A BIG Milestone for the Little Guys

Today is 24 weeks! The little guys could survive on the outside! According to some books I have been reading, 24 weeks marks the beginning of viability. Of course, we hope that they can stay on the inside and continue growing and developing for a few more months, but we have reached an important milestone in the pregnancy.

Some even better news was that everything looked great at our check-up today; no signs at all of pre-term labor! So, here are the next milestones we're looking forward to...

24 weeks: The threshold of viability.

Babies born this early will likely spend at least three months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a third of them will survive with no long-term problems.

28 weeks: Viability skyrockets.

Ninety percent of babies who make it to this stage of gestation survive. Long-term complications — including cerebral palsy, vision and breathing problems — are still a possibility, however.

32 - 34 weeks: Babies born now generally have an excellent chance of survival.

There is less risk of major long-term complications, though they might not have full lung maturity (which generally occurs between 33 and 37 weeks) and will need to spend time in the NICU. Some babies born at this stage may require oxygen to help them breathe, while others may need to be fed through a nasogastric tube (which runs through the nose into the stomach).

35-38 weeks*: The ideal gestation for twins.

Usually at this stage they will be able to come home without a stay in the NICU.

*36 weeks is average for twins, and that is definitely our goal! With every day that passes, this goal becomes more and more of a possiblility. We're so thankful that this pregnancy has been relatively uneventful and hope it stays that way for 10-12 more weeks!

Sources:

When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads by Dr. Barbara Luke

http://www.raising-twins.com/healthy-twin-pregnancy.html

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/twins-and-multiples/giving-birth/your-tentative-timetable.aspx