[materialgirl123]

On Tuesday's episode we saw a glimpse of baby Scarlett's cot - it seems that she is no longer in an incubator and according to spoilers she is coming home next week. This is completely unrealistic.
Scarlett was born at 26 weeks which is incredibly early and this was only about a month ago. So in fact, Janine would only be 30-31 weeks pregnant now. There is no way that a baby that size would be out of the incubator or going home that soon.
My son was born at 29 weeks and he had loads of complications so he was there for ages, but whilst we were there we learned that almost all prem babies stay in hospital at least until they reach what would have been 36th week of pregnancy.
I wish soaps would be more realistic about these things.

[Mattehhhftw]

Well I had a friend who gave birth in January and I think she was 28 weeks, the baby came home 5 weeks later.

[los.kav]

I have a friend who gave birth to twins at 26 weeks, the day after Janine gave birth on EE. The boy twin died 16 hours later and the girl died a week later. Everyone's different and every baby is different.

[catsmeow]

I don't think the writers care. Remember when Tommy and James were swapped noboby noticed sudden appearances and disappearances of a club foot.

[CherryRose]

I thought Scalett was born 7 weeks early making her born at 33 weeks.

[CherryRose]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2...-pictures.html

[MrTaylor]

Does it matter ? Its a soap ?

[CherryRose]

Originally Posted by MrTaylor

Does it matter ? Its a soap ?

It would matter as it would be poor writting

We're not watching Mickey mouse club house!

[chloeb]

Yes it does matter. It is misleading. I had a 25 week baby and normally babies are kept in until their due date or there abouts. The fact that she is already in an 'open cot' is totally wrong. The fact that when she was born she was in ITU but with only one other baby whose nurse kept leaving the room... That would NOT happen, NICU babies in ITU have 1:1 care 24/7!
The scene where the baby died this week was totally unreal!!

I have many many NICU friends who ate angry that EE Have portrayed having a prem baby in such a poor way, it kind of negates and underestimates the trauma. The only they do have right is Jannines utter helplessness and desperation, but that's more down to the actress than the writing..

[rumpleteazer]

My friends sister gave birth early at 26 weeks in May and her baby is still in hospital. She has been very angry at how EE has done this story line.

[Dakota.]

I thought Janine was further along than 26 weeks?

Edit- Just saw she was 11 weeks premature.

[Akane Tendo]

So she gave birth at 29 weeks, not 26.

[materialgirl123]

Originally Posted by chloeb

Yes it does matter. It is misleading. I had a 25 week baby and normally babies are kept in until their due date or there abouts. The fact that she is already in an 'open cot' is totally wrong. The fact that when she was born she was in ITU but with only one other baby whose nurse kept leaving the room... That would NOT happen, NICU babies in ITU have 1:1 care 24/7!
The scene where the baby died this week was totally unreal!!

I have many many NICU friends who ate angry that EE Have portrayed having a prem baby in such a poor way, it kind of negates and underestimates the trauma. The only they do have right is Jannines utter helplessness and desperation, but that's more down to the actress than the writing..

I totally agree with you - the 'open cot' is definitely not realistic. My son was in an incubator for months.

I am also angry at EE - they apparently pride themselves on being realistic, but this is nowhere near reality. When my son was in the early weeks of his births there were more nurses than babies in the room and they were there 24:7. The babies were never left alone - not even for a second.

Janine is doing a great job. She is really showing the desperate, helpless, nothing-else-matters feelings and Michael's confusion and "I should be able to do something" feelings are spot on. Well done to the two of them.

[materialgirl123]

Originally Posted by Akane Tendo

So she gave birth at 29 weeks, not 26.

I seem to remember Michael asking the doctors if a 26 weeker could survive when Janine was in labour. I could be wrong though

[Alex250P]

I remember when Coronation Street's Hope was born 12 weeks prematurely in December 2010 during the tram crash, and she was allowed home in about March/April 2011 - which I thought WAS a realistic portrayal of premature birth!

[Orangemaid]

Originally Posted by los.kav

I have a friend who gave birth to twins at 26 weeks, the day after Janine gave birth on EE. The boy twin died 16 hours later and the girl died a week later. Everyone's different and every baby is different.

aww thats awful..sorry

[Sarah Michelle]

Like someone else has said - every baby is going to be diferent - as for hospitals not letting prem babies go home till around the supposed due date - I was born 8 weeks early, and was allowed home 4 weeks later.

I'm sure if the baby has been making good constant progress - there's no reason that progress can't continue at home once baby is deemed strong enough - and surely the nurse that comes out for the home visits would be keeping a close eye knowing the circumstances aswell as several hospital appointments.

[BBaddict212]

I'm finding the whole storyline completely boring now

[Identity]

Originally Posted by catsmeow

I don't think the writers care. Remember when Tommy and James were swapped noboby noticed sudden appearances and disappearances of a club foot.

Yes they did, because if they didn't, there would have been no mention of it, remember the nurse being a bit suspicios about that? She shrugged it off, while she really shouldn't have, then again, who would ever imagine they were examining a different baby? We knew, but if I saw some changes in a kid that for all I knew was the same one I saw last time, I would find it odd, but figure that's just a baby growing fast
.

And yes, every baby is different, maybe there were no real complications with Scarlet, other than being very premature. If ehr heart, lungs etc. work fine, why should they keep her? The bed will be occupied by antoher premature or ill baby soon enough.

Janine is lucky she can take the baby home with her so soon though, but then again, luck is a rare thing on the Square, so I'm not too bothered about it. Scenes of her in hospital and Michael, well, erm, not in hospital would get boring and the effect would be less. They showed us how Janine was despairing by her baby's bedside while Michael was out buying cars, for he did not know what else to do, just long enough to get the point across, without getting repetitive. Is that not what we want?

[secretagent]

Originally Posted by los.kav

I have a friend who gave birth to twins at 26 weeks, the day after Janine gave birth on EE. The boy twin died 16 hours later and the girl died a week later. Everyone's different and every baby is different.

That is so sad - hope your friend is finding a way to cope. Best wishes to her. x

[valtimmy]

Originally Posted by materialgirl123

On Tuesday's episode we saw a glimpse of baby Scarlett's cot - it seems that she is no longer in an incubator and according to spoilers she is coming home next week. This is completely unrealistic.
Scarlett was born at 26 weeks which is incredibly early and this was only about a month ago. So in fact, Janine would only be 30-31 weeks pregnant now. There is no way that a baby that size would be out of the incubator or going home that soon.
My son was born at 29 weeks and he had loads of complications so he was there for ages, but whilst we were there we learned that almost all prem babies stay in hospital at least until they reach what would have been 36th week of pregnancy.
I wish soaps would be more realistic about these things.

It used to be according to their weight. 5 lbs or over and they could go home.

[chloeb]

Originally Posted by Sarah Michelle

Like someone else has said - every baby is going to be diferent - as for hospitals not letting prem babies go home till around the supposed due date - I was born 8 weeks early, and was allowed home 4 weeks later.

I'm sure if the baby has been making good constant progress - there's no reason that progress can't continue at home once baby is deemed strong enough - and surely the nurse that comes out for the home visits would be keeping a close eye knowing the circumstances aswell as several hospital appointments.

Yes they are... But in tonites ep Scarlett was in open cot, with no clothes on, not even a blanket, they also have little rolled up sheets around them to support them as they hate feeling exposed. There is NO WAY in any NICU a baby would be in a for with no clothes or blankets and totally unsupported in position. All they had to do was ask an ex NICU Mum (we would have told them!) lol or a NICU nurse just to get even the basics right!