Im in labor @ 27 weeks :'(
Woke up in middle of night. Felt like I ate something bad. Bad stomach cramps, but couldn't do anything on the toilet :-/ cramps got worse and worse. Did not feel like typical contractions. Had scheduled appointment and doctor said I was 3cm dilated and go to labor and delivery. U/S showed shortening of cervix. Just got steroids to strengthen baby's lungs. I'm very nervous. Has anyone had a baby this early that survived or wasn't extremely sick? 
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@jamiesandefur my little guy weighs 1pound8oz so thank you! I feel better. I was a little scared about his weight than they want me to see a genetics specialist. So thank you for sharing that!
@jess_Jude they have not given me magnesium yet. Just got on the monitor. So far had 5 contractions in past hour. I think they are preparing for magnesium. I just really got here and got settled. I don't know what's going to happen or what the plan is. Right now I'm just laying in this bed on monitors waiting for my hubby to get here :-(
due on 10/27/09 but was born on 08/17/09 (29/6 weeks). He is now in the 90th percentile for height and weight. He has perfect vision, hearing, and communication abilities. And he's absolutely beautiful;)
If your water isnt broken, doctors can stop labor for weeks/months as long as your cervix complies! If your water broke, they will only stop labor long enough for steroids to take full effect because the risk of infection goes way up. After that 48 hr period, its kind of up to your body when your baby will come (once again this refers to the water broken scenerio).
If your babies do arrive before 34 weeks, the best advice I have is the first 72 hrs are the hardest in terms of dealing w/ the unknown. There will be lots of brain and heart ultrasounds and monitor alarms going off. After this crazy emotional roller coaster settles a bit (3 days gives the docs adequate time to see if any major intervention is necessary) you'll most likely have a perfectly healthy (though tiny) baby! The obsticles after that 72 hrs can include breathing without support (those steroid shots are amazing, my son never needed any support), then feeding/gaining, and holding body temp steady. After conquering these, your baby is ready to come home!
Hopefully, neither of you will need this info because you'll both make it to term! I think knowing these things then would've helped me not be such a basketcase just before and after my son's birth.