Preparing for a premature baby
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Follow miracle moon on instagram and join their online group the NICU space. I had less than 24hrs to prepare and I do think it’s one of those things you take each day as it comes. My wee man came at 26 +5 at 669grams and he is now doing fabulous
Great advice and resource suggestions above. I had placenta previa and bleeds from 21wks so was mentally prepared for a prem delivery. At 28wks someone from the NICU team came by for a chat but they said they didn’t want to go into too much detail because the spectrum of potential issues was so vast and would dramatically improve every week that baby stayed in. Basically cross the bridge when you come to it. For me, that was really good advice because I didn’t need the added worry of all the potential complications. At 31 weeks (hrs before he was unexpectedly born) they went into more detail. My son spent 3 weeks in NICU. During that time I learnt how to take care of him, got the chance to recover from my c-section and built up my milk supply. I did do an online baby first aid course with the baby academy which helped me relax a bit but everything I needed to know about caring for baby once he was home was told to me by the various NICU specialists.
Thank you so much, ladies. It is so reassuring to hear your little ones are doing well. It is difficult not to worry, but I keep reminding myself that healthcare and technology has come a long way, and babies that come early are thriving. I will for sure look into all your suggestions. Thankfully I have a supportive family and husband so I can ask for help. Thank you once again. X
My.little one was born at 33 weeks spontaneously. My baby was a good weight but above all remember 33 weeks is a sustainable gestation. Baby will likely need some respitatory support, but trust the team. You will have a paediatric team as well as the maternity team at the birth which can be daunting but they are all needed. Don't be afraid to ask questions, or of the equipment. Hold your baby, take photos. We couldn't stay at the hospital, so think about how you can make it work. My partner went back to work after a couple of days, and had time off after baby came home which worked much better for us.. Going to visit the local nicu is a good shout. Think about what family/,friends can do ie some batch cooking, lifts to hospital if you can't drive etc. We came home at 35 weeks and was told to treat her as you would any other baby. Do any research you can, around basic life support, feeding tubes, respiratory support methods so it doesn't all feel so scary. I hope some of this helps. Xx
You can send me a message and we can chat ☺️
It was scary.
Sorry my baby boy bumping phone as I type
Firstly, big hugs! I know it's a super daunting time when you know baby is likely to be early. I had preeclampsia and the expected date kept creeping forward. I found the Tommy's website really useful as it gave info on what to expect, some starts on how well babies do etc. The Bliss website is really good too. They have a handy guide to NICU which will explain some of the common things your little one may experience, some of the procedures like blood tests, or feeding etc. Class wise all mine were after my baby was born so didn't end up going to any, but found our time in NICU was the best antenatal class we could get as had an army i'r nurses helping us to look after him for the first few weeks 😂 You could also see if it's possible to visit your NICU, so your familar with the setting beforehand? Other advice I'd give is to rest as much as possible. Rope in family and friends, having people on hand to do things like batch cook or feed the cats was really helpful as gave us one less thing to worry about!