Questions, questions and more.

Throw3ks

I have spoken with my DDs neo and nurses about my questions quite in depth but was lookin for thoughts/opinions/previous experiences.
-Did you have your LO checked for ROP at any point in the NICU or soon there after? I am very familiar with this and have lined up my own doctor to come in and evaluate LO. However, I am still on the fence if this is 100% neccessary at such a young age and after everything she has been thru. She isn't due for this check for a few more weeks.
-Was your LO given synagis before discharge (if your LO qualified)? Did you think it helped if so?
-Do you have a Snouza or any other baby movement monitor device, if so, pros/cons? Recommendations?

Thanks ladies!

jcsntms06

Both my girls had their eyes checked in the NICU before discharge.

 With my oldest she was born during RSV season so she qualified for the synagis shot, with my youngest she was born in March so she only received one shot.

We never bought a baby movement monitor, but we did have a regular baby monitor. I was super paranoid and most of the time I would wake 3 and 4 times a night to check up on them. Both my girls came home wireless, but if they had not, I would of probably gotten a snouza for sure.

Courtneyw04

My kids had their eyes checked for a few months after discharge. Now we see an eye dr for check ups once a year. Synagis won't be given till Oct/Nov. My kiddos were discharged in the summer and started getting the shots at home in the fall. Neither one got RSV or any type of bug. But that was probably because we didnt take them anywhere till the spring.

Mrs. Alice

My twins had their eye exams starting around 32 or 33 weeks gestational age and then once every couple weeks after that.  They had to come back once after they were discharged because the retinas weren't mature by the time they went home.  They had Synagis once a month starting in the NICU in September (it depends on where you live when the season starts) through April.  It doesn't prevent RSV, but is supposed to reduce the severity of symptoms.  It's 100% worth it if you qualify.  My twins were sent home with apnea monitors through a HME company and had them for the first few months so we never purchased Snuzas.

direy25

LO had 3 eye exams while in the NICU and we now have an outpatient one scheduled for next week as his retinas still aren't mature.
We were told he'd start receiving the Synagis in November.
We didn't purchase a snuza or anything but now wish we had - we were just discharged on Monday so the nights have been pretty sleepless so far (for us, of course Griffin sleeps like a champ).

Pips09

My daughter had a couple of eye exams in the NICU, one a couple weeks after discharge and another at one year old. 

She was born and discharged in the summer, so we started Synagis once RSV season started, but not in the hospital. I can't say for sure if it helped, but it was piece of mind, and I was very, very glad to have it. I would have done it again the second winter, if she had qualified again.

We were discharged with an apnea monitor, so we didn't need a separate movement monitor at first, and decided not to get one when she came off of the apnea monitor. 

Throw3ks

Thanks ladies. I know she should have an eye exam but I feel like why not wait until her retinas are mature and not risk having to do the exam over and over. I don't know, just another thing to worry about.
My LO will qualify for synagis so I think I agree with everyone and will get it. Knowing its not going to prevent RSV but will certainly be of some reassurance.
I haven't convinced myself of the snuza. Or anything else other then the monitors we have, camera and sound.

schulme2

My son had his eyes checked starting at 32 weeks and every week since (now 42 weeks). He will get the synagis shot starting this October-April. As far as monitors, I bought the "Safe To Sleep" monitor and it's wonderful! It monitors breath rate and it's a portable mat. It has been so great to ease my mind and let us sleep easier!

Cst2CstBride

My dd had her eyes checked twice after DC because they weren't fully mature the first time. If things were looking good in the NICU, then it is probably fine to wait
DD was DC in September and got all 5 monthly synagis shots from Nov-March. I think dd got RSV based on her symptoms (after I went back to work) and it was really mild. She didn't really have a cough at all and I'm sure that was because of the synagis.
We got an Angel Care monitor at my shower and ended up returning it. H was pretty anxious about her and was worried that it would make the anxiety worse. We got a video monitor instead and it has been great.

PhillyGal34

Ds left the day before the eye doctor's rounds so we went the day after d/c, one month later, six months later and I think we go next year for a regular check up Everything was fine but they always do a series of appts I guess.


Ds was born in June so he didn't get synagis for a few more months.


We had the angel care monitor. Ds came home without anything but I bought it even before I knew we were having a preemie. I'm neurotic like that. I have a friend that used snuza on her preemie. She liked that it was portable so she could use it anywhere he slept. But as soon as he could roll she had to stop using it.

wesleyelisabeth

We bought a Snuza the day before DS cane home from a 67 day NICU stay. I've gotta say, I love it and it gives me great peace of mind, and a more restful sleep! It's also easy to travel with (as opposed to Angelcare) which has been nice for the few brief out of town trips we've taken. Definitely worth it IMO.

DrRx

DD had her eyes checked by a pediatric ophthalmologist who specialized in ROP while in the NICU, but I'm not sure when. She was diagnosed with ROP stage 1 zone 2 at first and then checked every 2-3 weeks. We continued with the ROP clinic until about 2-3months after discharge. If your child does have ROP, early intervention will help preserve more vision. They might be able to do the injections rather than the surgery to help preserve peripheral vision (at least that is what I remember the neos and nurses telling me). My daughter, however, was at high risk for ROP since she was a micropreemie (26-weeker) and was on oxygen.

We didn't buy any of those monitors since we came home on an apnea monitor, oxygen, and a pulse ox.

DrRx

Oh, and my daughter got 1 Synagis in the hospital in April before discharge (our RSV season runs long) and then 5 doses that following fall. I'm not sure if she will qualify for Synagis this fall, since it will be her second season.

flerlgirl

He has his eyes checked several times in the NICU. He did have stage 2 ROP so I'm glad they checked him. Better safe than sorry!

He didn't get Synagis in the NICU because it was summer but he qualifies for the monthly shots starting in October. 

ashleymarie512

My DD is 34 weeks and she had hers last week. They looked good, better than they should at her age, but are still immature. She'll have a follow up appt in 1-2 weeks.

The nurse told us that she'll get the first dose of the shot before discharge and the rest will be up to the pediatrician.

We're undecided on the monitor, but have heard that they can pick up the a/c or fans and don't indicate if/when baby stops breathing.

Throw3ks

Was anyone present for the eye exam with their LOs? Was it scary? I have a feeling I will cry.

JTA2426

The eye exam looks scarier than it is. With the babies at our hospital, the doctor uses a little metal clamp thing to hold the eyelid open. She says that it is not painful, just irritating to them. We also use numbing drops beforehand. I don't know how many weeks your LO was at birth, but if she has been having any kind of apnea or Brady episodes the eye exam might trigger some. My boys did not have to have ROP exams but i have seen a thousand at work. As for synagis, my twins do qualify and we will start our shots in October. We didn't get a snuza or anything, I couldn't decide if I wanted one or not. At 10 weeks, I'm pretty comfortable now.

ashleymarie512

JTA2426 said:

The eye exam looks scarier than it is. With the babies at our hospital, the doctor uses a little metal clamp thing to hold the eyelid open. She says that it is not painful, just irritating to them. We also use numbing drops beforehand. I don't know how many weeks your LO was at birth, but if she has been having any kind of apnea or Brady episodes the eye exam might trigger some. My boys did not have to have ROP exams but i have seen a thousand at work. As for synagis, my twins do qualify and we will start our shots in October. We didn't get a snuza or anything, I couldn't decide if I wanted one or not. At 10 weeks, I'm pretty comfortable now.

Regarding the eye exam, this described my experience exactly. I wantes to be there for it so we stayed in the room. They dilated her eyes prior to the appt and then used the metal thing to keep eye open. He also used a little tool to move her eye ball around. He used numbing drops prior to the exam too. I was really afraid I'd cry and have a hard time with it, but she didnt make a peep the whole time!! She tried to wiggle, but I think it was more from being held down. She didnt spell or anything after the exam either, but she did seem a little more tired.

Two days before the eye exam, she had to have an IV put in and they blew six veins before they finally got it in a vein in her head...that really upset me and I finally had to leave the room bc I was so frustrated. I figured coming off that I'd be a mess for the eye exam, but really held it together!

sdtchica13

Corri's eyes were checked in the NICU and again several months after. She got synagis her first flu season (she actually just missed qualifying, but we fought the insurance company and won), so October through April when she was seven months through thirteen months. We didn't use any kind of monitors once she was home, we were told they just add to the stress level and frankly, we had had enough of looking at monitors at that point.

Piper345

Throw3ks said:

I have spoken with my DDs neo and nurses about my questions quite in depth but was lookin for thoughts/opinions/previous experiences. -Did you have your LO checked for ROP at any point in the NICU or soon there after? I am very familiar with this and have lined up my own doctor to come in and evaluate LO. However, I am still on the fence if this is 100% neccessary at such a young age and after everything she has been thru. She isn't due for this check for a few more weeks. Yes, twice while he was in the NICU and twice after he was discharged . This is absolutely necessary IMO. Thankfully he did not have ROP -Was your LO given synagis before discharge (if your LO qualified)? Did you think it helped if so? He was born in late spring and discharged durning the summer but received 5 doses of synagis starting in October at 5 months actual. Again, this is absolutely necessary IMO. He actually contracted a mild case of RSV that winter and would have ended up in the hospital if he didn't have the shots. -Do you have a Snouza or any other baby movement monitor device, if so, pros/cons?Recommendations? No,just a reg video monitor Thanks ladies!

takmjs

I have the angel care monitor, and still feel complete peace of mind turning it on every night. With all the monitors going off in the NICU for 7 weeks, I felt like I needed to know for sure she's still breathing and moving. It's gone off a few times when either she moved too far off to the side of the crib, or because we needed to set it to be more sensitive/touchy. I liked that it went off a few times, so I knew it was working, but it was never bc she wasn't moving. Just peace of mind for me still, and she's now 20 months. Never heard of the snouza. Got the synagis. Born in January, came home end of February, got one in the NICU then in March. Got the ROP test done in the NICU, set up by the neos.