YOUR PREM BABY

Having a premature baby can be a huge shock, and it can be upsetting seeing your tiny, delicate baby hooked up to a respirator or ventilator and intra-venous feeding. Rest assured, though, this high-tech environment with its machines, beeps, low light and strict routines will soon feel like home. It is staffed with angels in the form of highly specialised nurses who will become like family to you. Leaving this safe environment to go home is a day you look forward to, of course, but it can also feel daunting to be “on your own”. Know that you will only be sent home if the doctors are completely comfortable that your baby is ready. You will receive exact information about what to do and who to call.

Invest in a good baby monitor with a heart sensor, more for your sake than Baby’s, so you can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that your baby is monitored. Continue to practise kangaroo care. It goes a long way to reducing stress in you and in your baby and is beneficial to breastfeeding too. Being in contact with your body is the most calming place for your prem baby because of the familiarity of the movement, warmth and sound of your heartbeat and voice.