Prepare Yourself To Care For Your Premature Baby

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Your baby was born premature. Often times, parents are upset and scared. They want the best for their new bundle of joy and have many questions. Foremost on most new parents minds being “When is my preemie ready to come home from the hospital.?" Although they may be anxious, parents would do well to let the hospital determine the time frame. Before a premature baby is able to leave the hospital he must meet certain criteria. He must be able to keep his body temperature stable in an open crib without exhaustive measures, must be free of any apneas or pauses in normal breathing rhythm as this could cause a slow but potentially dangerous heart rate. He must be consistently and steadily gaining weight, sucking breast or bottle without breathing difficulties and have an overall normal ability to thrive.

Once your preemie baby has achieved these goals he is ready to go home. There are however, some things parents can do to prepare for baby’s arrival home. Make sure to become familiar with any and all medications your new baby will need and learn how to properly administer them. This is most important so that medications are not delayed due to questions that could have been answered while at the hospital. Sometimes, your baby may be sent home with additional monitoring equipment. Be sure that you feel comfortable operating these as your baby is depending on your continuity of care at home. Proper training on all such equipment is a must and is readily available before you leave the hospital.

Who will be caring for your new baby after discharge? Many parents are surprised to find they have been assigned to a different pediatrician or specialist. Know all names and phone numbers necessary before discharge. Make it your aim to learn infant CPR. Did you know that it is different for a child or baby? Many do not. Have a clear understanding of your baby’s allergies to treatments or medications. Often times, a medical record has already been started and these would be likely listed. A copy of this would be beneficial for your future checkups.

So the day has finally arrived and you are ready to take you little one home. Your new baby has met all the qualifications for discharge, both parents are prepared for life at home and all seems well. Dad pulls the car up to the entrance and suddenly you realize you did not prepare the car for your preemie’s trip home. That’s right! Preemies require special car seats. Small infants need to be positioned in such a way so as to protect their delicate respiratory systems, while still providing protection in the event of a crash or sudden stop. Here are some specific guidelines for preemie car safety.

Choose an infant only car seat with a 3-point harness. If your car is convertible then you will require a 5-point harness. Car seats designed for children weighing more than twenty pounds should never be used as they offer no protection to your premature new baby. Use a seat with a distance of less than five and a half inches from the crotch strap to the backseat, use a seat with a distance of less than ten inches from the lower harness strap to seat bottom, position baby in the seat with his back flat against the back of the seat and never place a rear facing seat in the passenger seat of a car.

Once you have prepared yourself, your home and your vehicle, you will be on the road to a wonderful and safe life with your premature new baby.

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