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Preemies
mamamimi77
member
how did you prepare?
mamamimi77
member
in Preemies
We found out yesterday that at our next appt at 33 weeks that we should be prepared to deliver. My placenta is aging rapidly and they will check it then to see if it is still functioning enough to give our son what he needs. Im taking these next two weeks to do whatever I can to prepare. We really could go anytime if the baby shows signs of distress. I am 31 weeks 2 days.
If you knew ahead of time, what did you do to prepare for your preemie? What did you take with you? What did you wish you would have taken with you?
If you didnt know, what do you wish you could have prepared for?
Cloth diapering, VBAC, BF & FF, AP momma to two 2 and under. Special needs - DS born with clubfoot and diastrophic dysplasia (dwarfism)
This discussion has been closed.
Re: how did you prepare?
I had no clue and a part of me wishes I had had time to mentally and emotionally prepare myself. As PP said, steroid shots: hopefully they've already discussed them with you/given them to you. If not, ask. At 33w, if you've had the steroid shots, your DS will probably not have breathing difficulties, which is great. He'll need to hold his body temp up and learn to eat which can be a process (usually they learn this as they near full term), so you'll probably be looking at a 3-4 week NICU stay. Tour the NICU if possible; ask about parking passes - can you buy in bulk/weekly or monthly passes to keep the cost down? See if there's a Ronald McDonald house in your hospital where you can visit and/or stay the night while DS is in the NICU. Try to emotionally prepare for being discharged from the hospital without your son coming with you (this was a VERY hard day for me).
You may consider starting a blog if you don't already have one that you can use to update family/friends once he's born so that you don't have to retell the story (which may be emotionally difficult to talk about) over and over to people calling you. Hugs! I hope everything is very peaceful thru the rest of your pg and that you're able to hold out as long as possible. GL!
I third the steriod shots. I got the shots on Tuesday because my bp was high and delivered Sunday never expecting to. I delivered at 33w2d. My DD was in the NICU for 2 weeks and didn't need any help breathing.
I wish I had more time to think of questions to ask. When the NP came from the NICU when I was admitted I was just so stunned the only thing I asked was where was it.
There isn't anything else I can think to prepare. We had her crib set up but that was about it. We did have time to get everything before she came home after I was discharged. Just make sure you have a camera ready and they'll give you pretty much everything else until she goes home!
Good luck!
I also had no idea I was delivering early. Got 3 days to prepare in my 28th wk. I definitely third the steroid shots. You get them in your muscle 24 hrs part for two doses. helps the lungs mature and I feel for sure helped LOs respiratory system. I also found it really helpful when the neonatalogist came and told us what to expect from a 28wk baby. estimated length of stay, what hurdles there are to go over. A true picture of what to expect. I was too sick and on bedrest but my DH took a tour of the NICU and they showed him the size of an infant that our LO was going to be so not to shock him. Our hospital gives us complementary parking passes for our whole stay so that was helpful.
Well, I feel you are never truly prepared for this journey, but I will say having an idea of what is going to happen made the difficult time a bit smoother of a transition for us. GL with everything and T&P are with you.
Some one to take care of my dogs. Maybe watch the house/mow the lawn.
Check with the insurance to see what I need to do to get LO on coverage. This didn't go badly for me, but it would have been one less thing to think about.
Interview some pediatricians, and have one picked out. This was something I didn't think about at all until the hospital staff was asking who his pedi would be. I think that would be nice to have done ahead of time. You could always ask the NICU staff for any recommendations when/if you do a tour. Otherwise, ask about one with preemie experience when you call the offices.
Possibly meet with a lactation consultant. Talk about pumping and getting a game plan together for that. There was WAY more to pumping that I ever dreamed when I first started. There's a lot of knowledge about it on this board and the BF board as well. Insurance companies will most of the time cover the cost of a pump or a rental or both. It'd be worth calling your insurance company to see if they would cover one for you if LO's hospitalized.
Honestly a fair amount of the getting ready at home can be done while LO is in the hospital, but I'm not sure how you feel about that. I didn't really have a choice, I thought I had more time than I did. We had nothing ready when Evan was born. It worked out fine though. Gave me something positive to do at home, when I wasn't able to be at the NICU.
Probably one of the hardest things to do, but some of the best advice I can offer, is to remember to celebrate your baby's birth in the midst of the fear/stress/ and caos.
GL, and so sorry you're looking at joining us
I agree about touring the NICU and meeting some of the people who will be taking care of your baby. Talk to the lactation counselor and also the social worker to fine out what kind of support your hospital offers.
Also, designate someone to communicate with others about what you are going through. My husband called my family and a couple of my friends to let them know. I didn't talk to anyone for several days because I was in such shock and an emotional wreck.
Sorry you might have to join this club.
I was admitted due to a deteriorating placenta at 34w and was told the same thing at d/c 5 days later. They'd try to get me to 38w, but expect to deliver if my OB sent me back due to signs of distress. I was home for 2 days before being sent back after an NST showed decels for Twin A. They were delivered that night.
Despite being on modified bedrest for 6 weeks prior to this, those 2 days were our panic time, and I'm very glad we had them. During that time, I repacked my hospital bag based on what I'd used/not used while in the hospital the previous days, sent DH on a large Sam's Club run for quick, easy meals. I took care of our banking for the month and got our taxes filed (probably not on your radar this time of year). DH got the house as pulled together as possible, and got together with our friends who were going to feed the cats in a pinch and gave them the animal routine rundown and the house key. We washed all of the preemie clothes we'd received as they were both IUGR and we knew they'd likely wear them at first.
Lastly, we tried to relax. We knew that the girls were being closely monitored, had received steroid shots, and ultimately would come when ready. The night before I ended up delivering, DH went out, got take out from one of our favorite restaurants, and we shared that and watched a movie as a 'date night'. I now really treasure that night as it was our last night without babies.
ETA: let everyone know that you won't be able to answer every call. Use email/Facebook as a way to communicate baby status' and let people know you may not be able to call them back right away, but to check XYZ place for baby updates. Our cell service was crap in the hospital, so this was especially important for us.
I only had 8 hours to prepare and thats because one doctor thought my blood pressure was stabalized and decided not to deliver my that night and see if she could wait it out a couple more days (I was 34 weeks and I guess she wanted me to get to 35?).
But the next morning the new on call doctor walked in and said "i'm confused as to why your pregnant" my jaw dropped I couldnt believe he was serious....he is a doctor after all. but he meant still pregnant because my Pre-eclampsia had turned into HELLP Syndrome. I had at least decided during those 8 hours that if I had to go there would be no waiting and they could do the c-section and get my baby out safe. I didnt really have the option that morning...he offered it but was realived that I agreed to the c-section (my health risks went through the roof if I tried to deliver naturally I could have storked or had a seizure and even after the c-section there had been a chance). Because of my health complications I didnt get to see my baby until the day after he was born.
But I think for the most part many of use premie mommies had little to no time to get used to the idea.
I did not know that I was going to deliver early. But the weekend before my husband took pictures of myself being pregnant (these are the only pictures of me being pregnant). And I packed my hospital bag the weekend before--it was more that I was 30 weeks and I thought I should have the bag there just in case. And believe me, when I went into labor there was no time to think about what to take--I could not get my shoes on--so I put on flip flops. It was easier to get my clothes and shoes off to deliver--baby came really fast.
Our NICU had clothes. And they normally wear diapers and swaddle the babies. We received gifts such as Gerbers onesies and other newborn clothes, so I washed them and took them up to the hospital for him. It was my favorite thing to get pictures of the cute clothes people gave us.
Off topic - Irish, I like the photo in your siggy of your baby with the billi light shield. I thought those were funny when my DD wore them, but did not take photos.
OP take photos of yourself pregnant. My mom took photos of me at a party 5 days before delivery. If she hadn't, the only other photos I have are from when I was 28 weeks.