The Preemie Society Blog
Bringing Medical Equipment Home With Your NICU Baby: A Parent's Perspective
There are many types of medical equipment babies can come home with such as: an apnea monitor, a feeding tube, an oxygen machine. These things can seem a bit intimidating without having a full NICU team there with at home to manage them, but don't worry! Before you leave the NICU, you may have to take classes or do training sessions on how to properly use the equipment, so you will have all of the knowledge necessary to use them.
Pumping for your Preemie: Inside and Outside of the NICU
Breastfeeding for your little one can look a lot different if you have a Preemie or NICU baby, for a number of reasons. Although we may have intentions on putting our little one on the boob for nutrition and precious bonding, that may not exactly be possible.
Preemies & Developmental Delays: A Parent's Perspective
Studies show that most Premature babies are more likely than their full term fellow neonates to experience a developmental delay, whether it's in the category of: motor, behavioral, or language. Not all Preemies will experience delays, but it's important to note that most Preemies do experience one or more, especially if they are extremely or moderately preterm and have been exposed to the NICU.
Doctor visits with your Preemie/NICU baby after the NICU
When we left the NICU in 2018, I left with the invisible battle wounds of the NICU etched into my soul and my precious 24-weeker left with a list and wide range of issues. We also came home with oxygen and a g-tube. And each thing had a different doctor associated with it, so the NICU staff told us to prepare for the follow up visits that we would attend to monitor Kylo's progression. I am still so grateful for the wonderful social worker who was sure to have all of Kylo's initial follow up visits scheduled already for us,...
Growing (literally) With Your Preemie!
If there is one topic I do not look forward to talking about at doctor visits for my Micro Preemie, it would have to be growth... I know some of ya'll know how I feel! Preemies, especially micro-preemies, often come out SGA (small for gestational age) or have a history of IUGR (intrauterine restrictive growth). So those weight and height checks at doctor visits can be anxiety inducing for parents worried about their Preemies' growth. Kylo was born SGA with a history of IUGR and he has a G-tube, so he has always been on the smaller side. He was...