FTM- Baby home from NICU after 5 months

Re: FTM- Baby home from NICU after 5 months

• theotheleo22 member

  October 2022

  Hey momma- don't stress! I'm sure you're doing great. I definitely wouldn't wake him for tummy time- just got it in when he's awake. Reading books is great for their development, always. So when lost- read a book! I used to be a daycare teacher and I would read the CDC development milestones that a child would be reaching or striving for, and base my activities around that. For example- if the baby should be starting to reach for things, I would create lots of opportunities for baby to try to reach for interesting toys, or even help baby learn to grab by placing items in their hand and praising they are holding it on their own. At the young baby age it might seem like you're not doing enough, but keep in mind they are brand new and the world is a lot to take in. Congratulations on being home from the hospital - relax now, and enjoy ❤️

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• pastabilities member

  October 2022 edited October 2022

  Hi! I’m also a FTM who just brought my micropreemie home (born at 24w2d; came home on his due date). He’s 6 weeks adjusted. When we first got home our pediatrician suggested we cap daytime naps at 2 hours so he’d start sleeping longer at night (don’t know about you, I thought his schedule would be so regular due to the NICU but he was definitely taking advantage of more personalized attention when he got home 😂). 

  
  

  It took a few weeks to get here but our schedule is usually: wake, diaper if needed to help wake up, feed, then we have to keep him upright for 30 minutes due to reflux during which time we talk to him/make faces/read, then do an activity like tummy time/floor time, then he’s usually getting sleepy again. Sometimes we feed him again especially in the evenings. Usually he wakes around 8am and does two 2-hour naps (one mid/late morning, one mid-afternoon), then a short nap around 6pm and bedtime between 8-9. 

  
  

  It’s been tough to find super relatable content because in some ways he’s like a 6-week old but in other ways he’s like an older baby - for instance he just started smiling, but he’s also rolling over! And he’s awake for longer periods than a typical newborn without getting overtired (like 2 hours as opposed to an hour or 45 minutes). 

  
  

  On the one hand I want to help him catch up, but on the other hand I think both he and us need/deserve extra cuddle time since we lost so much while he was in the nicu. So try not to beat yourself up if you just cuddle and stare at each other when he’s awake sometimes!

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