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Ahead of Schedule
What to Expect When Your Multiples Are Premature
By Amy E. Tracy
It's only natural for babies, who should still be together in the womb, to suck on each other's hands and intertwine their limbs. "It was just so cute when Ben and John were snuggled together," Griffin says. "It made it much easier to leave the hospital – and them – when they were together."
If your NICU doesn't allow co-bedding, ask if your babies' beds can be placed near each other, allowing you to visit them both at the same time. Consult your pediatrician about co-bedding after homecoming. Often, one multiple will come home sooner than the other, causing parents to worry about both parental and sibling separation.
"We encourage parents to call, day or night, and we will even put the telephone near Baby's ear, so he or she can hear a parent's voice," Kledzik says.
She encourages parents to ask specific questions: What position is my baby in? Is my baby using a pacifier? To encourage sibling bonding, some hospitals will allow the discharged baby to visit his brother or sister and co-bed.
To stay healthy, Dr. Bernbaum suggests practicing preventive care by washing hands and avoiding crowds of people who may be carrying germs. Also, ask your doctor about preventive vaccines.
Your babies should have regular visits with their pediatrician and specialists. Even though Griffin's twins had few problems, they still had follow-up appointments with a respiratory therapist, a cardiologist, an ophthalmologist and physical and occupational therapists. "Preemies need close monitoring of their growth, nutrition and development," Dr. Bernbaum says.
Developmentally, experts say that most preemies "catch up" by age 2 or 3. Until then, evaluate your babies' milestones by their "adjusted age" (deduct weeks or months born early from their birth date). Children with more severe delays often take longer. Maureen Van Hoven of Hudsonville, Mich., delivered premature triplets more than four years ago. "When you have multiples, you can't panic when one is delayed more than the other," she says. "Each child will develop at his own rate."
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