincts say? If you
know that your other children were all born at 37ish weeks (from LMP), then you know that in general, your gestations are
somewhat shorter than the average, and that slightly earlier for your baby is not a big deal. If, however, your babies tend
to be born at 43 weeks, then 35 weeks would be much earlier than usual-- though for this particular baby, it might be just
right. My babies were all born on the "early" side, and if I were to birth anytime after 32ish weeks, I would stay home to
birth, and keep a close eye on the baby to see if her breathing were stable, etc. As many babies do really well with kangaroo
care from quite early on, even without supplemental oxygen, I would feel very comfortable staying home with a preemie. That
seems highly preferable to submitting the baby to extensive, painful, and highly distressing interventions at the hospital...
A sidenote-- my grandfather was born premature (at home, of course) in the early 1900's, and weighed about 1 pound.
He was kept on the woodstove and spoon fed breastmilk, or held and nursed, and did just fine (obviously, since he became a
*grandfather*!). :)
Beatrice-- mama to Max (6, CNM hospital birth), William (4, LM home waterbirth), Dora (2, family
UC), and Wee One (in belly, arriving late-Winter, UC)
*Bee's Official Disclaimer: All of my answers express my own
personal opinion, and as I am not a trained birth professional, but better, an experienced mother, none of it ought to be
construed as medical advice.*
The baby I was taking care of last night is 27 weeks and about 2 pounds. I have been having mom do kangaroo care
and he has not required any oxygen since he was born. He has been fed breastmilk since the beginning. His temperature has
been perfect too. A big thing the docs watch is their weight loss but Joshua is gaining weight. I believe that this is greatly
due to the skin to skin with mom.
Teresa
I would birth a 32 + baby at home. If baby needed more help than I could provide I would go to the hospital.
I have had twins at 35 weeks and they required no extra care.
Annabelle Mom to 4 girls and a boy! Makaley 2/24/94,
Arden 2/24/94, twins c/s, Anniston 11/12/95, HB w/ midwife, Taegan 12/30/98, UC, and Balen 12/7/00, UC.
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