question about delivering at 33 weeks **update x 2**

My irl best friend just went to the hospital. She is pregnant with her 2nd baby and she is pretty sure her waters broke. She is only 33 week along. My question is can they try to keep the baby inside her and for how long?
I know 36 weeks is better then 33 weeks, but if they have time to get some steroids in how is it looking (I don't even know the right way to word that) maybe how severe is the threat to the preemie baby?


****Update***
Her water did break, the doctor's don't seem to concerned. They are not giving her any steriods for the baby. They are figuring she is 34 weeks. Soo every little bit counts huh! She stopped progressing when they gave her pain meds, so they are going to start Pitocin soon. Sooo we're gonna have a baby LOL I love newborns. Lets keep our fingers crossed that his lungs have matured enough.


*****Update****

She had a beautiful baby boy at 8:14 pm. He weighs 4lbs 5.5 ozs and is 18 inchs long i think. He was very pink and crying when he was born. He was having to work a bit to draw breath so they wisked him to nicu. When I left an hour later he was still breathing on his own and looking quite well. They say if he continues to do so well he should be able to go home on monday. But as most of you know that can change.

They said they didn't give steriods because her bags of water had complely ruptured and there was no fluid left inside. The steriods wouldn't have enough time to do any good.

Thank you to all who helped me I truly appreciate all of you and your information. I will post pictures tomorrow.

If her water is broken I don't think they can keep the baby inside for long. If she just was contracting and going into labor without her water breaking then there is a shot or something they can give her to holdoff labor and the contractions but if her water is broken and they don't take the baby there is a risk of infections etc. 33wks is not ideal but the good news is that the baby has a pretty good chance of survival. It will need some time in the intensive care unit for sure but should pull through nicely.

I don't know enough to answer your questions without just guessing, but I wanted to let you know I'll be praying for your friend and her baby.

My work shift is up. Please keep us updated. I'll check in when I get back tonite. I'll be thinking of your friend and her baby...

at 33 weeks the baby will most likely survive but will be in the NICU for a while. Its usually will be because of breathing or intestional issues.

my baby was born at 32 weeks and was in the NICU for 5 weeks, i got the steriod shot for his lungs at 24 weeks and he didn't have breathing problems. they have to stay in the hospital till at leat 35 weeks gestetional age, at most hospitals i believe

It really depends on how the baby is doing in terms of keeping your friend pregnant. My water broke at 27 weeks... there was almost no fluid left around the baby, yet the doctor was going to try to keep the baby inside me for as long as possible (which they told mecould bedays or even weeks!). BUT I had an ultrasound that showed the baby was in distress (she wasn't doing her breathing exercises) so I had to have an emergency c-section that same day. I had a steroid shot upon entering the hospital but it didn't have time to take effect, since my baby was born an hour later.

Everything turned out okay for me (I was VERY lucky) and my baby girl spent 2 months in the NICU. At 33 weeks your friend's baby has a great chance of better lung development and a shorter NICU stay if born now. Even without a steroid shot they can treat the baby's lungs with surfactant once born if the lungs are underdeveloped (that's what helped my baby).

It really does depend on the baby. I had my baby at 33 weeks. I got the steroid shot at like 27 weeks. He was in NICU for 2 weeks due to breathing problems. He went home with a heart monitor and had it until he was 5 months old.

thank you lovely ladies. I have heard nothing back yet so I'm still in the dark as to whats going on. And I don't even know what hospital she's in.
I delivered all my babies at term so this is all foreign and new to me.
Thank you for your support and explanations it really is appreciative. I will continue to update as I here things.
If her water did break and she is in labor I will be heading up to whatever hospital she is at.

Quoting Tiffi:“ My irl best friend just went to the hospital. She is pregnant with her 2nd baby and she is pretty sure ... [snip!] ... in how is it looking (I don't even know the right way to word that) maybe how severe is the threat to the preemie baby?”

I just had my son back in March at 32 weeks, and I had been diagnosed the week earlier with Preeclampsia so my Dr's gave me the steroid shot for his lungs....
When he was delivered via c-section a week later like I said, he came out crying and did quite well considering his gestational age. He was on the c-pap machine forcing air into his lungs to help open them up properly for about 24 hours and then he came off of the TPN (IV food) the next day and was taking full feeds by tube to his tummy, and total he was only in the NICU for 7 days. He went to a step down nursery for another 5 days and came home from there after a total of 12 days in the hospital. I was very lucky, most babies this early spend a lot more time in the hospital, but I spent basically every waking minute with him. Our Nurses kept saying that the only reason he was doing so well was because of my Dr's quick thinking to give the steroid shot when she did and also because I was so determined to be there and "work" with him. Basically they said it was the bond between us that just made him strong....
Wishing your friend well, everything will be alright, I'm sure of it!

Quoting bowdoinhambabe:“ I just had my son back in March at 32 weeks, and I had been diagnosed the week earlier with Preeclampsia ... [snip!] ... it was the bond between us that just made him strong.... Wishing your friend well, everything will be alright, I'm sure of it!”

Im so happy for you and your son. That is an amazing story. My friend, she had no warning. She's had no real issues with the pregnancy so far!

Quoting Tiffi:“ Im so happy for you and your son. That is an amazing story. My friend, she had no warning. She's had no real issues with the pregnancy so far!”

Yeah, it's tough, because you never know... But actually I had a woman that I worked with that was due to have her daughter around the end of March and she went into early labor when her water broke around 32 weeks. She delivered her daughter and while she was that early, she has done amazing. she was in the NICU for about a month or so and then she came home at something like 4 lb or so. My son was also on the bigger side, because when he was born he was an ounce shy of 5lbs!!! Big boy for just 32 weeks!!!
But they will probably give your friend antibiotics to ward of infections but I would imaigne that they will deliver her, because babies at 32-33 weeks have really good odds of surviving.

My friends water broke 45 day before she was 36 weeks...they kept her in the hospital, she had daily ultrasounds and was on complete bed rest. they also pumped her full of antibiotics to keep away infection and she had her baby at 36 weeks 1 day and it is fine

I think most hospitals will deliver or send you to one that can handle preemies.

However i did see on Maternity Ward one time where the mom's water ruptured early and they kept her on iv antibiotics as long as they could in the hospital.

I think a few of the mommies already covered it for you, but I thought I'd add that if it isn't obvious that her water broke, she might just have a small tear. This would make it much more likely for her to be able to maintain the pregnancy longer, and allow her to get steroid shots. Under the proper care, women can go weeks with ruptured membranes. I went 2 weeks. Also, at 32 weeks gestation, a premature baby typically has the same outcome of a full term baby, allow the start might be a bit rough. Good luck to her and let us know what happens!