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Welcome Home, Little One

Bringing Your Preemie Home

By Katherine Bontrager

Angela Ardolf's daughter was born seven weeks premature, and it was another eight weeks before she was allowed to bring her home. For this Minneapolis mom, the hardest part about bringing her daughter home was giving up the safety of the highly trained nurses and doctors.

"I spent hours watching my daughter's heart rate on her monitor at the hospital, and I had to let go of that security net when she came home," says Ardolf. "It helps to have your baby sleep in a bassinet or crib near your bed for those first few weeks you're weaning yourself off relying on monitors to track your baby's vital signs."

This sleeping arrangement also keeps the infant close at hand for those almost-constant feedings newborns demand – not to mention the resulting dirty diapers.

"As a mom, having a preemie is one of the most frightening experiences ever," says Pat Wyman, an educational expert, author and mother of two preemies. "Both of my kids were six weeks early, and my son was taken away without me even seeing him because he wasn't breathing. I couldn't see him until the next day and even then thought he wouldn't live."

To help deal with the panic and fear, Wyman turned to family and friends for emotional support and turned to doctors and nurses for information. "Once you get over the initial fears, knowledge is your best friend," she says.

Part of the knowledge parents need to acquire is what to expect at each step of their child's development. "If anything is delayed, parents can work with their child and strengthen those areas," says Wyman. "It's important for parents to be almost hyper-aware of the developmental stages and make sure their child gets the very best experiences during those stages."

Want to see more?

• Preemie Problems: Learn What to Expect and
  How to Cope
• The Kangaroo Care Method: Safe, Gentle Bonding Benefits Preemies
• Breastfeeding a Preemie: A New Mom's Experience
• Talk about it!

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