Although it can be a little overwhelming, welcoming a premature baby into your home is a unique experience.
Pregnant women who give birth before 37 weeks typically have less developed babies that weigh less than 5.5 pounds. According to the NIH, more than 400,000 babies are born prematurely in the US each year.
Unfortunately, compared to full-term babies, these infants are more likely to die. In the neonatal unit, your baby may have gotten the additional attention they require. It’s time to adjust to taking care of them at home. At first, this change may seem difficult. However, you can create a loving and safe space for your child with a little forethought.
Babies born too soon have unique needs. It’s crucial to comprehend these requirements and modify your house to accommodate your infant. Help from friends, family, and medical professionals can also be extremely beneficial.
Your baby’s development can be significantly impacted by the little preparation you do. Along the way, it also gives you more self-assurance as a parent.
Get Over Your Fears
It’s normal to feel scared or anxious when you bring home a baby who was born too early.
Raising Children says that it’s normal to have a lot of feelings about having a baby too soon. You may feel a lot of love and happiness for your new baby, but it’s also normal to have a lot of questions.
After going through something like this, you might feel helpless, sad, guilty, anxious, or even traumatized. Many people have these worries, and the first step to feeling better about yourself is to admit that you have them. If you ever need help or reassurance, get in touch with your baby’s healthcare team.
As you learn, be kind to yourself and celebrate each small victory along the way. Your confidence will grow over time, and you will find your own rhythm as a parent to your premature baby.
Create a Safe Environment
The first step in making your home a safe place for your premature baby is to keep it clean and calm. Choose a firm, flat mattress for the crib and keep the nursery free of clutter. Don’t put any loose bedding, pillows, or toys in the crib.
Make sure the room is warm and cozy, because babies born too early may have trouble keeping their body temperature stable. Mayo Clinic says that premature babies are likely to lose body heat quickly. They don’t have enough body fat to help keep them warm like full-term babies do. Hypothermia is a serious condition that can happen if their body temperature drops too low.
Make sure to wash your hands before you touch your baby, and ask visitors to do the same. Put in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and keep your emergency contacts close by. You can make your baby’s environment safe by following these simple steps.
Learn About Dietary Needs
It’s very important to know what your premature baby’s dietary needs are so they can grow and develop normally. These little ones need to be fed more often. To help them catch up to their full-term peers, they need special nutrition. Breast milk is great because it has a lot of important nutrients and antibodies in it.
But some preemies may have trouble breastfeeding because their sucking reflex is weak. In these cases, you can give your baby expressed breast milk or a special formula made just for premature babies.
It’s important to know about risks like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which is a deadly intestinal disease that can affect babies who are born too early. In this case, the ongoing NEC lawsuit brings attention to the issue. Parents whose premature babies got NEC after drinking formulas made with cow’s milk have made these claims.
TorHoerman Law says that each NEC case is looked at based on the specific damages that the child and their family have suffered. Your baby should be paid for the pain, but being careful can help you avoid the risk.
You also need to pay close attention to your baby’s feeding cues and stay in touch with your healthcare team. Remember that every premature baby is different, so you may need to change your approach over time to meet your baby’s needs.
Watch Out for Red Flags
When you have a premature baby at home, it’s important to watch for red flags. These babies can show signs of being sick or upset in ways that are different from babies who are full-term.
Look for signs that something is wrong, like trouble eating, changes in skin color, breathing that isn’t regular, or a sudden drop in alertness. These signs could mean that you have an infection, trouble breathing, or trouble digesting food that needs to be treated right away.
If your child refuses to eat, has blood in their stool, or has a fever, call your doctor. Believe in your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, see a doctor to make sure your baby is safe.
Prioritize Self-Care
Taking care of a premature baby can be a lot to handle, so it’s important to put your own needs first. Verywell Health says that self-care means taking care of all the parts of your life, including your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It is very important for your health and well-being as a whole. There are a lot of different ways to take care of yourself.
Every type is equally important and helps you reach your best health and happiness. Make sure to take breaks, eat healthy meals, and ask friends or family for help whenever you can. Don’t forget that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Joining a support group for parents of premature babies can help you feel better and give you some helpful tips. You can take better care of your baby and deal with whatever life throws at you when you put your health first.
FAQ
ow long should parents stay in the NICU?
Parents should try to spend as much time as possible in the NICU, but they also need to take care of themselves and other things they need to do. There is no set number of hours that you have to work. Being there is important for bonding, learning how to care for your child, and supporting them as they grow. Every family is different, and every baby has different needs.
When do babies who are born too early start to cry?
As their due date gets closer, premature babies usually start to cry. But at first, they don’t cry very often and their cries are usually softer. As they get closer to their due date, they cry more often and more loudly. This happens most often around six weeks after their corrected age. It’s when they start to cry to let you know what they need.
How to calm a baby who was born too early?
If you want to calm a premature baby, try wrapping them up gently, rocking them softly, or touching their skin to skin. To make things more relaxing, talk softly or sing. It’s also important to keep the lights low and the noise down. Every preemie has different needs, so you can change how you care for them to make them more comfortable.
Conclusion:
Bringing a baby home early is a big deal, but if you get ready and get help, you can do it with confidence. Every little thing you do is important for your baby’s growth and health. Your love, patience, and dedication are exactly what your premature baby needs as you start this new chapter together.