My cousin had her baby last night. The baby was born at 24 weeks. She went in yesterday with pains, found out she had a uti and within hours had delivered. The baby was in a incubator last night.

Could anyone give me advise on what they are to expect over the coming months. What problems they are likely to face. Any sucsess storys. Basically anything relating.

I hope its ok that i asked.

It's absolutely fine that you asked! Welcome to the Premmie forum.

If you read through other posts, you'll find plenty of success stories - really early births like your cousin, really small babies like mine, babies who have battled against the odds and won through in the end. This is a really uplifting forum area, and gives you hope for the future.

What to expect over the next few months? Their baby will be in the Special Care Baby Unit (also known as NeoNatal Intensive Care) for a fair number of weeks, usually until the original due date though earlier discharge does happen if baby is doing well.

Your cousin will find it very tiring and emotionally draining, she needs to keep her focus on her little baby. All family and friends should rally round to make sure that she can give her baby the utmost time and attention, they can support her by keeping things going at home, making sure she eats properly, doesn't get stressed about unnecessary things.

If you - or she - want to chat to other mums at any time, want to ask advice or want to check out something that she's been told, please come on here and sound us all out.

Also - if she has time - tell her to look at the BLISS website. Bliss are the special care baby charity and, as well as advice, they have downloadable leaflets that explain what's going on within the unit - what all the terms mean, what the tubes do, things like that.

Marleysgirl has it in one!

Hi Littleblonde this is what i experienced but may be different in different hospitals, Firstly the little one will start off on a ventilator when they feel lo is ready to breathe on own they will put them on a machine called CPAP this basically puffs the lungs up a little for them.

They may also have jaundice so can be put under UV lights. Also they check there crp levels daily by pricking thier heels to get some blood this tells the docs how well they are and how much oxygen is flowing and jaundice levels.

They may also give LO blood transfusions and restore there Plateletts which are the clotting cells these can boost them lots as they get extra oxygen in there bodies

Feeding wise they will prob start them off on a drip for feeds so expect little needles in there arms and legs they call them canulas which can look quite scary as they do bruise their little limbs if they have to have a lot of them like my son did. They will also give them small amounts of breast milk to get their tummy working which will become more and less often as time goes on, again this can stop if they get poorly.

Now little ones can be poppets and will seem like they are turning a corner and then the next day become very poorly. Normally if they become poorly its because of infections caused by the canulas and because they are so small the only way they can handle the infection is stop breathing so they have apneas and bradys - Ie their oxygen becomes low and there heart rate can drop, quite worrying especially seeing it on the monitors but it is very common for prematures babys to do this!!

Eventually as lo gets bigger they will be transfered from an incubator to a cot my hospital wanted them to get to 1.5kg. Then they are padded up with lots of layers hats and covers to keep thier tempreture up.

Once they are well enough they move them from Intensive Care to Special Care, monitors are removed which is scary and they may give them an apnea monitor in their bed. Eventually lo will begin to feed from mum if thats what she wants of bottle fed. This normally happens about 30weeks gestation as this is when they suck.

Signs for home time are baby feeding well off mother or bottle, temperature being maintained. Weight isnt a huge issue Freddy came come at 3lb 12ozs.

I had a massive success with Freddy and believe me we had many a touch and go moments and horrible phonecalls from hospitals saying he is not well when he picked up infections one hit him so bad he had to be reventialted and a centre line put through his chest to get his drips in also canulas put through his head. He also had lots of blood transfusions and lots of morphine too!

But now he is a cheeky 1 year old weighing about 21lb (i think) and you would never know he was born at 27 weeks weighing 2lb 6ozs.

Sorry for the long post but there is a lot of things that happen when these monkeys come out early!!!

Sorry back again forgot something else that is important and quite common although you think your the only one!!! They monitor their little hearts and some have a little duct that doesnt close, basically this duct normlly closes on newborn full terms after they are born it helps their heart with the stress of birth.

These ducts can cause them problems and have to be operated on to get them closed others they close up by themselves and some stay open with no problems others they treat with medicine.

Tell mummy to come on here as their are loads of us on here that can give her some support and guidance she is not alone x

Just wanted to say hello and welcome

I hope your cousin is feeling ok, and that baby continues to get stronger every day. The girls here have answered your questions perfectly!

Nkapbt-Lakai's mummy-is a good person to ask about a 24-weeker as Lakai was also born at 24 weeks. Im sure she'll be around soon enough.

Was it a baby boy or a baby girl? how much did s/he weigh? Let us know how baby is getting on! good luck and congratulations!

xx

Its a boy weight 1lb 8. Baby is breathing by himself although they do ventilate at night so baby can rest and has gained 1lb.

Thanks to everyone. I will pass on your excellant advise. Keep you posted and will be back if i need to

Hello

I cant be of much help, but the Mums on here seem to be giving you fab advice etc already!

Wishing your cousin and her little boy all the very best

I agree about asking Mummy to pop on here. Im sure she will have lots of questions as she goes through her journey.

I did a journal every day whilst Archie was in hospital for 95 days. He was born at 27 weeks so a wee bit later that her wee boy. She is more than welcome to read it. I few ladies on here got something from it. You can access it via the like within my signature.

Thanks i will let her no. If she dont want to join then she can read all your advise from mine.

Thanks so much to you all, your all great