My son was three weeks early and, other than being a couple of pounds underweight, he turned out fine.
My sister-in-law's water broke when she was eight weeks away from delivery. For the next month she was stuck in a hospital bed with a fetal monitor attached to her.
When my nephew was born, it was terrifying. They had to do an emergency C-section when things turned nasty in a hurry. He was in NICU for about three weeks, on constant oxygen and under bili lights. He spent the first six months of his life with an oxygen tank because his lungs were touch and go (due to the loss of fluid when he was still "baking", his lungs had stuck together. They gave him Sufectin (sp?) when he was born to infuse them). To look at him today, though, you would never know it. He's now four years old and just the most active and healthy child.
If you have specific questions, let me know and I can ask my sis-in-law.
