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Preemies
DAYCARE....AHHHH!
I gave birth to my son 10 weeks early in September of last year. Needless to say, my life was complete chaos and all my orginial plans for life went out of the window. Chase spent 2 months in the NICU and I really had no choice but to stay home with him afterwards. He was on the ventilator for a while and every other breathing assistance equiptment there is. He suffers from bronchopulmonary dyslpasia. As many of you already know I am sure...if he happen to have caught RSV or other respiratory illness during this last cold/flu season it could have put him back on the ventilator or even been fatal and so we were stuck inside the house without taking him anywhere besides the doctor until Easter.
We just purchased our home and if we want to financially stay above the water I need to go back to teaching. Before Chase came early, I planned to take 2 months of work and then return. I teach Pre-K in a daycare, so he would be able to be in the baby room or the daycare I work at. We are looking at me going back to work in July and I am BEYOND stressed about putting him in daycare.
I literally have nightmares about it! I am SO stressed about him getting sick and as selfish as it may sounds I am SOOO worried about someone else besides meseeing him crawl or walk or talk for the first time.
I dont know what to do. I consider having a nanny come to the house, but when I factor in how much that will cause vs. what I make it is not even worth it.
I need advise! Do you have your preemie in daycare? If so, how do they handle things like sickness and all?
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Re: DAYCARE....AHHHH!
My daughter was 6 weeks early and I went back to work when she was only 8 weeks old. I cried when I dropped her off, cried the whole way to work and cried most of the day. I called daycare about every 2 hours to check on her and was nervous wreck. She was only about 6lbs when I took her to daycare, she was only 4.6lbs when we brought her home, so of course she was the littlest baby in the nursery.
I had made several trips the daycare prior to her starting to make myself more comfortable and since all my neighborhood kids go there I felt like she'd have someone to look out for her. You have to do what you feel most comfortable with, it's not an easy choice and leaving them that first day is heartbreaking, for you. But as time went on my DD would get excited to see the daycare workers and her little friends. I just recently had to pull her out of daycare because I'm pregnant with baby # 2 and I'm having some complications so I'm on modified bed rest. I felt almost guilty taking her away from her little friends now. Whatever your choice, just make sure you let whoever will care for your child know your expectations up front and be present. Call, stop by unexpectedly, check out their references, make sure you've done your homework so you feel 100% comfortable with who will care for your baby. Good luck.
You know his history best and have to decide whats right. That said.......
I had twins at 24weeks. My surviving son spent 3.5 months in the NICU and did about 4 weeks on the vent 4 on CPAP and was off O2 just over 36 weeks which technically gives him a BPD diagnosis. He was born in July and came home in early Nov. We made the decision to put him in daycare with his brother and he started in the beginning of March. My 2 yo was thriving in daycare and we just felt it really was not fair take him away from his friends/schedule, etc. My preemie has done awesome. He was only rehospitalized fro one night and that was right after he came home from the NICU and was for fever. He did get a few ear infections and had tubes put in around his first birthday but he has handled all URIs ect with no issues. He is now 21 months and loves daycare. He does have mild cerebral palsy and dev delays but I really think daycare plus early intervention is the reason he is doing so well.
If he had started to get sick alot in daycare we would have pulled him and gone the Nanny route but I am so glad it worked out as it did. Can you do a trial run and see how he does.
Good Luck with your decision
My preemie is in daycare 3 days a week. She started when she was around 10 months actual, 7 adjusted. I'm not going to lie, she gets sick a LOT! Anything that's going around, she gets. She's never had to be re-hospitalized though so that's something. She was on daily breathing txs but she stopped those a few weeks ago. At various times this past winter I thought about pulling her out and getting a nanny but she LOVES 'school'. Our pedi kept telling us, 'just make it to April 1st and she'll be a lot healthier' and he was right. She hasn't missed a day of school in April.
It's a really tough decision. Good luck!
My twins are not in daycare but, I wanted to offer my advice.
Something to consider is that you will be putting him in daycare in July, which is past RSV season, and that will give him a chance to be exposed to some germs without the dangers you would be concerned with if it were winter. And a chance to build his immune system prior to this winter.
Its a tough call but you have to do what is best for your family and finances.
I would also suggest talking to your Ped and see what his/her opinion is.
What do your doctors say? How old is he now?
I have a preemie in day care, he was 9 weeks early. But, he was never on breathing support and doesn't have a lung condition now. This is a huge red flag for me and makes me uncomfortable giving advice because what was right for us, may not be right for you.
I will share my experience with you though. I was home with him for 7 months. Like you, I had plans to return to work and ended up not. Since starting daycare (in December 17th, so the worst time of year) he has had 5 ear infections, noravirus, some random fever virus thing, and numerous colds. I really think only a doctor would be able to give you advice about this since he's got an ongoing lung condition.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
I think you are at an advantage because you will be working there - I have a preemie in daycare - she was 22w5d GA at birth and came home around her due date in July - I was home with her the first 3 months she was home but since I had been out of work since she was born I HAD to go back. We hired a nanny because we were still on RSV Lockdown until march. But in February the nanny quit and we put her in daycare. On a developmental/social level daycare has been amazing for her, but she has been consistently sick since her first day. Her doctors all say its normal and Ok but I'll tell you after all these months of all of us being sick (she is generously sharing all her daycare germs with mommy and daddy) I'm getting really tired of it! I'm hoping that it gets better soon like all her doctors say - I cant afford to take any time off of work right now... its a really difficutly decision to put them in but you will be there to check on him all the time and some exposure to germs is good for them at this point. I've always worried about "missing" things - she is at daycare more than she is with me and its inevitable - but she will do it again while I'm watching and I count it as her "First" time.... gl
My girls were born 8 weeks early. They did not need any breathing assistance - just eating and growing mostly with some bradys that needed to go away. They had the RSV shots after leaving the hospital, but we were still on lockdown anyway until the end of April. This is the girls first week in daycare, and I've been a wreck. I suspect one of them already has a cold coming on. Ahgg...
The responses to this entry are helping me feel better though. It sounds like a lot of preemies do get sick a lot, but they also make it through. So we can, too. Thanks for posting this, and thanks for all the responders.