As parents of a premature baby, the greatest relief is to finally bring the baby home! But it is also the time to extend the most love and care to ensure that your baby grows and develops in a caring environment.
Relax! Here are some tips to help with the growth of a premature baby in a caring and loving environment.
Understand what NICU Paediatrician says!
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is the first home for premature babies. The doctors and nurses here extend a very protective and caring environment to monitor and care for your baby. When you bring your baby home, make sure you practice feedings, bathing the baby and understand the environment needed to be created at home for baby care.
Tailored feeding for preemies
Doctors recommend breastfeeding the babies for at least the first 6 months. But for the premature babies, breast milk might be enhanced a bit to promote healthy growth and nutrition. With better calorie intake, vitamins, minerals, etc and a higher concentration of protein, premature babies grow faster!
Clean and hygienic
Premature babies are prone to infections and rashes. It is important to maintain a clean and hygienic environment around them to protect them from any possible infection. Using cotton clothes, sanitizers, before touching the babies, and giving them a bath every day, helps keep them away from infections.
Feeding timely
In the early days of birth, premature babies take feedings of only about a teaspoon of milk. Therefore there is a need for timely and regular feedings. Feeding them every 2 hours is recommended to provide for nutrition. As the babies grow, their hunger grows too. The feeding portions will increase and they will need feedings about 8-10 times a day. As the portion size keeps increasing the feeding schedule keeps decreasing with time.
Warm and cosy environment
Choosing clothes for baby isn’t as tough as presumed to be. Weather plays a key role. Choose fabrics based on the seasons and dress them up as you would do for yourself. Babies feel hot and cold just like us. Read the signs they give about how they are feeling to address their needs of extra blankets or removing some clothes off them.
Be careful with growth
Babies grow in their own unique way! Premature babies take their own time developing. The earlier they are born, the delayed they get in developing like the babies of their age. Expecting them to ‘catch-up’ with other babies can be disheartening. Be careful to introduce baby food, activities and more to the premature babies as per their growth and development, not always as per their age!
Handling a premature baby can be challenging for a mother! But it is the love and care that will help you keep going!
