If I give birth at only 23 weeks pregnant ??

Question

Honest answers only, I have been to the ER twice with contractions, this is my 3rd child and I have never had this problem before. I honestly want to know what are my babies chances of survival at only 23 weeks along ? I am praying that this doesnt happen but if it were to I just wonna know.

Answer 1

Babies have extremely low chances of survival, and small chance of survival with no complications, at 23 weeks. A babies odds of survival increase greatly at 24 weeks, but still, the chances of baby having long-term complications is still very high.

I will pray that your baby stays put until it is TIME for baby to come out.

Answer 2

If your baby were born this week there is a small chance your baby would survive, however it is best that your baby stay put for a number of weeks! Many women start to wonder what might happen if their baby is born prematurely. A baby born between 23 and 24 weeks would have a 10 to 70 percent chance of survival. It truly depends on a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration.

There are babies that are born at one pound that beat the odds and go on to live a fairly normal life, while others unfortunately die due to unexpected complications. The smallest babies may survive but grow up with some mental or motor disabilities as a result of their extreme prematurity.


P.S Just stay hydrated... rest a lot and I hope your baby can hold on for even just a couple more weeks. my neice had her baby very early and she lived so anything is possible.. good luck

Answer 3

It is 10-40%, the gap is so big because other things apply to that. If they have already given you steroids for the babies lungs, then that helps greatly. And baby girls have a better chance then baby boys. My 4th baby was born at 28 weeks, and she is doing good now. But she does have a heart defect. And may need surgery some day, but other then that she is fine. And every day that baby stays where it is, the chances go up 3-4%, then from 24-26 weeks it goes up 2-3% a day but by then the survival rate is really high, 26 weeks is 80-90%.

Answer 4

With my second child I was in the ER by 20 weeks with contractions. I had contractions and dilation earlier and earlier with each pregnancy, but was able to take Terbutaline (spelling?) and bed rest, and that seemed to stop the very early labor. I did have one hospital visit where I had the magnesium sulfate treatment. They can do a lot of things to try to keep labor from happening. With two of my children I was 5cm dilated by 36 weeks, walked around for weeks like that, until finally ended up being induced because of living 45 mins. away from the hospital and already being that far dilated.
Chance of survival is ???, but not without complications. And each baby is different. Some may be just great, and others may have very serious problems.
I hope your Dr. is taking steps to keep you on bed rest and meds so that you can keep the baby in as long as possible. As I'm sure you've heard them say, every day counts, and every day the baby stays in you, the better for them when they are born.
Best wishes!

Answer 5

Babies born at 23 weeks into a pregnancy have a chance of surviving, but many will not. Those that do face months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and probably a life time of effects from their premature birth (ranging from minor issues to severe ones, such as blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, etc). It is DEFINITELY something you want to avoid.

Why are you going to the ER? At this point in your pregnancy, if there is an issue you should go to L&D rather than the ER. The ER is NOT equipped to handle situations such as this. Do you have an obstetrician? If not, please get one immediately-s/he can address your health issues to give your baby the optimal chance at survival.

Some contractions during pregnancy, such as Braxton Hicks, are normal. They start early in pregnancy and are so minor that most women do not even notice them, but they get stronger and more frequent as the pregnancy progresses. They are conditioning the uterus for labor. Certain things can trigger contractions, such as being dehydrated-so be sure to keep yourself full of fluids. If you think you are contracting, lay on your left side and relax and see what happens. And/or change your current activity...if you are laying down when you notice it, start walking around. "Real" contractions will continue with a patter, Braxton Hicks will subside when you lay on your left side and/or change what you are doing when they are going on.

Have you had any dilation or effacement? Contractions are only considered "real" if they are accompanied by cervical changes. If you are dilated at this point, an Obstetrician would probably discuss a cerclage with you (they "tie" the cervix closed, basically, to try and prevent premature delivery). There is also a test that can be done to determine if you are at risk of premature delivery.

Again, these procedures would be performed by an Obstetrician who would send you to L&D-not by a doctor in the ER. For the best care for you and your baby, it is important you see an Obstetrician (or a midwife, but in this case you sound like you may be High Risk and need an Obstetrician).

I pray that your baby remains in utero for atleast 14 more weeks...a baby is considered term at 37 weeks, though the average is 40 (but can go as much as 42).

Answer 6

Not great chances.. Most babies after 25 weeks have a greater chance. It takes alot of neonatal care to keep an baby alive that early. Honestly if they thought you were going to give birth they would give you steroid shots to make the baby develop faster. And I just went in to stop early labor about a week ago i was 33 weeks with contractions that got to 10 minutes apart.. they gave me a shot and IV to stop it. If it was real contractions they would have gave you a shot to stop it. If they did then the chances it will happen again for at least 2 weeks is very unlikely. And if it were a good hospital if it were really serious you would be on bed rest and would have a test to check if ur at risk for pre-term labor. Just remember to keep hydrated.. being dehydrated is one of the most common cases of why women give birth to early.

Answer 7

My neice was born at 24 weeks weighing 2 lbs 3 ounces. She spent a lot of time in the nicu but is now a healthy 4 year old. I don't know what the stats are, but I know that some survive and are eventually healthy after being born that early. Good luck.

Answer 8

if a baby is born before 30week...chances are slim that baby can survive unless the baby is given special intensive care and everything. It'll take a lot of hard work for the nurses and lots of prayers for the baby to survive at around 20 something week

Answer 9

I gave birth to twin girls at 25 weeks gestation, and sadly Adelaide died age 4 days and Ellie age ten days. I think the chances of survival for my girls was 50% but there was a high chance of them have physical and mental problems,
I really hope everything will be ok and that you give birth when your baby is big enough and strong enough. The best thing to do is drink lots of water and rest, rest, rest. Im not going to lie, if your he/she is born at 23 weeks it will be an emotional rollercoaster, but you have to stay strong for your little one. Good luck xxxxxxx

Answer 10

Not sure where "Veritas" gets their info, but it's incorrect. While there have been cases of babies surviving as early as 21 wks, the complications for babies born that premature are great. There would be a lot of difficulties and possible long term effects should the baby survive. I wish you the best of luck.