How Prepared For Your Preemie Were You?

cottonlily84 · July 2011

Of course I'm hoping to go full term but with an IC I'm trying to be basically prepared for anything. Since I already suspect I'm might go early what should I stockpile especially for preemies? I'm on bedrest so at least ordering stuff will give me something to do.

If she's really early I know she'll be in the NICU but I don't know what I need to bring there if anything. I'm going to BF so I was already planning on buying a pump. If she's tiny do I need something for the carseat for when she does get to come home?

urbanflowerpot · July 2011

DS is about to get fussy on me, so I'll tell you that I wished someone had told me to buy a nursing cover-up immediately! I couldn't believe that I didn't think of that...all those weeks I pumped crouched behind screens could have been avoided.

My favorite product was a Pack-It lunchbox/icebag for transporting milk - built-in packs & folds up for easy carrying home - get it off Amazon.

Uhhmm...extra photos for incubator/crib. Blankets that smell like you. Preemie hats, footless sleepers (no zipper). Some books for the bedside. Hand sanitizer. Anti-bacterial soap. Tons of butt cream for home. BRU has good prem outfits. OH, you could get the Preemie book - called "Preemies." also there is a good baby book to doc your trip through NICU (KCK made supplemental pages for baby books if you don't get one of those - she'll post I'm sure).

That's all I've got for now Welcome & GL!

kck329 · July 2011

Like urbanflowerpot, I was not at all prepared for my preemie-I had a perfectly normal pregnancy until the day she was born (undiagnosed IC).

Things that are good for the NICU--

--For you: comfortable clothes, hands free pumping bra (see if you can use a hospital pump in the NICU its much faster than the ones you can buy), nursing cover, notebook to keep track of LO's progress, shirts that button or open in the front for kangaroo care

--For your baby: cute blankets to decorate the isolette, pictures of your family, tiny hats and socks, preemie clothes (but not too many, depending on when your LO comes she may not be able to wear clothes for awhile and can wear newborn sizes even if they are big), signs to decorate the baby's area, the NICU will supply most other things

--At home: the most popular baby product here is the FP Rock n Play, I think we all have it and love it, a wrap/carrier, lots of room in the freezer for your milk stash, white noise machine (your baby will be used to the noises from the NICU)

Oh and the baby book supplements are here: Boy Version and Girl Version

Good luck and I hope you don't have to join us for a long time!

kck329 · July 2011

PS-when you pick out preemie outfits make sure they are footless and avoid zippers so LO can wear them with all the leads and chords in the NICU.

Here is a link to another post that has some good info for you too.

tigers413 · July 2011

I wasn't prepared for my LO the night I intro'd myself here I started to have contractions the next day. Needless to say I was in the hospital for almost 2 months. I would lurk here and get some ideas and stuff. This board has been really helpful on recommendations for books and sites that I can read up on.

taggiecb · July 2011

I really didn't bring anything to the NICU for my LO. He had a nice blanket, he had a little Christmas decoration, and a picture that my 6 year old drew for him. I bought a few outfits, but didn't really wear them on him.

caitdana · July 2011

I thought (and prayed) I would make it to 32 weeks. No one really thought they would come at 27 weeks. One of the few upsides to NICU time is they teach you a lot, help you to know what "extras" you will need and give you that extra to get the extra things. Only things that I think we would have gotten differnt from full term babies is preemie clothes and a reflux mat. Everything else is typical full term newborn stuff.

jjilly7 · July 2011

i wasn't prepared, cause i ws fine til the day i went to hospital and was told he had to come out due to HELLP.

Anyway, all the PP's are good...the only thing i wish i thought of to do while there was take pics of him next to items to really show his small size...like an envelope or something. i really wish i would have thought to get imprints of his footprints. Just little things like that to remember his tiny size, cause it is hard thinking back, or explaining it to people. i always thought i would be the mom to write down everything once i had a baby.....and w/ the craziness of the nicu life, and how stressful it was once he was home, i didn't think of it, or do it..so, that is something i wish i did. write everything down during our nicu stay..

damabo80 · July 2011

I would check out the NICU that your LOs woul b going to. In ours, each baby had their own private hospital room, so I didn't need to worry about pumping/nursing covers or anything like that. I just closed the door, adjusted the blinds, and it was nekkid time.

Honestly, we didn't really bring/buy much. We didn't know that we could bring anything until much later, and the NICU supplied everything.

Two things that you will want:

-A hands free pumping bra is key. I have two, since they do get dirty (sometimes milk leaks out the bottom of the plastic).

-Black and white pictures of you and DH to hang up in her bed. Black and white because babies like looking at those colors.

We had a lot of clothes, hats, booties, and blankets donated by volunteers, so we didn't really bring much until she was bigger, and could fit into some of the preemie and smaller NB stuff we already had.

I got the Preemies book from the library.

elisbu · July 2011

we had less than 24 hour notice that she was coming. Luckily my IL 'sand my parents were there to help.

Like PP said the hands free pumping bra is key for NICU.

We had to wash our own pump pieces so we had dye free/scent free dish soap in her drawer.

We were able to dress LO everyday, the preemie clothes were big on her for a while, and she wore them after we got home, so it was worth the money to get a few sleepers that she could wear day and night. We used footed PJs to keep her feet warm, but buttons only so she could wear her leads.

We labled books, bottles, clothes, and blankets with her name. NICU is pretty safe, but I still had times where our blankets were tossed into the main laundry bin and I would have to dig it out. Bottles were a waste of time. She would only take the NICU bottle, even WEEKS after we came home. Luckily we had a great nurse that filled a bag for us one day.

One of the best things was that my IL's took our dog for about 4 weeks. We were able to be at NICU all day without worrying about her being stuck inside. Plus we got to be home for awhile with LO before the dog came back.

You can never really be prepared, but you got a lot of good advice here! Good Luck.

Edit: most NICU's will not let you add anything to a carseat. dont buy anything yet until you know for sure.

Deblondie1 · July 2011

We had zero time to prepare. My pregnancy was textbook right up until the day my bag of waters was outside my body and I was being rushed to the emergency room. Emily was born 10hrs later. The only thing I can think of that PPs haven't mentioned (or I missed it!) is that if your NICU allows it, sign up for Primary nurses! I know this isn't really a "thing you can buy" but it will make your NICU journey so much less stressful. They really get to know your LO so I was able to trust them so much more than a nurse we had only had once or twice.

And we went all out decorating Emily's issolette LOL Princess stuff everywhere. It made it easier for us, considering we knew we would be there for so long. And we have taken pictures almost everyday. Another thing you can try to make the journey less stressful is to blog about your LOs progress. I know some of the other moms on here did that. This way you don't have to go through the update spiel to a bunch of different people. It may not seem like a big deal right now but I remember back when Emily was having bad days it was all I could do to fake a smile in my voice for 20 different people.

Also we didn't buy a ton of preemie clothes. By the time E was allowed to wear them, she had almost outgrown everything. We were lucky if she wore things more than once. We aren't even home yet and she has already outgrown some of her NB size clothes. Just something to think about.

I think that's all I can think of. Otherwise, all the PPs covered every base! Oh, and welcome! The ladies here are seriously the best, very supportive and kind.

Kate621 · July 2011

I was able to make it a week on bedrest before LO was born. We weren't prepared at all. I was pretty much in denial for the whole week before he was born. Emotionally I'm not sure there is anything you can do to prepare besides asking for a tour of the NICU. What you will need will really depend on when you deliver. My ds came home at 6lbs and was in newborn diapers and clothes so we didn't really need anything special. I hope you are able to keep that baby cooking for many more weeks! Good luck!

shanlubey · July 2011

I lost DS' twin on December 5. I delivered him on the 7th. I had 7 weeks and 3 days to prepare for a preemie. I didn't expect to make it to viability, but I made it two weeks beyond. I was emotionally prepared and very strong while he was in the NICU. I wasn't prepared for him to come home on O2 and that was a shocker.

I only needed my Dr Sears The Premature Baby Book, books to read to LO, a blanket for over his isolette and one to cuddle him with during Kangaroo Care. Everything else we were about to get while not at the NICU. I unfortunately didn't have a newborn, so I could run to Target or BRU for whatever frills I wanted. You don't need much in the NICU but patience. The hospitals usually supply the rest.

lemen99 · July 2011

To be honest, I wouldn't worry about it yet. There isn't a lot you'll need and hopefully you wont' have an early preemie! I didn't have any warning, delivered at 26 weeks due to IC...I didn't have anything...

I ended up renting a pump from the hospital. Great idea because the hospital grade pumps are better than the ones you can buy...and I didn't have to deal with the stress of going to buy a pump or spending the money if it didn't work out. Pumping went well, so after a month of renting, then I purchased one. I was able to get evertyhing I needed to pump from the hospital. You will want to figure out a way to pump hands free,

If born really early, your LO wont need clothes for a long time. We didnt buy any preemie clothes, when he was finally able to wear them, we used the hospital's.

once he was born we did a little decoration in his cubicle but not a ton. We brought in some books etc to read to him. Eventually I brought a boppy in but not until he was 34 weeks GA.

andrew didn't come home until 3 weeks after his due date, so he was big and fit well in our large safeseat Graco car seat....

T&P that LO stays in much longer!

str8ota · July 2011

Kate621:
I was able to make it a week on bedrest before LO was born. We weren't prepared at all. I was pretty much in denial for the whole week before he was born. Emotionally I'm not sure there is anything you can do to prepare besides asking for a tour of the NICU. What you will need will really depend on when you deliver. My ds came home at 6lbs and was in newborn diapers and clothes so we didn't really need anything special. I hope you are able to keep that baby cooking for many more weeks! Good luck!

I was on hospital bed rest and knew for 4 weeks she would be premature but I couldn't bring myself to prepare for anything because of the fear of not knowing. If you have a lot of people in your life who can help then I would just let everything be right now, should your DC come early and not be in the NICU long then family and friends can help by picking things up for you to help. If DC is in the NICU for some time then you'll have a better idea of what you will need when the baby comes home. GL!

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