# We've just had a baby! At 30 weeks! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092 "2011-08-17T23:16:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/1 "2011-08-17T23:16:07Z")
So on Tuesday night we went to our first ante-natal class. Got home about 10pm and my wife said she was having some cramps. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought, and to my shame carried on watching TV while absent-mindedly stroking her back. Fast forward a couple of hours and although I’m about to fall asleep on the spot I think it might be an idea to go into hospital for some reassurance, all OK, nothing to worry about, back home to bed. After all we’d just had a scan the day before and all was fine and dandy. Fast forward another 24 hours and I’ve just driven home crying tears of joy, fear and a jumble of other emotions. I’m a dad. She was 9 and a half weeks early but still weighed a fraction over 5lb. She’s in an incubator and she’s perfect. My wife is (hopefully) asleep in the postnatal ward. I haven’t slept in 42 hours and I intend to remedy that very soon, but I had to share. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/2 "2011-08-17T23:18:02Z")
Congratulations and good luck! Does she have a name yet? StG ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/3 "2011-08-17T23:18:56Z")
Mazel tov on your little one! Glad everyone is doing well. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/4 "2011-08-17T23:20:39Z")
Thank you. We’re not 100% sure of the name yet. It was one of those little details that was going to be sorted out over the next TWO MONTHS :eek: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/5 "2011-08-17T23:20:56Z")
Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/6 "2011-08-17T23:22:28Z")
Congrats! That is a fairly decent weight for 30 weeks! All the better for baby! ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/7 "2011-08-17T23:26:16Z")
My goodness! Congratulations! Do they know what happened? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/8 "2011-08-17T23:29:36Z")
> [@Feyrat](#): > > Do they know what happened? No real reason that they can tell. My wife has Type I diabetes which does tend to make fetuses grow faster. But the only measurement that was out of the percentiles on the last scan was abdominal circumference. I guess she just outgrew her space. I must admit I was wondering how the bump was going to carry on growing for another 8-10 weeks, it was pretty huge already! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/9 "2011-08-17T23:33:47Z")
Oh, wow, congratulations! I just replied to you in the other preemie thread and post-stalked you here. 🙂 How’s her breathing? Are y’all allowed to hold her? Was she c-sectioned? Isn’t she the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? 😃 As I said over in the other thread, PM me if you need to chat. I know what a whirlwind the whole NICU thing can be! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/10 "2011-08-17T23:34:07Z")
Congrats! We need pictures and a name or you will be shunned ( or something.) ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/11 "2011-08-17T23:34:47Z")
Holy moly! Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/12 "2011-08-17T23:35:09Z")
Congratulations! I’m glad everybody is doing well. Including Dad, even though you’re a bit flummoxed. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/13 "2011-08-17T23:41:09Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Oh, wow, congratulations! I just replied to you in the other preemie thread and post-stalked you here. 🙂 > > How’s her breathing? Are y’all allowed to hold her? Was she c-sectioned? Isn’t she the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? 😃 > > As I said over in the other thread, PM me if you need to chat. I know what a whirlwind the whole NICU thing can be! Thanks. I’m off to get some sleep in a minute but to answer your Qs, she seems to be breathing fine with no tubes (sorry for lack of technical detail but it was all a bit of a blur!). My wife was able to hold her for a minute or two before she was taken to the special care unit, and she was crying nicely (we were all crying!). After a little while we went to see her in the incubator and were able to touch her through the windows in the sides. The birth was natural, about 22 hours after the contractions started but it seemed like 22 years, and I wasn’t even the one doing the pushing. And yes. I’m welling up just thinking about her. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/14 "2011-08-17T23:45:46Z")
Congratulations! I wish you the best of luck, and the best of all possible outcomes as she continues to grow and develop. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/15 "2011-08-18T01:03:05Z")
Wowzers! Sorry they couldn’t delay things a bit until they had a chance to administer steroids at least, but congrats on the new little one. 5 pounds is _huge_ for a 30-weeker ( **Moon Unit** was 5.5 at 34 weeks and was high up in the percentiles). Any chance she might have been a bit further along than you thought? Thank goodness you went to the hospital when you did. An accidental homebirth is terrifying enough, without it being a preemie! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/16 "2011-08-18T01:04:14Z")
Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/17 "2011-08-18T01:06:58Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Wowzers! Sorry they couldn’t delay things a bit until they had a chance to administer steroids at least, but congrats on the new little one. 5 pounds is _huge_ for a 30-weeker ( **Moon Unit** was 5.5 at 34 weeks and was high up in the percentiles). Any chance she might have been a bit further along than you thought? > > Thank goodness you went to the hospital when you did. An accidental homebirth is terrifying enough, without it being a preemie! 5 pounds is huge for a 30-weeker born to a \*non-diabetic \*mother. Babies of diabetic mothers tend to be very large for their gestational age. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/18 "2011-08-18T01:41:46Z")
Best wishes to your little one! ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/19 "2011-08-18T03:30:41Z")
Babies are a miracle, and a blessing! Best wishes to all three of you! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092/20 "2011-08-18T03:33:23Z")
Pictures, or it didn’t happen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-had-a-baby-at-30-weeks/593092.md?page=2)