My Journey with My Premature Baby

I am a lucky parent of a healthy child that was born premature. A baby is premature when it is born before the 37th week. I was in my 32th week and had blood pressure problems ever since my 21st week. During my check up during my 36th week the doctor was concerned because of my blood pressure was reading 210/110. He immediately decided we couldn't wait any longer and it was time to have the baby. I was scared of the baby being born early because I had heard of all of the things that could go wrong. The doctor had ordered me to go in the hospital that night and I was induced. I laugh now because the nurse came in at 9:00 pm and said that I would not feel anything til in the morning, my contractions started an hour after she said that. After 12 hours of labor, they decided that because of my blood pressure the baby just wasn't going to be able to be delivered the natural way and off to get a C-section I went.
During my visits with the doctor during the pregnancy I had a lot of sonograms and they all showed that the baby was about 5lbs., she was born at 3lbs. 7oz.

After the birth
Immediately the health professionals will start assessing the baby. There are many risk involved with a baby that has been born early. The first thing they will look at is the weight and they will look to see if any abnormalities in the appearance. Premature babies experience low birth weight. That will associate with not being able to hold body temperature and will have to be put in an incubator that will allow temperature to be maintained by artificial means, that was the first issue that was noticed about my baby. They put her in an incubator and whisked her off to Neo-Natal ICU. I had never been so scared in my life.

Neo-natal ICU
This area of the hospital is staffed with loving caring people who want to help your child thrive to be healthy children. At first parents feel anxiety of not being with the baby and feel that they are missing out on the first moments of the baby's life. I mean who would want a stranger sharing the first moments of the babies life. Some mother's develop a depression during this time. My experience was rough at first, I couldn't stand not being with her. I had a C-section and was walking to the ICU in a matter of 3 hours. I was determined to connect with my daughter as soon as I could. When you first go in there you see so many babies that are receiving care and are overwhelmed by all of the tubes and machines that are in the room. My daughter was in an incubator and receiving oxygen. She had an I.V. in her arm. It hurt me to see her poked with a needle because she was so little. I remember that there was a baby next to her that weighed only 1lb 3oz. And had every machine that you could think of attached to her, that is a sight you never forget. It is said that a baby born as early as the 26th week can survive. I felt at ease once I went in and saw how good the nurses take care of the babies. They show these children the same respect and goodness that they would their own. If you are in this situation get to know the staff and ask any questions that you have. You will feel more at ease when you know everything that you need to know. Because of possible germs when you first arrive you will wash up and put on a gown over your existing clothes. There will be machines that monitor the baby's temperature and breathing. Consult with your doctor and nurse about the strength of the baby and how much it should be out of the incubator. Some babies are not strong enough to be held for long periods. They will start doing genetic testing to make sure that there are no more concerns that need to be addressed. Work with the genetic doctor to the best of your ability. There is a screening panel of questions that they might ask and it may seem like they want to know everything about your life but remember it is for the baby's sake. Telling your history will allow them to zero in on certain things to screen the baby for.

Feeding
Most mothers look forward to feeding their child for the first time. When your child is taken away immediately to the Neo-Natal unit you miss the first real contact that the baby is suppose to have with mom. Some premature infants have problem feeding. If the baby won't feed the doctors will order a feeding tube to be inserted through the child's nose that runs to the stomach. My daughter had a problem adjusting to feeding. I think we must have tried every formula available and even tried breast milk and still had problems. Meanwhile they had a feeding tube that helped her receive her nutrients that she needed.

Risks that premature babies face
Along with low birth weight there are numerous things that babies face the risk of. Some babies are born with abnormalities to their appearance when they are born to early. Others are born with breathing problems because of underdeveloped lungs. Jaundice can occur in infants due to immature liver functioning. Some of the most likely symptoms that premature infants have are low blood sugar, low blood pressure, and anemia.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Problems can occur when babies are born premature due to underdeveloped lungs. Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a fear among newborns in general and greater in premature babies. It is when the lungs can not inflate the air sacs properly. Babies that have RDS will be put on a ventilator and usually recover within two weeks. It does however require some hospitalization.

Inguinal Hernia
Sometimes when born early an infant gets a blockage in the intestines and it bulges to the groin. This sometimes can require surgery.

At Home
The moment of taking the baby home is what every parent lives for. Parents of babies being discharged from NICU maybe required to take newborn CPR for emergencies. Remember as with any newborn there are adjustments to your life that will happen fast. My daughter came home with an Apnea Monitor. The monitor is to help parents know when a baby stops their breathing. I personally can tell you that even if you are a sleeper that can sleep through a tornado you won't sleep through the monitor, there is not a scarier sound to hear. Some babies may come with special care instructions, don't fear you will know what to do when you need to.

Premature babies may look fragile but they need all of the same things that some regular infant needs with a few extra needs attached. I think that it brings you closer to the baby because of all of the attention that you have to devote to the baby. The one thing that I can say as a fellow parent is, knowledge is the key. Go on the internet, ask doctors and nurses, and read books to find out everything that you need. I learned a lot through my adventure and have helped a few of my friends through the experience. Good luck and enjoy the gift you were given in life.