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I didn't, but my SIL's SIL did. She had preclamsia so she ended up delivering early, I don't remember how early but I do remember it was very scary. She had a very rough time and ended up not being able to get her blood pressure down even after the baby was out so she was in the hospital for a while. But now she has a very healthy 1 1/2 year old, and she's also very healthy.

Hope your LO decides to stay put for a while!

@winniebee: My son was born at 33 weeks, 6 days via c-section bc of severe preeclampsia. I went to L&D with what I thought was food poisoning, but was really symptoms of the preeclampsia ( upper stomach pain, vomiting). I was not dilated, but 70% effaced, but they couldn't wait for me to labor so c-section. I was able to get one of the steroid shots about 2 hours before he was born so it's great that you got both. He was born at 4 lbs 12 oz. He immediately went up to the NICU and my husband went with him while I got stitched up.
In the NICU, we got very lucky, despite how little and early he was, he never needed breathing assistance, feeding assistance or phototherapy for jaundice. We just needed to make sure he was eating and gaining weight and could regulate his own body temperature. Breastfeeding was difficult bc he was so small and it took so much effort for him that we really focused on making sure he was getting enough from the bottle, but we successfully transitioned to full-time BFing around his due date. I pumped during that time and he has had all of my milk besides a few formula ozs at the very beginning. After only 6 days in the NICU, he came home only 1 day after me. Again, I consider us so very lucky.
The NICU nurses were amazing and acted as our infant care class (since we missed that by delivering early). it was scary to have him up there, but I knew he was in great hands. Also, they run a tight ship and it helped us to establish a great schedule when we first took him home (which is now totally gone, but was great for a few weeks).
Breastfeeding was the biggest challenge for us, but as his due date got closer it started to come together. It took me a while to accept that. I was scared that I was creating bad habits and negative experiences, but looking back now, every week is different so things are constantly changing.
Be positive and calm and try to keep your LO in as long as you can, but know that you have reached a great point and they can do a lot to help him/her when they arrive. Good luck!

One of my best friends (now a mother of 3) had her first baby at 30 weeks, after her water broke out of nowhere. The baby spent 6-8 weeks in the NICU, which was obviously very hard for her, but he's now 3 years old and perfectly healthy! His speech was a bit delayed but he eventually caught up and is a beautiful, charming little boy!!

My friends twin boys came at 34 weeks exactly, sped up by pre eclampsia, and were actually 7 pounds each- obviously quite large for twins, but still quite early- they're ten years old now and tough as boots:)

My cousin was on hospital bedrest from 31 weeks on, and made it almost to her due date. She has a healthy and crazy little boy now

My SIL was on bedrest and in and out of the hospital with her twin boys from 24 weeks on. They were born at 33 weeks 3 days, stayed in the NICU for almost 6 weeks, but are now healthy and crazy toddlers.

I know it's hard, but keep thinking positive thoughts- you are doing everything in your power to keep that baby baking, and you are doing a great job at it! Hang in there!

Hope your LO stays nice and cozy in your belly for many many more weeks!!!

My SIL had both preeclampsia and something else that I don't remember the name of right now...but essentially her body was attacking the baby, and in turn he was making her very very sick. My MIL was just telling us tonight about how when she saw SIL at her baby shower, she didn't even recognize her because she looked so bad.

She had an emergency C-section a few days after that, I think somewhere between 32-33 weeks (I wasn't around yet, so I don't know for sure). He was in NICU for a week or so before being released, and her condition almost immediately improved. He's a happy, healthy, incredibly vibrant 8 year old now. She had no problems with her second pregnancy.

a good friend delivered at 33 weeks. i think her son was 4 lbs 7 oz, and stayed in the hospital a week. he's now 4 and perfectly healthy and smart!

olive was born at 35 weeks and we stayed at the hospital a week because she couldn't regulate her body temp. she is now 5 1/2 months and perfectly healthy!

After 6 years working in NICU, I have seen way more success stories than not! At 30 weeks your baby has all the major organs formed, and they just need time to get bigger and stronger. Every week you can get ahead is amazing, the fact that you got both shots of betamethasone is awesome!

At this point, you know your baby is otherwise healthy, so even though having your baby before 37 weeks would mean some NICU stay, your little one will be just fine.

The NICU has lots of practice in handling the little issues perm babies present, and can teach you everything you need to know to get them ready to go home and care for them afterwards. They also will be awesome at walking you though what to expect if your baby does come early, part of our "unit orientation" after a perm baby is born is a booklet with all the things to expect, and we will walk you through the usual course of a baby born at whatever gestation yours is.

If you have any questions, just shoot me a wall message here, or a PM on WB, and I can let you know what to expect at the different gestations! Like Mrs Jacks said, every day you can keep your baby in is awesome for them!

If you do end up with a baby in the NICU, the nurses are amazing!

We had only a very short stay there, but they were without a doubt one of the most positive parts of my whole birth experience. It was hard to leave my son for even a little while, but knowing that he had the best care took a lot of stress away. They were so supportive of breastfeeding, and were very helpful in working with me on getting a good latch.

My nephews go to picnic reunions with the NICU staff from their hospital. These are truly some special people!

My cousin's wife delivered a baby boy at 32 weeks. He was soooo tiny but they both did great and now he is a big bog and has started school and you would never know he was a preemie

I had a friend that her water broke at 26 weeks. She was in the hospital for 6 weeks and gave birth at 32 weeks and 3 days. Her son weighed 5 lbs and 11 ounces at birth and now is a rambunctious 1 1/2 year old, who runs around all over the the place.

I know! It surprised me. I'm not sure how long he stayed in the NICU. I know that I was a full term baby and I weighed about 1 lb more.

I started having preterm labor at 29 weeks, I was put on bedrest until I reached 35 weeks. I continued to have timeable mildly painful contractions the rest of my pregnancy. I can't tell you how many trips to L&D we took, the longest was a 5 day stay complete with steroid shots and magnesium sulfate YUCK!!! Our lo stayed put until 1 day past my due date, we had to induce.

Please do whatever the doctors tell you to do. And though there are a lot of positive outcome stories from the NICU, not all are. I don't want to scare you, but please take the NICU and prematurity seriously. I had identical twins born at 27 weeks. One died at 5 months of age -- still in the NICU, he never came home. As others said, every day counts and you're already doing well. Keep going, no matter how bored you are.