While we don't yet know what Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have named their little baby girl (though we do have a clue), it sounds like Baby Kimye made her debut a bit earlier than expected.
There was some chatter around the web that Kim was expecting to deliver in mid-June all along and floated a July due date out there to throw us all off. But E!, the network which carries Kim's reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, is reporting that baby Kimye arrived 5 weeks early (at 35 weeks) and that she weighs under 5 pounds. And the TMI-loving first family of reality TV have been uncharacteristically quiet in these first few days post-delivery.
I delivered 6 weeks early, so I can tell you what's in store for a late preterm baby like Kim and Kayne's. Although preemies born after 34 weeks generally have few serious long-term health complications, they might spend a bit of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), according to the March of Dimes. This can be very scary for parents, even extremely famous ones. Kim may well leave the hospital before her daughter. The NICU at Cedars-Sinai, where Kim delivered, is Level III, which means it has the staff and equipment necessary to take care of the smallest and sickest preemies, so the baby’s in very good hands.
Most preemies spend time in an isolette to help keep their body temperature stable. They may also be put under blue bilirubin lights to treat jaundice. A 35-weeker may also need a bit of help breathing, since the lungs might not be fully developed yet. Late-term preemies are generally considered “feeders and growers,” meaning they just need a little extra help coordinating sucking and swallowing so they can get the nutrients they need to gain weight before heading home.
Kim, from one preemie mom to another, I wish your baby strength and a speedy stay in the NICU.
Mom of two Sasha Emmons is a writer and editor. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.