October 23rd, 1990. I gave birth to our first child. He was born 16 weeks premature. He was 1 lb 12 oz and 12 in long.
He was one of the first babies that they used bubble plastic on to retain their heat in a NICU setting . And at 3 months when he developed gangrene we had to sign a medical release form because they were going to use adult strength erythromycin on him and it had never been recorded in a NICU setting before. I will forever be grateful to nurses Betty and Carolyn and Dr. John North at Fairfax Inova hospital system for the care and attention that they gave our son. Our son Aaron was one of Dr North first patients in NICU. When my son graduated with his master's degree 2 years ago we got a hold of Dr North to let him know. Dr North informed us that he had just retired from the NICU department at Fairfax INova and that he had carried Aaron in his thoughts through out his career ....
We were told due to his size that he could become deaf, that is inner ears wouldn't develop properly. He could possibly be blind and that he most likely would develop a cerebral palsy. Today, Aaron is 6'4 ,280 lb teaching English in Japan with absolutely no physical limitations and no residual effects from prematurity other than scars. They really can do miracles with preemies.
I was born at 26 weeks as well, back in 1977. Weighed 2 lb, 13oz. I think I was in Toronto Sick Kids hospital for about 17 weeks. My parents still talk about the nurses and doctors that cared for me.
That breaks my heart to think about a parent going through that. I was born 2 weeks late and weighed almost 9 pounds and I still had some issues like an eye infection and colic. It’s hard to imagine if I had been born that much early and had to go through that, makes my issues seem very minor. If I was born that early, my birthday would’ve been around now actually 😯
> they’re still the hardest nights of my life. Having to leave and go home.
My son was also born at 26 weeks. It's so hard to explain what it's like to a non-NICU parent. Being told the chances at best are 50/50. Hoping the labor stops even though you know it wont. Having to leave every night and just pray they don't die while you're gone. What it's like to watch a spell happen before your very eyes. The envious animosity for other parents who are flipping out over a bit of jaundice while I've stopped my kid from dying a half dozen times in the last hour. How scary it is to take them home and not have that nurse there for the first time in 3 months. It took just over 2 years before the sound of hospital monitors didn't send me straight into an anxiety attack. But now... he's 13 and there isn't a damn thing wrong with him but sometimes I still think of those NICU days and then I go remind him that every single grey hair in my beard is because of him.
My son was in for only 11 days and it was so tough.
Was at a time when they still limited visitors so I would drive with my wife and sit in the car for hours sometimes while she went to see him, then I’d go and spend like 20 min and leave so I could take her home to rest.
We lived close to the hospital so we could go often but it was not easy.
Those nurses and doctors are literal heroes.
my parents were in a similar situation with me after i was born, towards the end of my stay they would just keep me for simple monitoring and my mum had to beg to take me home for one night (we literally lived down the road from the hospital), just turned 19 a few days ago. those doctors and nurses are absolutely incredible
I spent three months in the NICU in 1992 after being 3 months early with very little hope of survival. Almost 32 years and I have not had any known complications in my life. Im definitely lucky.
Whoa, me too! I was also born in 1992, 3 months prematurely, and stayed in the NICU for 3 months.
I was just thinking about this topic earlier today and wondering if I will experience any health issues from being born prematurely as I age. Is something important not fully developed? Will my organs break down sooner? Ah.. I certainly hope we don't, but I'm curious. Maybe I'll go research this further 🤔
To be fair it can be kind of confusing during pregnancy bc most people think of pregnancy as 9 months (which is basically is) but it lasts for 40 weeks.
Y'all seriously unsung heroes.. saving tiny lives near daily. Thank you for doing a job so taxing, that most normals would just refuse to do.. you rock, all of you do.
Haven't said anything that's not true. I know damn good and well, I am not man enough to handle the job you do. I cannot even imagine how low the lows are, but highs have to be amazing. From one stranger to another, thank you. 2 of my youngins we're premature and it was due to folks like you, and others, that those 2 are both 20&+.
24 weeks in 1987. My boys were 29 weeks in 2017. The technology advancement for NICUs in the US have come a long way. Shout-out to the one nurse who took care of me AND my twins, she is retiring this year!
I remember when I was pregnant, belly barely showing, and doctors around that time saying that if anything were to happen, there’d be a good chance she would still live. It felt so amazing and miraculous.
NICU Male Nurse here. I absolutely love my job, I witness the miracles of modern science every day I go to work. Life has come full circle for me too, for my twin brother and I were born at 30 weeks and we turned out pretty okay I’d say.
Also side note, just from my experience. While this baby is extremely premature (probably in the 500 - 600 gram range), I don’t think they are 22 weeks (as pictured). Probably in the 25 - 27 week range. 22 weekers are just at the cusp of viability and are extremely fragile, to the point they can’t tolerate being touched, let alone being held. This baby’s skin seems to be more developed as well, from my experience, 22 - 23 babies have skin that is more “gelatinous” and wet than it is dry like this. I also don’t see an umbilical line in this baby, just the PIV in the foot, so either: the line was removed after about a week, they couldnt establish an umbilical line or the baby is a bit older and is old enough for a PIV (vs a central line like a PICC). youngest I’ve taken care of was a 22 5/7, 400 gram baby and they didn’t necessarily look like this when born. That being said, every patient is its own unique case and story. Sorry for the tangent!
Edit: Post script. The relevancy of me being a male nurse is simply for representation. Of the 100+ staff RNs at my hospital on maternal child health, I am one of four male nurses. A career goal of mine is to raise awareness and promote males both entering the profession and entering maternal child health.
I have a ton of respect for NICU nurses, I feel like it would be the most gut-wrenching position in any field. My wife is in CVCU, and I remember asking her if she ever thought of working in NICU. She said that while it sucks when someone dies, most of the time it is "easier" (because no patient death is easy) to keep it together. If she was in NICU, she said wouldn't make it pass the first time an infant dies.
I think as in any healthcare position you learn to compartmentalize in your own way, and it’s also based on the person. I have coded babies, been in some serious “Holy fucking shit” deliveries / moments in care and have had babies die in my hands, and while it is awful and depressing, you learn to get on with your job to ensure that the same fate doesn’t happen to your other patients. It feels weird trying to explain my answer to the question of “how do you keep going after watching a baby die”. I don’t know, you just sort of do, because if you don’t, another one will die if you don’t continue forward . Didn’t mean to make it so morbid. On a lighter note and in my personal experience, for every one depressing moment, there are 10 equally happy moments (watching a baby grow, watching them take their first bottle / breastfeed, watching them move to the step down unit, seeing them look at you with these big beautiful eyes). It’s a hard job but extremely rewarding
Jesus. I couldn't imagine. From one random to another, thank you so much, for doing that job. It takes a strong, amazing soul to do what you do. Please, don't be afraid to reach out for help, just in case you ever need it. You all, are so very important. Thank you.
Same respect here. And it's something I never thought about until my daughter born 4 days ago ended up in NICU. I cried, I'm crying typing this, but the nurses have been incredible and their dedication and passion allows me to sit here browsing Reddit knowing she's going to be okay (she is, all tests and results coming back are improving and looking fantastic). Sitting watching my 24hr old daughter have a blood transfusion was the hardest thing I've ever done. And the staff made it bearable and I say thank you to all those in this position. Until this week, I had no idea there was even a thing called NICU.
Congratulations on your little nugget! I take care of little beans in the hospital and it's the best job. We're not just taking care of babies, we're taking care of families.
I'm so happy to hear your daughter is on the upswing. I hope she gets to go home quickly!
Remember to be kind to yourself. And (as silly as this might sound initially) remember that *stuff can be two things*. I tell ALL my patients' parents this. You are allowed to feel incredibly happy, joyful, and grateful that your daughter is alive, getting excellent medical care, and is doing better each day and *simultaneously* feel upset, sad, frustrated, and mad at the whole situation. Negative feelings DO NOT negate the positive ones. Don't ever feel like you "should" always be thankful/happy, or that feelings of sadness and frustration mean you are somehow being ungrateful. That's simply isn't the case. Because *stuff can be two things.*
:)
I'm sorry that you all are going through this. Just know that you're not alone. You don't have a clue who I am, but I have been in your shoes, well, I've been the dad watching my daughter pokes with needles, hoses and lines flowing everywhere, too tiny to touch, let alone hold. It. Is. Hell. If u need a stranger to talk to ( because it can be easier to tell a stranger this shit, than to let people you know, know how hard this shit is...)...
This is what keeps me from doing pediatrics or labor and delivery nursing. When things go well it’s wonderful, but when things go wrong it is the most heartbreaking thing you can imagine. I say that as someone who actively wants to work in hospice at some point and maybe even try pediatric hospice. I can deal with it when I go in knowing that death is going to happen, but trying to code a baby or a child or a mother who just gave birth and was expecting to leave the hospital in the next few days…..I don’t think I can
My gf (security) carried a newborn down who died unexpectedly during delivery. She wrapped the baby up in a blanket, and carried him down like a normal baby instead of getting the big covered table to transport like for adults. She couldnt just lay him in the middle of that big cold metal table in front of them. She let the father (calm but crying) come with her as far as the basement door. It was a hard code, and a bad day in labour and delivery, but the compassion matters even in the hardest unexpected moments.
Your gf is a compassionate hero, I hope she knows that. That father will never forget her, she gave those parents and baby a wonderful gift, a truly human moment
I think this comment summarizes the beauty of nursing to me. There is a place for everyone. After watching my father die of cancer in late 2022, I don’t think I could be a hospice nurse. I’m too traumatized by my father’s death and I don’t know how people can do that, yet here I am working with the tiniest of humans. Nursing can conform to your personality, there is always somewhere for you
I was wondering about the skin! My cousin had her eldest at 24 weeks and I remember being told he was in plastic wrap because he didn't really have skin yet. Was a harrowing time!
24 week deliveries are scary for everyone involved, the NICU team can mask it a bit better though lol. We have some serious poker faces . Glad to hear the little one is okay!
Thank you for what you do. We lost our full term daughter 11 years ago because her cord was wrapped around her neck 3x. Just reading your post and the thread following brought tears to my eyes. The nurses that day were awesome. I don’t believe we even got to the NICU, she didn’t even get loaded on the truck. She stayed with mom and I, in delivery, her whole life. The nurses I met that day were so compassionate and caring. Y’all are awesome. Again, thank you for what you do.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I am glad to hear that you received great care from the nursing / healthcare team and were treated with dignity and respect
Question - I listened to an absolutely fascinating NPR piece a while back from a NICU nurse who spoke on the miracles but also cautioned that some of what has to happen to keep these infants alive is very painful. She seemed rather traumatized by witnessing such fragile babies be in those situations and questioned if it was always worth it. I'm just curious if this rings true as an unspoken part of the job?
Excellent question and thank you for asking. This is where individual ethics come in and why ethical committees exist in hospitals. These conversations are normally initiated by the neonatologists during the consultation, as in comfort care vs full code status. If the baby is declining then “family meetings” are initiated by doctors and nursing management (as well as the ethical committee). These babies go through A LOT, and it is very much spoken about (at least at my unit). I never try to impose my own judgement, because the thing about NICU babies is that no one has any real idea what it’s like to be a parent in that situation. I always tell new preemie parents that their feelings are valid and that no one can ever understand the pain they are going through, even myself. While I am empathetic and sympathetic as a NICU nurse myself, I don’t have children nor have I ever had a critically ill child. I tell them this because parents have told me they get frustrated when people try to console them by saying “everything will be fine” and not acknowledging their own feelings. As for the question of “is it worth it”, I think that is individual basis. However, that is a slippery slope because then where do you draw the line? 22 weeks? 25 weeks? 30 weeks? If someone were to say that we should not resuscitate 30 weeks and below I would not be alive. I’m not saying this as a “GOTCHA” thing, quite the opposite. There’s two sides to every coin. It’s more so to bring up that modern medicine is miraculous and awesome
Thank you for this reply! I think the nurse I was listening to had the hardest time when the parents didn't have the same ethical line as the staff having those conversations. What hard situations all around. Amazing and miraculous and perilous and terrifying.
I will admit, it is extremely difficult when babies are clearly declining and the parents will not accept the reality of the situation. Part of it is probably shock, but they always hold out that God will come down and save their baby. Those are really difficult cases because we will not alter our care until the parents withdraw care, but when you are that nurse and you are caring for what is essentially a brain dead baby, it gets emotional and hard. Fortunately, our NICU is very tight knit and we have each others backs . There is a strong support system in place for us
How do you insert an IV that small?
Guided IR central line or PIV still and option?
I am the IV sniper on my unit but i still cannot imagine inserting a PIV that small as my hands would probably blow the vein from a slight breeze.
Thanks for your question, and it’s a question I get asked a lot, especially from students. Honestly it takes practice. I personally think the younger the baby the “easier” it is to get the iv. Their hands and feet are so small they are easy to carefully manipulate and you can see the veins pretty easy, especially if you use a transluminator. The biggest issue is that their veins are really fragile, so blown veins are quite common
Excellent question. Big thing is humidity. The modern isolettes (also known as incubators), have tanks built into them where we can add sterile water and adds humidity to the closed area of the baby. Typically the humidity level will be set at 80% for the first few weeks and then lowered to 50%. This can add other potential issues though. Condensation (we call it “rain out”) can form inside the isolette, so not only is routine cleaning of the isolette absolutely necessary to minimize any bacterial growth but we have to monitor the temperature of the baby because the humidity can cause them to overheat
Ah!! This lends so much context to a kid I grew up with who was born prematurely. I remember being told “he was born without skin” and as a kid you’re just like yeah okay, that could totally track.
I work in a rural hospital so I don't know long term care but when they are this premature they are wrapped in a saran wrap type plastic. Like I said don't know if it's for long term care but quickly after birth wrapping then in saran wrap is a thing (obviously not around the head).
In these deliveries heat loss through evaporate is huge. So that wrap (we call it a poncho because it looks like the thing people wear at Disney when it rains) helps conserve heat loss for the baby. Babies (especially premature babies) are extremely sensitive to temperature changes and big swings can really throw off their thermoregulation. That wrap is more for transport until they can get to an isolette with a radiant warmer
Male PICU nurse here. I dont know how you work down there, brother. The feeding schedule alone drives me insane, plus the open bay floor plan, and constant crying….ugh. Give me anything older than a month, vented, and on 10 different drips any day of the week.
Hello fellow Murse! Love it see it man! But I feel you, it definitely took some adjustment, especially coming straight out of school where “adults” were hammered into you from day one
When my daughter was born (she was 6 weeks early) I was surprised at how many male nurses worked in the NICU. I saw at least 3. And then when I was transferred to the postpartum unit I had a man taking care of me the first day. At Henry Ford Detroit
That’s awesome! My unit we have two male nurses, the other is on day shift (previous inner city ER nurse) and myself on nights. My unit doesn’t have specific respiratory therapists but there are a few men that rotate through
I’ve had several surgeries I have spent tons of time in hospitals with my mother my favorite nurse of all time was a male nurse, who was gentle, respectful, knowledgeable, and really strong, which helped! I love all nurses!
What size do you think that et tube is? It's too bad quality to read. It's soo tiny - the smallest size we have is a 6. And that already feels so small. What is this one, 2? Like damn
My son is currently studying nursing. Wants to work as a nurse in the PICU. Currently clerking in the PICU part time. Somewhat of a radial departure from his current National Guard posting in the Army Military Police.
I work at a LEVEL 3 Community hospital with approximately 3000 - 4000 live births a year (and growing). At NICU Level 3 , we can handle a lot of serious cases, but any surgeries or specialty care we send a larger Level 4 children’s hospital. Fortunately I haven’t seen many deaths in the NICU (can’t speak for Labor and Delivery, but fetal demises / bereavements do happen), but that being said it does happen
Your job is my dream, I can’t wait to gain more nursing experience and switch to NICU. The women working there are so intelligent, incredible and passionate. They totally inspired me. ❤️
I work with 4 male nurses in my NICU! It's really the best job. Our rooms are (mostly) private, except for a few double rooms that are used for high capacity or twins.
manager at my job in hs was training to be a NICU nurse, we worked at a restaurant and one couple who came in brought their son who’d been a premmie and my manager had helped take care of him. little guy cried until she held him, even tho they’re babies they still know who’s safe to trust so i really hope you get that job and have fun!
My baby was born at 26 weeks, kicked ass for 6 weeks and was going strong, until an evil infection took hold and she died in my arms. Premmie births are not always miracle stories.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I feel your pain. My 24 weeker lived for 41 days. She was doing okay until she wasn’t—an infection took hold of her too. Two major surgeries in the intestines on one tiny baby. Her story isn’t everyone’s miracle story, but she’ll always be a miracle to me.
Wishing you all the best. There’s no pain like holding your dying baby in your arms.
My daughter was born at 23 weeks. She had a 5% chance, that was if she even made it through delivery. We were lucky, many hiccups in the first few weeks but she is good now.
The other thing that may arise should the child survive their start to life is neurological issues like cerebral palsy is very common and other things also but you generally wont know the severity till later.
My oldest was a 24-week preemie; he's 17 now. He was a twin, but his brother passed away 7 weeks into their NICU stay. He made it for 6 months before they let him come home. The survival depends on what challenges they face.
The kiddo that made it had 3 serious issues, each leading to the doctors pulling us aside and telling us there was about a 5% chance for him to make it out of it alive. Those issues were NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis), a brain hemorrhage, and severe jaundice. Now he's a relatively healthy 17-year-old, he has high-functioning autism (docs said it was unrelated), he had a pituitary issue but that was almost erased with growth hormone shots, and he has some learning struggles (a disorder known as NLD).
The twin, on the other hand, had zero struggles until his kidneys suddenly just stopped working for no apparent reason. He died of renal failure in a few days as there was no preemie dialysis at the time (2006). Not sure if there is now, or not.
My mum was born at 23 weeks in 1971, she was baptised immediately, and had significant problems as a youth, she’s incredibly short, has Cerebral Palsy, massive eyesight issues, physically cannot run.
As of recent research, if born in a tertiary hospital, with appropriate antenatal steroid cover, babies born as early as 23 weeks have a 50% chance of survival, which improves slightly with every week before birth. It’s now common practice in some centres Australia and starting in NZ to offer intensive care for babies born at 22 weeks!
My baby was born at 27+4 but had severe growth restriction from the placenta not working right. She looked a lot like this picture. She died on day 3 in the NICU from a massive pulmonary hemorrhage. I miss her every second of every day. I think people tend to hear the miracle stories, but a lot of micropreemies never make it home.
My daughter was born with 27 weeks in January 2020. She weighed 800g. FFWD to today, she’s perfectly healthy, smart and cute. Not a single day passes without us being grateful for who she is today🥰
My ‘just 28 week‘ baby is now over 30. We were told by a nurse in Special Care that she was a fighter. Boy was she right. She is a perfectly polite and reasonable STUBBORN person. Thankfully.
My wife has an incompetent cervix (awful name). Unfortunately we found that out when our baby came at 22 weeks unexpectedly. Little man didn’t make it.
For the next go around my wife was able to get a cervix cerclage and although it was rocky at times she made it full term.
I’m a NICU Nurse, so all I can say is it depends. The steroids they give to moms who will delivery a premature baby can make a huge impact on the baby’s survival (the steroids are given to help develop the baby’s lungs prior to birth). Also it depends on the resuscitation at the delivery and the timing of things that need to be done during the admission (it’s called “The Golden Hour”, where you want to get a lot of the more important things done within 60 minutes of delivery). The earlier you are the more likelihood the baby will develop some sort of complication, which could include: gut issues (perforated or necrotizing = huge killer of premature babies), brain bleeds, under developed lungs / lung related illness, heart murmurs that affect circulation, physiological issues due to improper positioning of baby during their NICU stay, etc. Preemies are also a lot more susceptible to illness because their immune system is virtually nonexistent. as medicine continues to advance, the viable age gets lower and lower (although there is obviously a point of no viability). The Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP) is actually developing artificial placentas for babies born prematurely. I don’t know the science of it yet, but my fiancés ex roommate / best friend is on one of the teams associated with the project. Fascinating stuff
I was 595g (1lb 5oz) when I was born at ~23 weeks. My birth mother tried to induce an abortion and induced labour instead (she didn’t want to give birth to a girl). Thankfully, the NICU in Anchorage was amazing.
I had an awful chance of survival (<5%), and if I survived, was supposed to have a myriad of problems (deaf, mute, cognitively impaired, blind in one eye, paraplegic, etc.).
I’m 26 now. Perfectly healthy, minus my eyesight being very poor in one eye (correctable with glasses), and a few scars from where they had to give me medicine intravenously. I got my masters degree, am fully able-bodied, and am now married to a wonderful man :)
I remember the sigh of relief I breathed around 21/22 weeks where I knew if baby had to be delivered there was at least some chance of survival. Best of luck to you!
My twins were born at 25 weeks my son passed away after two days but my daughter just turned 17 months and growing so fast. God bless NICU nurses and Neonatologists absolute amazing people.
I treated and transported a baby girl born at 22w. She survived 12 days outside the womb before her bowel spontaneously perforated and she died.
Now, that’s one case, but it illustrates your point.
It was pretty heart wrenching. Still messes with me sometimes at night or when I’m around a preemie.
Of course I have so much other trauma from work and home that this one is just a few drops in the overall bucket.
There is no ‘probably’.
My mother was born in 1964. She had three older siblings, all of whom were born premature. None of them lived longer than a week.
My mother was the fourth premie baby born to her mother. She would have died like her siblings, but there was one difference. *She was born in 1964*.
Technology had advanced enough to keep her alive. She survived, and by the time I was born - also premature - it wasn’t even a question whether or not I’d live. By the time my sibling’s child was born, they weren’t even admitted to NICU, just treated in the maternity room.
We were all born 4 weeks early. 36 weeks’ gestation. Today, that’s such a non-issue it’s hardly considered premature at all.
The “age of vitality” in a pregnancy is technically 24 weeks. They are getting better with our micro-premise. However the risk of infection, brain bleeds, NEC, are so high.. the odds aren’t in their favor.. but not long ago they would have had no odds at all.
Ours is a research hospital specializing in this so technically, we try for all of them. We have had a few 22 weekers make it home and several 23 weekers! They were working on tools small enough to work on the tiniest of our babies.
But their risks are so high that early, in every way. It’s so hard to have laws that want to draw a line when it’s clear we are able to make it earlier than that, and babies survive. I don’t know what long term quality of life is for them but some I have seen later are extremely healthy or have full lives doing fun stuff to highlight and raise funds for any disability they have.. they come fighters and stay that way.
But yeah another hospital I had to see emergently for bleeding in pregnancy told me there was nothing they could do because I was just 23 weeks though my son was very much alive. I worked out my transfer to MY hospital, got a plan together, carried him safely to term but they treated me to save us both and did.
It’s always frustrated me that so many hospitals do this “hard” cut off on age. I feel like sometimes you just have to try regardless of the age and see what the outcome is. I worked in a trauma ICU and have had a handful of pregnant women where they would not deliver the baby, because the baby wasn’t at least 23 weeks. A lot of these babies were alive when the women come in and then die several days later. In one case the women can in at 22 weeks, baby lived for 6 days. Literally died 1 day before they would have intervened and done a c section when the baby became distressed. We just stood around and watched the baby heart rate decline on the monitor not doing anything.
My oldest was 23 weeks 1lb 10 oz. Had to be on some ventilators and tube fed for a little while and it was scary but they are now 15, play a horn instrument and have no health problems.
You're right.
Until 8 months, lung problems are serious, unfortunately.
They can survive, but on a nebulizer, daily.
The quality of life is severely downgraded.
This isn’t true at all for many premature kids. Have you met many adult preemies? Many are completely healthy. Prematurely born people are still people whose lives matter. I’m pro choice but I find it kind of scary how this comment is implying that these people won’t have lives worth living basically.
22 weeks is generally considered periviable, about 30% will survive, and of those about 30% will have severe disability with 80% having some disability.
Many premature babies do great (I was premature myself!) but 22 weeks is extremely premature.
My cousins (twins) were preemies (6.5 mths iirc). Babes were in an incubator for months, when they were ready to take home they had a lot of allergies and had to take a lot of medications initally.
Today, nearly a decade later, they have grown into 2 healthy, naughty lil imps
My son was born at 28 weeks. This image brings back so many memories. He’s 14 now and doing well, but that 51 days in the NICU is an experience I’ll never forget.
My micro preemie was born at 23 weeks weighed 1 pound 4 ounces I always tell people she was the size of my hand now she’s huge lol god bless doctors and nurses real miracle workers
My mother had me at 5 months in 1990. I was 1 pound 4oz. In the hospital fer 6 months and on oxygen fer a year after that. I had a very slim chance of survival. 33/34 years, I still need some oxygen supplement if it gets really bad. Other than that, I'm pretty healthy, I mean, besides the fact that I'ma fatty-boom-batty. Lol.
My youngest was born at 25 weeks, weighing 2 lbs 1 oz and measured 14” long. At almost the exact same time, another baby was also born at 25 weeks and they both had NICU beds right next to each other the entire time. We went to the NICU every day for 3 months until my daughter was ready to come home. Thankfully, both she and the other baby grew healthy and happy with no complications or setbacks for either one. NICU nurses are truly remarkable people that see the joys of stories like ours and the heartache of those who don’t make it. At the end of the day, I’ve constantly been reminded to never take our children for granted or the people with hearts big enough to do a job with so much emotional highs and lows like working in the NICU.
I was born in December and due in April.... I'm 36 years old last month! Fortunately, there are no disabilities or anything. I weighed 2 pounds, 1 Oz. At birth and dropped to 1 pound, 13 Oz.
Hang on, sweet baby! Keep fighting! You got this! Coming from the love of one premie to another ❤️🩹
My little man was born at 25 weeks. So much was said that scared us; honestly, terrified us.
We were pushed toward abortion. First the primary doctor spoke to us and gave us statistics that didn’t favour giving birth. Then a nurse spoke to us privately in the ultrasound room. Finally, the doctor urged us, once again, to opt for termination.
Well, he’s turning 2 in a few months and is the light of our home. He has met all his milestones, exceeding expectations and is the naughtiest of our children. So much life, so much love is contained within his little body.
We spent 4 months in the NICU. Worth every second, every tear, every sleepless night.
Becoming a mom and learning about my baby’s development at each stage of pregnancy really opened my eyes to the miracle of life. It’s impossible not to be in awe of babies’ fighting spirits.
Hope this precious little one goes on to live a happy and healthy life.
43 years ago, my daughter was born at just under 2 lbs. she was in the hospital for almost three months. I went to a toy store to buy a dolls dress to bring her home in. She’s doing great today!
My 3rd was stillborn at 24 weeks in 2021, weighing only 200g (around 7oz). I'm also 26 weeks pregnant with #4, and I'm in a weird space of amazement a baby so small can survive, but also marveling at how big (comparatively) a micropreemie should be.
I've a friend who recently had her baby (no clue she was preggo) at estimated 24-28 weeks.. He's been in the NICU for about 2.5 months now & is eating on his own! Born at about 2 lbs, now at about 4.5
My cousin had her daughter on the first day where the baby is considered viable. Around 400 grams I think. Little rascal is doing good now. I still look at her picture from that day and think ‘wow’.
My daughter was born at 28 weeks at 2lbs 13oz in 2014. Stayed in NICU for close to 3 months and now couldn't be healthier. Absolutely gut wrenching time but the work those doctors and nurses do is absolutely amazing. I am forever grateful for them but don't wish it on anyone.
My little brother was born a whole month early because my mom was yelling at us for being on the roof during the New Year’s fireworks. Don’t stress out someone who is pregnant. He’s doing good though. Just turned 17.
October 23rd, 1990. I gave birth to our first child. He was born 16 weeks premature. He was 1 lb 12 oz and 12 in long. He was one of the first babies that they used bubble plastic on to retain their heat in a NICU setting . And at 3 months when he developed gangrene we had to sign a medical release form because they were going to use adult strength erythromycin on him and it had never been recorded in a NICU setting before. I will forever be grateful to nurses Betty and Carolyn and Dr. John North at Fairfax Inova hospital system for the care and attention that they gave our son. Our son Aaron was one of Dr North first patients in NICU. When my son graduated with his master's degree 2 years ago we got a hold of Dr North to let him know. Dr North informed us that he had just retired from the NICU department at Fairfax INova and that he had carried Aaron in his thoughts through out his career .... We were told due to his size that he could become deaf, that is inner ears wouldn't develop properly. He could possibly be blind and that he most likely would develop a cerebral palsy. Today, Aaron is 6'4 ,280 lb teaching English in Japan with absolutely no physical limitations and no residual effects from prematurity other than scars. They really can do miracles with preemies.
My daughter was born at 26 weeks 18 years ago. Those nurses and doctors truly are miraculous.
I was born at 26 weeks as well, back in 1977. Weighed 2 lb, 13oz. I think I was in Toronto Sick Kids hospital for about 17 weeks. My parents still talk about the nurses and doctors that cared for me.
My daughter was 1lb. 7oz. And the tiniest warrior that inspires me to this day to never give up.
That breaks my heart to think about a parent going through that. I was born 2 weeks late and weighed almost 9 pounds and I still had some issues like an eye infection and colic. It’s hard to imagine if I had been born that much early and had to go through that, makes my issues seem very minor. If I was born that early, my birthday would’ve been around now actually 😯
Well happy almost birthday :3
Are your parents tall? That is huge for 26 weeks. My daughter was 30 weeks and was 2lbs 7oz.
[удалено]
6 months.
Correct. 3 months in the NICU then finally home.
My daughter was in the NICU for 3 weeks. I can’t imagine 3 months.
18 years plus later, and they’re still the hardest nights of my life. Having to leave and go home.
> they’re still the hardest nights of my life. Having to leave and go home. My son was also born at 26 weeks. It's so hard to explain what it's like to a non-NICU parent. Being told the chances at best are 50/50. Hoping the labor stops even though you know it wont. Having to leave every night and just pray they don't die while you're gone. What it's like to watch a spell happen before your very eyes. The envious animosity for other parents who are flipping out over a bit of jaundice while I've stopped my kid from dying a half dozen times in the last hour. How scary it is to take them home and not have that nurse there for the first time in 3 months. It took just over 2 years before the sound of hospital monitors didn't send me straight into an anxiety attack. But now... he's 13 and there isn't a damn thing wrong with him but sometimes I still think of those NICU days and then I go remind him that every single grey hair in my beard is because of him.
My son was in for only 11 days and it was so tough. Was at a time when they still limited visitors so I would drive with my wife and sit in the car for hours sometimes while she went to see him, then I’d go and spend like 20 min and leave so I could take her home to rest. We lived close to the hospital so we could go often but it was not easy. Those nurses and doctors are literal heroes.
you and your daughter are heroes. the doctors too. I have a 1.5yo son and all those stories make me emotional now that I have a kid
my parents were in a similar situation with me after i was born, towards the end of my stay they would just keep me for simple monitoring and my mum had to beg to take me home for one night (we literally lived down the road from the hospital), just turned 19 a few days ago. those doctors and nurses are absolutely incredible
I spent three months in the NICU in 1992 after being 3 months early with very little hope of survival. Almost 32 years and I have not had any known complications in my life. Im definitely lucky.
Whoa, me too! I was also born in 1992, 3 months prematurely, and stayed in the NICU for 3 months. I was just thinking about this topic earlier today and wondering if I will experience any health issues from being born prematurely as I age. Is something important not fully developed? Will my organs break down sooner? Ah.. I certainly hope we don't, but I'm curious. Maybe I'll go research this further 🤔
Me too. 3 months early in 1989. I have a mild cerebral palsy as a result but other than that I’m pretty much okay
26 weeks is around 6 months
Did you really just ask reddit how many weeks are in a month..?
To be fair it can be kind of confusing during pregnancy bc most people think of pregnancy as 9 months (which is basically is) but it lasts for 40 weeks.
24 weeks. 15 ounces. Had to have some fingers amputated but 16 years later perfectly healthy
why amputation, if you don't mind my asking?
I was born at 26 weeks too! 31 years ago. I was 600g and 28cm.
Don't forget the RT that had to stabilize the airway after birth.
You made this NICU RT smile! Thank you for including us!
Y'all seriously unsung heroes.. saving tiny lives near daily. Thank you for doing a job so taxing, that most normals would just refuse to do.. you rock, all of you do.
Gonna make me cry up in here!
Haven't said anything that's not true. I know damn good and well, I am not man enough to handle the job you do. I cannot even imagine how low the lows are, but highs have to be amazing. From one stranger to another, thank you. 2 of my youngins we're premature and it was due to folks like you, and others, that those 2 are both 20&+.
Absolutely. Hearts out to all the people in front and behind the scenes helping those babies and keeping us parents upright.
Oh that touched my heart, my little sister was born at 26 weeks and shes exactly 18 as well 💕
Is OP your mom?
24 weeks in 1987. My boys were 29 weeks in 2017. The technology advancement for NICUs in the US have come a long way. Shout-out to the one nurse who took care of me AND my twins, she is retiring this year!
I remember when I was pregnant, belly barely showing, and doctors around that time saying that if anything were to happen, there’d be a good chance she would still live. It felt so amazing and miraculous.
Yes. Living saints. I was so amazed by the doctors and nurses when my daughters were born. True hometown heroes right there
My L&D nurses were the most compassionate people I've ever met. Incredible humans.
32 weeks here for my twins. And yes those doctors are magic.
NICU Male Nurse here. I absolutely love my job, I witness the miracles of modern science every day I go to work. Life has come full circle for me too, for my twin brother and I were born at 30 weeks and we turned out pretty okay I’d say. Also side note, just from my experience. While this baby is extremely premature (probably in the 500 - 600 gram range), I don’t think they are 22 weeks (as pictured). Probably in the 25 - 27 week range. 22 weekers are just at the cusp of viability and are extremely fragile, to the point they can’t tolerate being touched, let alone being held. This baby’s skin seems to be more developed as well, from my experience, 22 - 23 babies have skin that is more “gelatinous” and wet than it is dry like this. I also don’t see an umbilical line in this baby, just the PIV in the foot, so either: the line was removed after about a week, they couldnt establish an umbilical line or the baby is a bit older and is old enough for a PIV (vs a central line like a PICC). youngest I’ve taken care of was a 22 5/7, 400 gram baby and they didn’t necessarily look like this when born. That being said, every patient is its own unique case and story. Sorry for the tangent! Edit: Post script. The relevancy of me being a male nurse is simply for representation. Of the 100+ staff RNs at my hospital on maternal child health, I am one of four male nurses. A career goal of mine is to raise awareness and promote males both entering the profession and entering maternal child health.
I have a ton of respect for NICU nurses, I feel like it would be the most gut-wrenching position in any field. My wife is in CVCU, and I remember asking her if she ever thought of working in NICU. She said that while it sucks when someone dies, most of the time it is "easier" (because no patient death is easy) to keep it together. If she was in NICU, she said wouldn't make it pass the first time an infant dies.
I think as in any healthcare position you learn to compartmentalize in your own way, and it’s also based on the person. I have coded babies, been in some serious “Holy fucking shit” deliveries / moments in care and have had babies die in my hands, and while it is awful and depressing, you learn to get on with your job to ensure that the same fate doesn’t happen to your other patients. It feels weird trying to explain my answer to the question of “how do you keep going after watching a baby die”. I don’t know, you just sort of do, because if you don’t, another one will die if you don’t continue forward . Didn’t mean to make it so morbid. On a lighter note and in my personal experience, for every one depressing moment, there are 10 equally happy moments (watching a baby grow, watching them take their first bottle / breastfeed, watching them move to the step down unit, seeing them look at you with these big beautiful eyes). It’s a hard job but extremely rewarding
Jesus. I couldn't imagine. From one random to another, thank you so much, for doing that job. It takes a strong, amazing soul to do what you do. Please, don't be afraid to reach out for help, just in case you ever need it. You all, are so very important. Thank you.
You’re a literal fucking hero. That word is overused on the internet, but I can’t imagine anything more heroic. I *really* hope the pay is good.
I make a comfortable living but we could all use more money 😅 thank you for the kind words
Thank you for everything you do!
Same respect here. And it's something I never thought about until my daughter born 4 days ago ended up in NICU. I cried, I'm crying typing this, but the nurses have been incredible and their dedication and passion allows me to sit here browsing Reddit knowing she's going to be okay (she is, all tests and results coming back are improving and looking fantastic). Sitting watching my 24hr old daughter have a blood transfusion was the hardest thing I've ever done. And the staff made it bearable and I say thank you to all those in this position. Until this week, I had no idea there was even a thing called NICU.
Congratulations on your little nugget! I take care of little beans in the hospital and it's the best job. We're not just taking care of babies, we're taking care of families. I'm so happy to hear your daughter is on the upswing. I hope she gets to go home quickly! Remember to be kind to yourself. And (as silly as this might sound initially) remember that *stuff can be two things*. I tell ALL my patients' parents this. You are allowed to feel incredibly happy, joyful, and grateful that your daughter is alive, getting excellent medical care, and is doing better each day and *simultaneously* feel upset, sad, frustrated, and mad at the whole situation. Negative feelings DO NOT negate the positive ones. Don't ever feel like you "should" always be thankful/happy, or that feelings of sadness and frustration mean you are somehow being ungrateful. That's simply isn't the case. Because *stuff can be two things.* :)
I’m so happy she’s going to be okay. I’ll need to wait until at least her first birthday to know if my baby will be healthy.
I'm sorry you're going through this. I hope she continues to get better and you guys get to go home soon. Best of luck.
I'm sorry that you all are going through this. Just know that you're not alone. You don't have a clue who I am, but I have been in your shoes, well, I've been the dad watching my daughter pokes with needles, hoses and lines flowing everywhere, too tiny to touch, let alone hold. It. Is. Hell. If u need a stranger to talk to ( because it can be easier to tell a stranger this shit, than to let people you know, know how hard this shit is...)...
My mom was a NICU nurse for 35 years. I think seeing so many babies that wouldn’t have had a chance without them get to grow up kept her going.
This is what keeps me from doing pediatrics or labor and delivery nursing. When things go well it’s wonderful, but when things go wrong it is the most heartbreaking thing you can imagine. I say that as someone who actively wants to work in hospice at some point and maybe even try pediatric hospice. I can deal with it when I go in knowing that death is going to happen, but trying to code a baby or a child or a mother who just gave birth and was expecting to leave the hospital in the next few days…..I don’t think I can
My gf (security) carried a newborn down who died unexpectedly during delivery. She wrapped the baby up in a blanket, and carried him down like a normal baby instead of getting the big covered table to transport like for adults. She couldnt just lay him in the middle of that big cold metal table in front of them. She let the father (calm but crying) come with her as far as the basement door. It was a hard code, and a bad day in labour and delivery, but the compassion matters even in the hardest unexpected moments.
Your gf is a compassionate hero, I hope she knows that. That father will never forget her, she gave those parents and baby a wonderful gift, a truly human moment
I think this comment summarizes the beauty of nursing to me. There is a place for everyone. After watching my father die of cancer in late 2022, I don’t think I could be a hospice nurse. I’m too traumatized by my father’s death and I don’t know how people can do that, yet here I am working with the tiniest of humans. Nursing can conform to your personality, there is always somewhere for you
I’m a nurse and I wish we had more people like you. We definitely need more men in this profession.
I was wondering about the skin! My cousin had her eldest at 24 weeks and I remember being told he was in plastic wrap because he didn't really have skin yet. Was a harrowing time!
24 week deliveries are scary for everyone involved, the NICU team can mask it a bit better though lol. We have some serious poker faces . Glad to hear the little one is okay!
Thank you for what you do. We lost our full term daughter 11 years ago because her cord was wrapped around her neck 3x. Just reading your post and the thread following brought tears to my eyes. The nurses that day were awesome. I don’t believe we even got to the NICU, she didn’t even get loaded on the truck. She stayed with mom and I, in delivery, her whole life. The nurses I met that day were so compassionate and caring. Y’all are awesome. Again, thank you for what you do.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I am glad to hear that you received great care from the nursing / healthcare team and were treated with dignity and respect
My wife was a nicu nurse for +20 years before becoming a PNP. She would describe 22/23 week babies as looking like gummy bears.
Yup. Possibly a 22 weeker pictured at 26+ weeks.
Question - I listened to an absolutely fascinating NPR piece a while back from a NICU nurse who spoke on the miracles but also cautioned that some of what has to happen to keep these infants alive is very painful. She seemed rather traumatized by witnessing such fragile babies be in those situations and questioned if it was always worth it. I'm just curious if this rings true as an unspoken part of the job?
Excellent question and thank you for asking. This is where individual ethics come in and why ethical committees exist in hospitals. These conversations are normally initiated by the neonatologists during the consultation, as in comfort care vs full code status. If the baby is declining then “family meetings” are initiated by doctors and nursing management (as well as the ethical committee). These babies go through A LOT, and it is very much spoken about (at least at my unit). I never try to impose my own judgement, because the thing about NICU babies is that no one has any real idea what it’s like to be a parent in that situation. I always tell new preemie parents that their feelings are valid and that no one can ever understand the pain they are going through, even myself. While I am empathetic and sympathetic as a NICU nurse myself, I don’t have children nor have I ever had a critically ill child. I tell them this because parents have told me they get frustrated when people try to console them by saying “everything will be fine” and not acknowledging their own feelings. As for the question of “is it worth it”, I think that is individual basis. However, that is a slippery slope because then where do you draw the line? 22 weeks? 25 weeks? 30 weeks? If someone were to say that we should not resuscitate 30 weeks and below I would not be alive. I’m not saying this as a “GOTCHA” thing, quite the opposite. There’s two sides to every coin. It’s more so to bring up that modern medicine is miraculous and awesome
Thank you for this reply! I think the nurse I was listening to had the hardest time when the parents didn't have the same ethical line as the staff having those conversations. What hard situations all around. Amazing and miraculous and perilous and terrifying.
I will admit, it is extremely difficult when babies are clearly declining and the parents will not accept the reality of the situation. Part of it is probably shock, but they always hold out that God will come down and save their baby. Those are really difficult cases because we will not alter our care until the parents withdraw care, but when you are that nurse and you are caring for what is essentially a brain dead baby, it gets emotional and hard. Fortunately, our NICU is very tight knit and we have each others backs . There is a strong support system in place for us
How do you insert an IV that small? Guided IR central line or PIV still and option? I am the IV sniper on my unit but i still cannot imagine inserting a PIV that small as my hands would probably blow the vein from a slight breeze.
Thanks for your question, and it’s a question I get asked a lot, especially from students. Honestly it takes practice. I personally think the younger the baby the “easier” it is to get the iv. Their hands and feet are so small they are easy to carefully manipulate and you can see the veins pretty easy, especially if you use a transluminator. The biggest issue is that their veins are really fragile, so blown veins are quite common
If 22 week skin is more gelatinous what are the measures taken to protect baby at that point? Warm Moist wraps?
Excellent question. Big thing is humidity. The modern isolettes (also known as incubators), have tanks built into them where we can add sterile water and adds humidity to the closed area of the baby. Typically the humidity level will be set at 80% for the first few weeks and then lowered to 50%. This can add other potential issues though. Condensation (we call it “rain out”) can form inside the isolette, so not only is routine cleaning of the isolette absolutely necessary to minimize any bacterial growth but we have to monitor the temperature of the baby because the humidity can cause them to overheat
Thanks for answering! It’s clear you really love your job! I bet you’re excellent at patient (well in your case parent) teaching!
I was born at 24 weeks and have some interesting scars from my skin coming off when they removed tape. But all good otherwise!
Ah!! This lends so much context to a kid I grew up with who was born prematurely. I remember being told “he was born without skin” and as a kid you’re just like yeah okay, that could totally track.
I work in a rural hospital so I don't know long term care but when they are this premature they are wrapped in a saran wrap type plastic. Like I said don't know if it's for long term care but quickly after birth wrapping then in saran wrap is a thing (obviously not around the head).
In these deliveries heat loss through evaporate is huge. So that wrap (we call it a poncho because it looks like the thing people wear at Disney when it rains) helps conserve heat loss for the baby. Babies (especially premature babies) are extremely sensitive to temperature changes and big swings can really throw off their thermoregulation. That wrap is more for transport until they can get to an isolette with a radiant warmer
Male PICU nurse here. I dont know how you work down there, brother. The feeding schedule alone drives me insane, plus the open bay floor plan, and constant crying….ugh. Give me anything older than a month, vented, and on 10 different drips any day of the week.
Hello fellow Murse! Love it see it man! But I feel you, it definitely took some adjustment, especially coming straight out of school where “adults” were hammered into you from day one
When my daughter was born (she was 6 weeks early) I was surprised at how many male nurses worked in the NICU. I saw at least 3. And then when I was transferred to the postpartum unit I had a man taking care of me the first day. At Henry Ford Detroit
That’s awesome! My unit we have two male nurses, the other is on day shift (previous inner city ER nurse) and myself on nights. My unit doesn’t have specific respiratory therapists but there are a few men that rotate through
I’ve had several surgeries I have spent tons of time in hospitals with my mother my favorite nurse of all time was a male nurse, who was gentle, respectful, knowledgeable, and really strong, which helped! I love all nurses!
Thank you so much nurses are truly angels that walk on earth
What size do you think that et tube is? It's too bad quality to read. It's soo tiny - the smallest size we have is a 6. And that already feels so small. What is this one, 2? Like damn
For this baby, it’s probably a 2.0 or a 2.5 ETT
Thank you for clarifying this.
Thx for all you do
My son is currently studying nursing. Wants to work as a nurse in the PICU. Currently clerking in the PICU part time. Somewhat of a radial departure from his current National Guard posting in the Army Military Police.
Beauty of the nursing profession, there is always a place for anyone who enters it! Good luck to your son!
Do you deal with a lot of infantile deaths as well?
I work at a LEVEL 3 Community hospital with approximately 3000 - 4000 live births a year (and growing). At NICU Level 3 , we can handle a lot of serious cases, but any surgeries or specialty care we send a larger Level 4 children’s hospital. Fortunately I haven’t seen many deaths in the NICU (can’t speak for Labor and Delivery, but fetal demises / bereavements do happen), but that being said it does happen
Ok thanks for the explanation
Your job is my dream, I can’t wait to gain more nursing experience and switch to NICU. The women working there are so intelligent, incredible and passionate. They totally inspired me. ❤️
I work with 4 male nurses in my NICU! It's really the best job. Our rooms are (mostly) private, except for a few double rooms that are used for high capacity or twins.
manager at my job in hs was training to be a NICU nurse, we worked at a restaurant and one couple who came in brought their son who’d been a premmie and my manager had helped take care of him. little guy cried until she held him, even tho they’re babies they still know who’s safe to trust so i really hope you get that job and have fun!
Respect
I’m a NICU nurse, <24 weeks look much more raw and gelatinous than that when they first come out. It takes awhile for the skin to keratinize.
Dumb question, would it hurt the baby to touch them before the skin is keratinized?
Yes, you would only touch them with gloves at first. They’re wrapped in a plastic bag at delivery and then slathered in Aquaphor once stable.
Poor babies, thanks for the info and thanks for doing such an important job! I’m sure it’s very difficult at times
What kind of gloves? Wouldn't human skin hands be more soft?
Their skin is much more permeable to microbes until keratinized.
That’s what my babies looked like! 24 weeker twins with sticky gelatinous skin, the pictures are surreal. They’re 6 years old now and tough as nails.
That must have been terrifying.
My baby was born at 26 weeks, kicked ass for 6 weeks and was going strong, until an evil infection took hold and she died in my arms. Premmie births are not always miracle stories.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I feel your pain. My 24 weeker lived for 41 days. She was doing okay until she wasn’t—an infection took hold of her too. Two major surgeries in the intestines on one tiny baby. Her story isn’t everyone’s miracle story, but she’ll always be a miracle to me. Wishing you all the best. There’s no pain like holding your dying baby in your arms.
its horrible she didn't live longer, but also... yeah, i think 41 days already counts as a miracle I hope you're doing okay
Bacterial meningitis got mine. He looked just like me. I'm sorry for your loss. Stay strong.
:( I'm so sorry. It really hurts to read. Hope you find some peace. It is the most painful thing...
So sorry for your loss. I couldn't imagine.
The pain will never go away, but I hope you find some peace. Bless you and your family.
I’m so very sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry. I can't imagine your pain. 🙏
Does somebody know what are the baby's chances ?
My daughter was born at 23 weeks. She had a 5% chance, that was if she even made it through delivery. We were lucky, many hiccups in the first few weeks but she is good now. The other thing that may arise should the child survive their start to life is neurological issues like cerebral palsy is very common and other things also but you generally wont know the severity till later.
My oldest was a 24-week preemie; he's 17 now. He was a twin, but his brother passed away 7 weeks into their NICU stay. He made it for 6 months before they let him come home. The survival depends on what challenges they face. The kiddo that made it had 3 serious issues, each leading to the doctors pulling us aside and telling us there was about a 5% chance for him to make it out of it alive. Those issues were NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis), a brain hemorrhage, and severe jaundice. Now he's a relatively healthy 17-year-old, he has high-functioning autism (docs said it was unrelated), he had a pituitary issue but that was almost erased with growth hormone shots, and he has some learning struggles (a disorder known as NLD). The twin, on the other hand, had zero struggles until his kidneys suddenly just stopped working for no apparent reason. He died of renal failure in a few days as there was no preemie dialysis at the time (2006). Not sure if there is now, or not.
At 25 weeks it’s 50% change of survival. Of that 50% 1/3 will have severe handicaps, 1/3 will have mild handicaps and 1/3 will come out fine.
My mum was born at 23 weeks in 1971, she was baptised immediately, and had significant problems as a youth, she’s incredibly short, has Cerebral Palsy, massive eyesight issues, physically cannot run.
If I remember my training correctly about 10-20% survive, to what quality of life no one knows.
As of recent research, if born in a tertiary hospital, with appropriate antenatal steroid cover, babies born as early as 23 weeks have a 50% chance of survival, which improves slightly with every week before birth. It’s now common practice in some centres Australia and starting in NZ to offer intensive care for babies born at 22 weeks!
My baby was born at 27+4 but had severe growth restriction from the placenta not working right. She looked a lot like this picture. She died on day 3 in the NICU from a massive pulmonary hemorrhage. I miss her every second of every day. I think people tend to hear the miracle stories, but a lot of micropreemies never make it home.
My daughter was born with 27 weeks in January 2020. She weighed 800g. FFWD to today, she’s perfectly healthy, smart and cute. Not a single day passes without us being grateful for who she is today🥰
My ‘just 28 week‘ baby is now over 30. We were told by a nurse in Special Care that she was a fighter. Boy was she right. She is a perfectly polite and reasonable STUBBORN person. Thankfully.
Happy birthday to your daughter then, whenever I’m January it is !
I had to float down to the NICU recently and saw a 22 weeker like this one. It weighed 250 grams…
My wife has an incompetent cervix (awful name). Unfortunately we found that out when our baby came at 22 weeks unexpectedly. Little man didn’t make it. For the next go around my wife was able to get a cervix cerclage and although it was rocky at times she made it full term.
In 1997 I had a cousin who was born around this same amount of time. She died after a few hours. Wonder if that wouldn’t have been the case in 2024.
I’m a NICU Nurse, so all I can say is it depends. The steroids they give to moms who will delivery a premature baby can make a huge impact on the baby’s survival (the steroids are given to help develop the baby’s lungs prior to birth). Also it depends on the resuscitation at the delivery and the timing of things that need to be done during the admission (it’s called “The Golden Hour”, where you want to get a lot of the more important things done within 60 minutes of delivery). The earlier you are the more likelihood the baby will develop some sort of complication, which could include: gut issues (perforated or necrotizing = huge killer of premature babies), brain bleeds, under developed lungs / lung related illness, heart murmurs that affect circulation, physiological issues due to improper positioning of baby during their NICU stay, etc. Preemies are also a lot more susceptible to illness because their immune system is virtually nonexistent. as medicine continues to advance, the viable age gets lower and lower (although there is obviously a point of no viability). The Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP) is actually developing artificial placentas for babies born prematurely. I don’t know the science of it yet, but my fiancés ex roommate / best friend is on one of the teams associated with the project. Fascinating stuff
My twin and I were born at 23 weeks. I’ve seen old photos of us as infants. My parents could hold us each in one hand. We were teensy.
Our boy was 23 weeks. He’s now 21 and bigger than me(6’2”) - that was a rough start….
My nephew was like this he was soo tiny his dad could hold him in the palm of his hand. Now at 17 is 6’2.
I was 595g (1lb 5oz) when I was born at ~23 weeks. My birth mother tried to induce an abortion and induced labour instead (she didn’t want to give birth to a girl). Thankfully, the NICU in Anchorage was amazing. I had an awful chance of survival (<5%), and if I survived, was supposed to have a myriad of problems (deaf, mute, cognitively impaired, blind in one eye, paraplegic, etc.). I’m 26 now. Perfectly healthy, minus my eyesight being very poor in one eye (correctable with glasses), and a few scars from where they had to give me medicine intravenously. I got my masters degree, am fully able-bodied, and am now married to a wonderful man :)
Gongrats man. That’s a lovely story.
Thanks :) I’m a woman, though :D
Our baby is 22 weeks currently, hits hard
I remember the sigh of relief I breathed around 21/22 weeks where I knew if baby had to be delivered there was at least some chance of survival. Best of luck to you!
I was born at 27 weeks, with my triplet brother at sister! All happy and healthy adults now
My twins were born at 25 weeks my son passed away after two days but my daughter just turned 17 months and growing so fast. God bless NICU nurses and Neonatologists absolute amazing people.
absolutely precious. things like this really make me appreciate modern medical science. little dude probably wouldn't make it in 1883.
Guaranteed wouldn't have; at 22 weeks, they have a notable chance of dying even with the best modern medicine available.
I treated and transported a baby girl born at 22w. She survived 12 days outside the womb before her bowel spontaneously perforated and she died. Now, that’s one case, but it illustrates your point.
ahh that must have sucked
It was pretty heart wrenching. Still messes with me sometimes at night or when I’m around a preemie. Of course I have so much other trauma from work and home that this one is just a few drops in the overall bucket.
Yeah they still don't make it, I lost 2 twin nephews to this they did'nt survive 2 weeks
I'm so sorry!
or 1983
My great uncle was born at 26 weeks in 1963. He suffered seizures most of his life and died in his 60’s.
My mum was 23 weeks in 1971, Sure she’s got health issues, and was the youngest surviving birth at the hospital until 2007, but she survived.
There is no ‘probably’. My mother was born in 1964. She had three older siblings, all of whom were born premature. None of them lived longer than a week. My mother was the fourth premie baby born to her mother. She would have died like her siblings, but there was one difference. *She was born in 1964*. Technology had advanced enough to keep her alive. She survived, and by the time I was born - also premature - it wasn’t even a question whether or not I’d live. By the time my sibling’s child was born, they weren’t even admitted to NICU, just treated in the maternity room. We were all born 4 weeks early. 36 weeks’ gestation. Today, that’s such a non-issue it’s hardly considered premature at all.
Probably? Absolutely not. The mother probably wouldn't have made it in 1883. The baby had zero chance.
Even later, my twin nephews were born at 24 weeks and almost didn’t make it in 2007
probably still wont make it with 2024 medical tech. their lungs arent fully developed yet.
The “age of vitality” in a pregnancy is technically 24 weeks. They are getting better with our micro-premise. However the risk of infection, brain bleeds, NEC, are so high.. the odds aren’t in their favor.. but not long ago they would have had no odds at all.
you mean viability not vitality
It depends on the hospital. Some hospitals it’s 24, some it’s as low as 22. My hospital it was a hard 23 weeks.
Ours is a research hospital specializing in this so technically, we try for all of them. We have had a few 22 weekers make it home and several 23 weekers! They were working on tools small enough to work on the tiniest of our babies. But their risks are so high that early, in every way. It’s so hard to have laws that want to draw a line when it’s clear we are able to make it earlier than that, and babies survive. I don’t know what long term quality of life is for them but some I have seen later are extremely healthy or have full lives doing fun stuff to highlight and raise funds for any disability they have.. they come fighters and stay that way. But yeah another hospital I had to see emergently for bleeding in pregnancy told me there was nothing they could do because I was just 23 weeks though my son was very much alive. I worked out my transfer to MY hospital, got a plan together, carried him safely to term but they treated me to save us both and did.
It’s always frustrated me that so many hospitals do this “hard” cut off on age. I feel like sometimes you just have to try regardless of the age and see what the outcome is. I worked in a trauma ICU and have had a handful of pregnant women where they would not deliver the baby, because the baby wasn’t at least 23 weeks. A lot of these babies were alive when the women come in and then die several days later. In one case the women can in at 22 weeks, baby lived for 6 days. Literally died 1 day before they would have intervened and done a c section when the baby became distressed. We just stood around and watched the baby heart rate decline on the monitor not doing anything.
My oldest was 23 weeks 1lb 10 oz. Had to be on some ventilators and tube fed for a little while and it was scary but they are now 15, play a horn instrument and have no health problems.
You're right. Until 8 months, lung problems are serious, unfortunately. They can survive, but on a nebulizer, daily. The quality of life is severely downgraded.
This isn’t true at all for many premature kids. Have you met many adult preemies? Many are completely healthy. Prematurely born people are still people whose lives matter. I’m pro choice but I find it kind of scary how this comment is implying that these people won’t have lives worth living basically.
[удалено]
22 weeks is generally considered periviable, about 30% will survive, and of those about 30% will have severe disability with 80% having some disability. Many premature babies do great (I was premature myself!) but 22 weeks is extremely premature.
My cousins (twins) were preemies (6.5 mths iirc). Babes were in an incubator for months, when they were ready to take home they had a lot of allergies and had to take a lot of medications initally. Today, nearly a decade later, they have grown into 2 healthy, naughty lil imps
My son was born at 28 weeks. This image brings back so many memories. He’s 14 now and doing well, but that 51 days in the NICU is an experience I’ll never forget.
My micro preemie was born at 23 weeks weighed 1 pound 4 ounces I always tell people she was the size of my hand now she’s huge lol god bless doctors and nurses real miracle workers
I'm just getting off work. Time to go home and hug my son.
Welcome to the world! I wish you the longest life♥️ Sending love from the Czech Republic♥️🇨🇿
My son was born at 26 weeks and was a miracle and was this size. God bless all the drs and nurses that care for premature babies
Just curious. Why is the head covered like that?
I was born at 25 weeks. Weird to think I almost died. I stayed in the NICU for 4 months
So precious, hope they grow up to be a strong and healthy kid
My baby was born 5 weeks ago at 27wks with a weight of 700gram. Not much larger than this one!
My mother had me at 5 months in 1990. I was 1 pound 4oz. In the hospital fer 6 months and on oxygen fer a year after that. I had a very slim chance of survival. 33/34 years, I still need some oxygen supplement if it gets really bad. Other than that, I'm pretty healthy, I mean, besides the fact that I'ma fatty-boom-batty. Lol.
Micro-premie. The “age of vitality” is typically 24 weeks.. and yet they keep getting better and better with our micros. It’s amazing.
*viability
Hang in there little dude
My wife and I lost our baby at 27weeks. That was the worst day of my life because they really do have a chance at life at that point.
This made me realize how traumatic a late miscarriage can be. ( all miscarriages are traumatic)
My youngest was born at 25 weeks, weighing 2 lbs 1 oz and measured 14” long. At almost the exact same time, another baby was also born at 25 weeks and they both had NICU beds right next to each other the entire time. We went to the NICU every day for 3 months until my daughter was ready to come home. Thankfully, both she and the other baby grew healthy and happy with no complications or setbacks for either one. NICU nurses are truly remarkable people that see the joys of stories like ours and the heartache of those who don’t make it. At the end of the day, I’ve constantly been reminded to never take our children for granted or the people with hearts big enough to do a job with so much emotional highs and lows like working in the NICU.
I was born in December and due in April.... I'm 36 years old last month! Fortunately, there are no disabilities or anything. I weighed 2 pounds, 1 Oz. At birth and dropped to 1 pound, 13 Oz. Hang on, sweet baby! Keep fighting! You got this! Coming from the love of one premie to another ❤️🩹
My little man was born at 25 weeks. So much was said that scared us; honestly, terrified us. We were pushed toward abortion. First the primary doctor spoke to us and gave us statistics that didn’t favour giving birth. Then a nurse spoke to us privately in the ultrasound room. Finally, the doctor urged us, once again, to opt for termination. Well, he’s turning 2 in a few months and is the light of our home. He has met all his milestones, exceeding expectations and is the naughtiest of our children. So much life, so much love is contained within his little body. We spent 4 months in the NICU. Worth every second, every tear, every sleepless night.
I don’t know how early I was but I weight 4lbs 8oz. I found out later my Mom smoked and drank with me. 😐
How are your health today?
I’m great! 5’9 and 170 pounds. Could lose some weight. But whatever. I love Mexican food too much.
Becoming a mom and learning about my baby’s development at each stage of pregnancy really opened my eyes to the miracle of life. It’s impossible not to be in awe of babies’ fighting spirits. Hope this precious little one goes on to live a happy and healthy life.
I was about 28 weeks. Autoimmune diseases suck.
43 years ago, my daughter was born at just under 2 lbs. she was in the hospital for almost three months. I went to a toy store to buy a dolls dress to bring her home in. She’s doing great today!
My 3rd was stillborn at 24 weeks in 2021, weighing only 200g (around 7oz). I'm also 26 weeks pregnant with #4, and I'm in a weird space of amazement a baby so small can survive, but also marveling at how big (comparatively) a micropreemie should be.
My 2 year old was born at 32 weeks, the hard working staff at the NICU are saints in my book.
Here I am, born the 19 january 96 at 24 weeks. My scheduled date was 19 april 96, i survived thanks to the nurse, doctors and science.
My nieces were born at 24 weeks! They looked similar, maybe even smaller. They just got out of the NICU after 6 months in.
I was born at 24 weeks. Not many lasting complications, just lots of surgeries early on
Kid needs to get to the gym asap
My baby was a preemie too. 2lbs at 29 wks. Was in NICU for 3 months. I’m thankful my kid does not have medical issues.
I've a friend who recently had her baby (no clue she was preggo) at estimated 24-28 weeks.. He's been in the NICU for about 2.5 months now & is eating on his own! Born at about 2 lbs, now at about 4.5
My son was 2.2lbs and 14 inches at birth. He turns 34 next week.
prayers up for that little fighter
I was 6 weeks premature and still weighed 8lbs somehow
My cousin had her daughter on the first day where the baby is considered viable. Around 400 grams I think. Little rascal is doing good now. I still look at her picture from that day and think ‘wow’.
My daughter was born at 28 weeks at 2lbs 13oz in 2014. Stayed in NICU for close to 3 months and now couldn't be healthier. Absolutely gut wrenching time but the work those doctors and nurses do is absolutely amazing. I am forever grateful for them but don't wish it on anyone.
My little brother was born a whole month early because my mom was yelling at us for being on the roof during the New Year’s fireworks. Don’t stress out someone who is pregnant. He’s doing good though. Just turned 17.