What gestation of birth requires no NICU time?

[libby123]

I can't speak for anyone else, but my daughter was born at 36 weeks exactly and didn't need any assistance. Because I had a c-section and was a month premature, they had the NICU in the operating room to check the baby to see if she needed some help.

It is different for every baby. Girls tend to do better than boys in general. Race also plays a factor, with white babies doing the worst (we are white though and our daughter did great).

Even though my daughter didn't need the NICU at 36 weeks, she was clearly premature. She was 5 pounds, 11 ounces and was constantly checked for jaundice. She does everything late, she is 7 months old and won't really sit up alone yet. She did drop her temperature once so they put her under the warming lights for a few hours. I would MUCH rather her have been a 40 weeker, just for her own maturity, she was so small.

There have been 34 weekers that don't need NICU, and 40 weekers that do, so it is really hit or miss past 34 weeks but the further you can get the better!

[z1ggy23]

37 weeks is usually the goal for that, though very very often 35 and beyond is fine.

With #2 I was basically told I was "in the clear" when I hit 36 weeks, but they still would have done an amnio to check the lungs prior to induction.

[angieb]

We had a NICU person in the OR just in case at 36+2 (with an amnio showing he had mature lungs), they checked him over immediately after birth right there in the OR, deemed him healthy and not really much of a preemie (uh, yeah, he was 7.4 lbs), and he was given to us right away, no NICU time, I actually held him in the OR and then he went to recovery with us. He did need bili lights, but he stayed in our room for that.

[alexis]

NICU for CS is not universal--my hospital doesn't. CS babies get checked while mom is being sewn up, then baby is back in the LDR when mom comes out (assuming all is good). Neither of mine got a mandatory nursery stay until they needed the bili lights.

Early term babies are more likely to be jaundiced and need phototherapy, but I don't know if you'd count that as NICU or not (in some hospitals they do it there, some in the regular nursery).

[mom29]

It does sound each hospital can make it's own rules. The hospital I worked at did not require c/s babies to go to NICU to be checked over.

The hospital I will be delivering at this time has a rule that babies of moms who were on mag. during delivery have to go to NICU (for six hours?) for observation. If my baby's blood sugar is low she will probably have to go to NICU (I'm taking insulin). Hoping my little one won't have to go to NICU, but I'm fully aware it may happen.

[aajatwins]

Does anyone know if this varies by hospital & NICU, too? I know at my hospital, they told us that at 36 weeks the babies don't automatically go to NICU (except for sections babies who all have to go thru NICU checks) or are not required to go just based on gestational age. I just wondered if hospitals/NICUs get to make some of their own rules like that.

[trish]

"Generally" I would say 37 weeks/term. But like you said it totally varies & some 35 weekers don't need it and some 40 weekers do.

[jean]

I know it varies from case to case, but in general, what gestation of birth requires no NICU time?