Things to consider during pregnancy
As you’re shopping for clothes for the arrival of your baby, you may want to have a few premature onesies on hand for an unexpected early labor. It is not easy to find premature clothes, as it is newborn and up. If you’re concerned about having premature size clothing that your baby won’t be able to wear, save your receipts, keep the tags on, and don’t wash some or all of the clothing before the baby is born because if you don’t need them, you may be able to return them. You can also donate clothing to a family (maybe at the NICU) or sell the items (perhaps at Once Upon A Time or another consignment shop).
Women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are more likely to have their baby preterm. Read more on diabetes and pregnancy.
You have a premature baby
A provider may tell you that your child may be behind in comparison to other children growing up. This could be a reality, but I wouldn’t give this much thought. When going to pediatrician appointments, the pediatrician, may put your baby at the age that the baby was “supposed to be born”. For example: If the baby is 1-year, born 3-months premature, the baby may likely hit milestones associated with a 9-month old to account for the early birth date. This is not always the case, but this could be a possibility. They call this premature age adjustment.
I’m a premie who was born 3-months earlier than expected. Despite what the doctor told my parents, I thrived as a baby. I personally think a baby is born on their birthday and is capable of growing. However, every child is different. If you want, you can inform preschool teachers and health professionals of your child being a premature, but it is not necessary.
If your baby was born early, you have 2 important days to mark on the calendar: the day your baby was born and your estimated due date.
When you measure your baby’s development—that is, when you look at what is “normal” for your baby’s age—consider both of those dates. By looking at the difference between them, you can adjust your baby’s calendar age to account for prematurity and calculate his or her corrected age.
Corrected Age for Premies, healthychildren.org
Be gentle with yourself. Do your best to stay out of your head, get off the internet, surround yourself with love, and get therapy if you can to process the birth of your baby and the rebirth of you!
Navigating the NICU
You may not feel connected to or with your baby. Remember, you’re also going through a lot and it may be difficult for you to feel connected with self. Give yourself time and give you and the baby time. It’s also different to have your baby here in this realm, when they were once inside of your womb. This is two different realities that can be difficult for anyone to adjust to no matter the circumstances, but even more for someone who had a baby come at an unexpected time.
You may feel overwhelmed with how your baby looks. Seeing your baby connected to wires and gauze, along with all of the sounds may be stressful. It may even cause you to think that you can’t hold your baby. However, the nursing staff should guide you through the do’s and don’ts. It may even hurt to think that you don’t think your precious child is adorable/cute. As with all newborns, your baby will grow into his or her features. Think about it from this perspective, you don’t look at your best when you’re healing.
Majority of this article was written from Melissa Harris’ experience. Read 5 Tips for Parents Navigating the NICU With Premature Infants to learn more from Melissa Harris who had a premature baby at 24-weeks gestation.
