Milestones in The REAL Baby Journey!

Way back when, my doctor gave me a list of pregnancy milestones to aim for. Not that I really have a lot of say in the matter but I’m staying aware of the dates and gestational markers all the same as they comfort me as they arrive.

Milestone #1 is making it to 24 weeks, 5 days as that is the official (according to my doctor) first real time that a baby would survive outside of the womb with a >50% survival rate and limited longterm complications. It would still require a lengthy NICU stay and likely have pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological deficients but it would be more than likely be functional and just slightly delayed.

That scary last sentence aside, today, my friends, I’m happy to say is 24 weeks, 5 days. :)

After this milestone, we’re aiming for 28 weeks when the chance of survival reaches >90% and the risk of longterm NICU stay and longterm disability diminishes greatly.

Next would be 34 weeks which is ‘full term’ for a high risk pregnancy according to my doctors and they wouldn’t prevent or intervene if I went into labor at that point or we’d stop intervening if my body had been trying to go into labor and we’d been medically preventing it. This is a big one as it’s the most likely time baby would be born given what they know about me BUT everything is theoretical at this point.

The final milestone would be 37 weeks or real, legitimate, no questions ‘full term’ for all babies. That would be the ideal with the lowest chance of any complications and highest chance of taking the baby home right away and having it be healthy, fat, well developed and absolutely no (likely) longterm issues.

All of those are wonderful and I’m hopeful I’ll make it there, but right now I’m going to celebrate 24 weeks, 5 days and I’m going to be thankful my little one is kicking and wiggling and showing no signs at all of meeting us early. My next ultrasound is in five days and we’ll get more measurements and hopefully keep right on trucking with plans to make it all the way to December.

Positivity and optimism are my strongest allies in pregnancy and so far they’ve come relatively easily. I may get anxious from time to time but in my heart, in my truest self, I’m confident in this baby and in my body. I can’t say for sure certain how it will end up but I’ve felt good about this, even from my high risk start and with bumps along the way, that I’ll meet my sweet little babe this winter and that he or she will be healthy and strong and stubborn, just like its mom and dad. :)

Along the way I’m continuously thankful for all of the energy that second trimester has brought and for the support of my incredible husband, you guys (yes YOU! :)), my parents, my sister and my friends. Fingers crossed all of this ‘potential’ stuff is all just doctor talk and that I end up with a happy little Christmas baby who defies the odds.

Happy 24 weeks, 5 days to Baby V! :)