Some questions..

[Heatherlynntbse2]

I am 29 weeks pregnant. I went to my prenatal yesterday. Everything is going great. The babies were 3 pounds each two weeks ago. I have my next u/s on the 5th (one 'big' one every 4 weeks and a quick little peak at my prenatal to see how they are laying.). ANyway, in talking with my doctor, I told her that my goal was another 8 weeks. Is that really unrealistic? She shook her head and said that I would probably go at 35-36 weeks. Now, for those of you who know.. what kind of risks are the babies in for at that time? Am I dense in wishing that I will go in have these babies and take them home WITH me - like my single births? She seemed really optimistic about all of it. I tend to have larger babies, which is why she thinks I won't make it so far. I have never gone past a due date with my others.. first two were ON their due dates and the other two were 2-3 weeks early and my 'smallest' was 8lbs 14 oz. Like I said she was optimistic until she talks about them being breech.. the girls are breech. I understand that they can flip and they have off and on. Every other ultrasound is one way or the other: one up & one down, both up & both down.. So she continues to tell me about the complications if they are breech at 35-36 weeks and what that does for their lungs. You know, the birth canal is supposed to help squeeze out the womb juices.. yada yada.. I feel like I am rambling.. I am just trying to sort through all the info and try to figure out things. I am just concerned about them and don't want them coming early, having to go to NICU, me leaving without them.. All I tend to read is horror stories.. or at least.. horrific to me. Anyone want to take a gander? So the main questions are.. Have any of you delivered around 35-36 weeks and brought the babies home? C- sec or vaginal? How far did you all make it with the twins? Thanks for reading!!!

[And Twins Make 5]

I delivered by scheduled c/s at 38weeks. One baby was breech and the other transverse, so vaginal delivery was not an option. There are lots and lots of women on here who went beyond 35 or 36 weeks, so if you're not having any complications, I would think you could get to 37 or 38 weeks without trouble. Anyway, my girls were fine. No problems, stayed in the regular nursery and came home with me at 3 days. Best of luck on your pregnancy.

[preggy peggy]

Hi Heatherlynn, ok i had my girls at 34 weeks, i had a great pregnancy, never thought for one second that my water would break that early but it did! Naomi and Emily were born within 10 minutes of eachother, vaginally, and weighed 5lbs and 5lbs 4oz. Throughout my pregnancy Emily was head down but Naomi was all over the place, but she turned just in time. Unfortunately my girls had to stay in the Nicu for 19 days but nothing serious, just for feed and grow and a bit of jaundice. I am sure all will be fine, i was aiming for 34 weeks the whole time as they say thats when the lungs are developed. As for now you wouldnt know that they were preemies, they will be 8 months next week and weigh around 20lbs, i dread having a singleton cos i know they will be huge :eek:
Anyway dont worry too much, relax, what is going to happen will happen, so rest is the best thing, there are so many success stories on here i'm sure your mind will be put at rest. goodluck!

[zztwins]

hey heather.. glad to hear that the babies are growing pretty good... my first ds was breech, butt first! then the other ds flipped around. i went till my 38th week, and you are not wrong in expecting to take them home with you, i felt the same way. just don't get your hopes too high just in case they are under the birth weight. but continue what you are doing to keep them healthy and if they have to give you a c-section, you are not a bad mommy. you are going to do what is best for those little girls!! keep us informed.. and good luck..

[momofallboys]

Hi,
I have a singleton who was born at 36 weeks and weighed 6 lbs 2 oz. I had to leave him in neo for 10 days for him to learn to eat. Each and every baby is going to be different. I have a history of having big babies plus he was born at 36 weeks so it never occured to me I would have to leave him in the hospital that long. You just never know. He couldn't seem to get the hang of sucking and they had to tube feed him every day until the day I took him home.

Leaving him in neo was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I knew that I could not take care of him like he needed plus I had another little one to take care of at home. I would much rather he get experienced care at the hospital than have me fumble around trying to feed him!

I am very hopeful that I will take my twins home with me but if I can't, that is the way it has to be.

[Judi]

Had two girls weighing 5/15 and 6/14.

Your goal is not unrealistic, but to do it, you must rest, rest, rest. I am a firm believer that my 2 naps religiously a day helped me get to my goal. You really need to concentrate on nothing else but eating, gaining and resting. forget the nursery, the shopping, all that stuff until after the babies come.
Given the choice, I am sure you would rather forego all the preparatory things in order to bring your babies home with you when you are discharged. We all came home in 3 days. good luck and go take a nap.

[Heatherlynntbse2]

Thank you all so much for all the replies! Your advice and encouragement is really what I needed! I could make myself sick with worry very easy but I have to remember that "I" am not in complete control of things. :) I have four other children and would hate to have to go back and forth to the hospital that is 40 min away and all that.. Like anyone would really like doing that, I know. I am just trying to be realistic. So, it was nice that you all could give me your stories from experience instead of what you have 'heard of'. :) Well, I am off to rest. Have a great night!

[dixiegirl]

From everything I read during my twin pregnancy, 37 weeks is considered full term for twins, so 34-35 weeks is not really as premature as you might think. Also, there are some studies that suggest that twins tend to mature a bit faster in the womb. My boys were born at 32 weeks and they are perfectly healthy...they stayed in NICU for 3 1/2 weeks, due to having to learn to take feedings by bottle. Came home with NO equipment, monitors, etc...perfectly normal. They're almost 8 months now, and they weigh 18 pounds 3.9 oz. and 15 pounds 10 oz. Their birth weights were 4 pounds 6 ounces and 2 pounds 15 ounces. You'd never know how little they were nor all they went through before getting here! It's possible for you to go past 35 weeks, but most people I talk to deliver around 34-35 weeks. Try not to worry too much about it all...they HAVE to tell you all that terrible worrisome stuff just to protect themselves later from you saying that you weren't made aware of all the possibilities. Stay positive!!!

[fourmunchkins]

I know a singleton preg. is so much different than multiple, BUT it is all I knew until now, so I will share my son's birth with you.
At 36 weeks ( actually, 35 weeks and a few days) I began to run a fever, probably had an infection, but nothing showed up. I went into labor, and when I start, I go FAST. He was born in 3 hours from beginning of labor, I mean I started to dialate IN the docs office while hooked up to a nst. She felt his lungs were developed and that he could come out since he was planning on it anyway. He weight 6 lbs 1 oz. and was the smallest, scrawniest thing I think I had ever held. BUT, he had no NICU time and even though looking back I think his eating was slow to start, he did catch up and grew pretty quickly. I did deliver him vaginally, so that may have helped the lungs squeeze out fluid like you said.

Good luck, and have faith in your doc. If the babies are "breathing" inutero, they can see that on an u/s and I am sure they would do a thorough one before letting you enter full labor.

[Elzbeth]

First, congrats on the pregnancy. I went into labor at 31 wks, and was told that my if my babies would have been born then that they would have spent 2 days in the nicu for everyday that they would be in the womb. I had to stay in the hospital for a while on magnesium sulfate and get steriods shots for their lungs. It was the biggest scare. Luckily the contractions stopped and I made a point after hearing all the risks of having a premature baby to take care of myself and rest all day to assure their safe arrival. It was tough, but I set a date to try to make it to..and a week after that date they were born, at 37 weeks. They were healthy babies weighing 4lb 15 oz and 6 lb 5 oz. I believe size doesn't always determine how healthy the babies are..my little guy was super healthy. My friend had an 8 lb 10 oz baby that had lung problems born only 2 wks early. Now at 14 months, they weigh 23.5 and 25.5 lbs, and were walking by 11 months.