What are
/r/NICUParents'
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/NICUParents:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/NICUParents:
The most popular reviews in /r/NICUParents:
Welcome to the club no one wants to join! You are doing well,but remember things can change in a heartbeat, literally. The good news is there are lots of us out here, lots of resources and lots of supports. I really recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SS53O8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child. My 24 weeker, 776 grams, 82 days in the NICU, is 25 yrs old now. The roller coaster continues after the NICU, but she has a BS in biology, and is planning to start pastry school in September, despite multiple disabilities.
Congratulations on the birth of your son!
And welcome to the club no one ever wants to be a part of.
A few things:
-Facebook has a wonderful resource, a group called Micropreemie Parents (formerly micropreemie moms) that has been amazing to ask questions or even just see success stories of other micros
- try not to google things. Just don’t do it.
-the first week or so is called the honeymoon period. It will come to an end at some point. This is normal. And scary.
-ask all your questions to baby’s doctors, nurses, respiratory team. They love to answer them, no matter how silly you may think they are.
-take it one day at a time
-celebrate the little things, these were my absolute favorite NICU Photo Cards from Every Tiny Thing - Celebrate The Special Milestone Moments in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752VG1WP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_lBf.Fb9N7VA94
-you can try us at r/micropreemieparents but it’s not been a very active community, the Facebook group is much more active.
My son was born 24+1 at a lb and a half in March just as lockdowns started. He was on several different ventilators for many weeks, spent 121 days total and had three surgeries. He’s home now on oxygen and thriving, even as we isolate from everyone to keep him safe. If you have any questions I can do my best to answer them
I’m working my way through this one while at the nicu. It’s a little outdated but it’s got a ton of valuable info. Shoutout u/phgreene88 for the suggestion ����
Preemies - Second Edition: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416572325/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9U8OBbNFTJ72G
Former pirate baby here; we had pretty decent luck with the Ortopad ones, and found them cheapest on Amazon. Getting them on without feeling like I was poking him in the eye was the hardest part for me, but he didn't seem to notice or mind too much once it was on so long as it had a good seal around the edge. Once any part started pulling off, that was usually the end of it.
Https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WK8PB7T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_XXY7R9AXT7XBXD361KFV
Levana Oma Sense Baby Breathing Movement Monitor - Baby Sleep Monitor With Wakeup Technology - Rousing Vibrations, Audio & Lights Stimulates Baby & Alerts Parents - Safety Baby Essentials For Newborn https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCDMPM3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_0Z4GV7VY67AQ86ZRD0GS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 this is the one I use
This and the owlet saved my sons life I truly believe. He had issues with reflux after having a tube in the NICU and he’d stop breathing if he had any. I almost lost him one day when I didn’t notice and he turned blue and needed suction, stimulation, etc. That was before this monitor. This monitor doesn’t link to wifi or anything, just monitors if their belly goes up and down and let’s you know if it stops, which is obviously going to happen before they desat. People will tell you not to use these, but I’d rather wake up due to a false alarm then lose my son.
Best of luck to you. We were also monitor watchers and were in the NICU for 8~ weeks. It gets easier, but I’m only 6 months in and I still use this stuff. I’m sure I’ll be using it until he’s a teenager at this rate lol. I guess I’m just not as strong as some others.
My biggest life savor was this product: Breathing Monitor
It was the only thing that actually let me sort if sleep! Other than that, everything else was just a huge learning curve between my husband and I.
Good luck and congratulations!
Our baby girl is oxygen dependent and will be her whole life. We've been home from the NICU for 3 1/2 weeks. These are things that have made my life easier.
Know your babies patterns if she is going home with a monitor. It will help with a lot of stress. I learned that my little one desats and her heart rate goes up momentarily while she poops and that saved us a lot of anxiety.
Get at least one if not 2 extension tubes from your oxygen company. They will make life so much more mobile. If you only need it for travel then ask for the small travel tanks! They're pretty small!!
If you have two floors, many companies will provide you with 2 concentrators, one for each floor, so you don't have to deal with even more tubing.
We hated seeing the stickers on lilys face so we use tegaderm. You can buy it on Amazon in a roll and then just cut small strips. We tape her cannula down by her ears.
Cannulas will get dirty so make sure you watch for gunk build up.
Our little one gets pretty congested from her cannula as well and this is the only suction that works (and we have a hospital grade suction too)
OCCObaby Baby Nasal Aspirator - Safe Hygienic and Quick Battery Operated Nose Cleaner with 3 Sizes of Nose Tips and Oral Snot Sucker for Newborns and Toddlers (Limited Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01962MDHA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ipZ0Ab1GWMDQ8
If you go home with a monitor you'll get used to it :) it's actually quite nice!
And like others said, your babe may need light/noise to sleep because of the NICU. Ours sleeps with a dim light on and then her concentrator makes noise but we also have a music box to help her sleep.
If you ever have any questions don't hesitate to reach out!
I think we ended up with the 6 mLs because I couldn't find (affordable) 5mLs at the time. I ended up preferring the 6 mLs to drawing up right to the end of the markings. There was less wobble in the plunger and they are marked in US customary units, too, which is helpful for OTC medications.
These Covidien Monoject 1 mL syringes come with caps. There are other sizes; we've used the 1 mL and the 6 mL. They fit the caps we got from the pharmacy and these caps when the pharmacy didn't give us caps or when we wanted them for OTC stuff.
If you can make it work with your work schedule, I definitely recommend asking for someone to come weekly to help with movement (gross motor skills) and drinking (I think that falls under feeding therapy).
Even if you don’t think it’s desperately necessary, having more visits can’t hurt. And if you get to the point you don’t need it at all, you can always cut back or stop the visits.
Also, for drinking issues, have you tried the Rubbermaid Litterless Juice Box ? It was a total game changer for my son.
More clothes. I expected to be in the hospital for a day or two before going home. Ended up having two pairs of everything for 7 days in the hospital before I went back home.
I think more to your question, though. Whatever restaurants are in the hospital, gift cards are great. I still get anxious when walking into a Panera because I ate there so much during the two-month hospital stay.
Additionally, black and white, high contrast baby books are a great thing to give. It gives the newborns some stimulation during their active awake periods, and makes the parents feel like they are doing something for their kids. My daughter is nearly two and still loves the Hello Baby Animals book that we used in the NICU.
Preemies (2nd edition) is a helpful book with so much good information
Hi! My daughter was the exact same. We ended up seeing a feeding therapist who did a great job explaining why she preferred the disposal nipple. They have a harder texture than most other nipples, so my daughter needed the increased sensory experience to have a good feeding.
They recommended we not wash the disposable nipples because over time, the nipple hole erodes and it creates confusion for baby because they will ultimately end up having different flow rates at each feeding.
The bottle that ended up working for us is this one: https://www.amazon.com/First-Essentials-NUK-clearview-bottle/dp/B01N2OLG66/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=QRRCCEVHL0Q5&keywords=gerber+first+essentials+bottles&qid=1665630359&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjAyIiwicXNhIjoiMy41MyIsInFzcCI6IjMuMjQifQ%3D%3D&am...
I hope this information helps and I hope you find something that works for you!! At the very least, these bottles are incredibly cheap :)
nose frida works wonders than the bulb.
ADVICE: BUY A HANDS FREE PUMPING BRA ASAP. My favorite is the Momcozy from Amazon for a variety of reasons. It's cotton, affordable (just 20 bucks so you can afford to get more than one), the sizes are generous, comfortable enough to wear to sleep, and they hold the flanges very well. They're not the most attractive bras but they were a life-saver when I needed something ASAP. In fact, 1 year of pumping later, and at least 4 different pumping bras later, I still change into them for pumping at home because they fit the best.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JW8M57B/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
this stuff was a total and complete game changer for us. Talk to your doctor first obviously but this was soooo much better.
My 34 weeker came home at 3lbs 15oz after 5 weeks in the NICU.
We got this Halo swaddle sack. The pink and blue come in preemie size. This was super helpful. We ended up buying 2 because our kid is a puker.
We got some preemie clothes from H&M. The kimono onesies were a life saver.
These Carter’s socks were the only ones that would stay on her feet.
I tried the owlet and it didn't work at all. It wouldn't show her average o2 even after readjusting it and wearing for more that 12 hours.
We've heard good things about this one and will be getting it when we have to return the one that we got from the dme provider when she's off oxygen.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082BJ1844/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_6RSDVDRXNB5AWNWA8SVR
Avent has two 0 miynths nipples - one is white and the other with a yellow tag on the package. The white one is the smallest nipple - it's called first flow.
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-Natural-First-Nipple/dp/B00PF83RAM
We used dr browns transition nipples. It’s a step between newborn and level one. The speech therapist said it is the closest nipple to the Similac slow flow (yellow). We used the transitions from January until the end of June. We attempted to move to level one a few times but he just wasn’t ready for it. transition nipples
I got the Halo swaddle sack here on Amazon. The pink and blue only come in preemie size. The other colors don’t come in preemie size. We used the preemie size for about a month then transitioned to newborn size.
That stuff was so gross. We talked to our doctor and he approved this way better tasting stuff which my baby seemed to keep down a little better.
Obviously talk to your dr first but this was a game changer for us. Good luck!
My elder one never took any bottle. Younger one who is ex 28 weeker (adjusted 3 days) started with
Similac Slow Flow Ready to Use... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MH1OLU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
and then Dr Browns Options+ size P and size 1. He didn’t like Phillips Avent bottles. I think babies have preferences in terms of nipper material and texture. PS the Simillac is actually faster than Dr brown’s size 1
I’ve always stuck to basics, like dawn, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, etc. This is my favorite for disinfecting without the strong Lysol smell, plus it’s really convenient. I definitely wasn’t making my own stuff when my baby was just home from the hospital, lol
https://www.amazon.com/CleanSmart-Surface-Bacteria-Chemical-sanitizer/dp/B011AJRJZI
I found this book to be helpful and not too long and overwhelming! It is Canadian so I’m not 100% sure if it’s available on Amazon.com if you’re in the states.
https://www.amazon.ca/Preemie-Care-Guide-Navigating-Premature/dp/1999044304/ref=nodl_#
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WW25WTF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
​
he loves it.
1 - I would ask if your milk can be used first before donor milk. If you are not getting the advocacy you need, reach out to a nearby malpractice lawyer to act as your "patient advocate." Internally hospitals have patient advocates, but since they are paid by the hospital, they functionally serve more as HR lol. I would also write everything down, so you have a dated record, should you need in the future.
2- I would sandwich by saying something like, "Thank you so much for all of your support caring for my lo. I can really see the improvement (or some other relevant compliment). What do you think about me getting involved more in care? I'd really love to learn what you all are doing so that I can take it home with us, when we get out. You guys really are the experts (or some other compliment), so I trust your opinion, but I'm hoping we can work together on this." The intent is to 1 - give a compliment 2 - make the ask by using a question and 3 - compliment again, reinforcing the ask.
​
Hope this helps!
NICU was SO HARD. Waiting every day to walk outside with your baby, the countless feeds, praying your baby gets enough nutrition, questioning what went wrong. It's so hard. I am praying for you and I hope that prayer and the thought of the NICU babies that make it out give you hope that your time is coming soon, and that this experience will make you and baby stronger. <3
PS - While you are in NICU, writing in a journal can help. This one also helps you keep track of the baby.
It looks like actually they only have the one with the iron (I didn’t even know there was one without iron!) but here you go! I’d check with your dr as well, but this was a HUGE game changer for us.
My little one has a g tube. Bottle aversion was definitely at play there at least partially. One book the helper tremendously was this book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Babys-Bottle-feeding-Aversion-Solutions-ebook/dp/B076PWRHH2/ref=nodl_
It made a night and day difference in my baby.
Maybe some nurse accessories will do help. The nurse coffee tumbler, pen, candle, etc. I bought a tumbler for my nurse friend as a BD gift tho not expensive. She loves it so much.
My NICU had this whale music player. We could use the app to record stories or sing our own lullabies. I don't know about heartbeat, but I bet there are a variety of players like this out there.
Commenting again because I found a book that looks really helpful for the parenting/coping side of things that I just purchased, called “Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child” by Deborah Davis!
If it’s totally life changing I’ll be sure to make a post about it in this sub 😊
Congratulations on the birth of your sons!
I used NICU milestone cards and they were great. I have all the pics compiled in an albums on my phone and it’s a great way to flip through randomly and see how he grew! (He was a 24 weeker, and now he’s 3 years old). These are the brand I had. I loved these. The company was founded by a NICU nurse. Honestly I hadn’t thought about the journey when I go them, so seeing cards like “no more IVs” and “eating on my own” gave me something to look forward to. This brand also does a journal.
One thing I did not do but wish I did is get a stuffed animal about the same length as my kiddo. Lots of people do this and then take a pic at discharge or first birthday to see how much kiddo’s grown. I love seeing those photos.
We also use a chewy tube - you can put crunchy things inside it, and stick it in their cheek so they'll chew on it. My son chews on everything except food, basically. We kinda have to muscle this in there a little bit, but our speech therapist does it and counts his chews out loud and encourages him to do it. If you put crunchy things inside, they'll have that sensory input of crunchy food. This one has been challenging, but beneficial.
I can only imagine how scary that was for you. I'm glad he is stable again now, though. Please consider getting a NICU journal to record and document these medical issues. If you don't already have one, this one is good.
oh No! I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this...that your 2 year old is going through this. You know this makes me think that having a NICU journal could help to look back on for information. I can recommend this one for anyone with a baby in the NICU right now.
Thank you for sharing this information and spreading awareness. I'm sure many will benefit from this information.
Absolutely adorable! Amazing moments like this are so precious. Do you have a NICU journal yet to document these moments (alongside the medical information)? I highly recommend getting one. I can personally recommend this one on Amazon.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I delivered at 29w after a short hospital stay for pre-e and completely understand how you must be feeling right now. Here are some things that helped during my NICU stay and some things that I wish I would have known or done:
-I’m a big Instagram user so finding a community there was huge in helping me feel less alone. @dearnicumama is a great one, so is @preemiemotherhood. If you plan to pump when baby arrives, @onewiththepump and @bemybreastfriend are huge helps and make pumping a little less awful.
-I so highly recommend getting a NICU journal ($6 on Amazon and filling it out every day. In the moment I felt like I didn’t want to remember our journey but I regret that and wish I had more exact information to give her doctors now, like how long she was on oxygen for, etc.
-I highly recommend getting NICU milestone cards! Every single milestone is so worthy of celebration in the NICU, and they have specific cards like “moving to an open crib” and “doubled my birth weight”.
-If you’re a reader, I found that books describing the NICU experience really have helped in my healing journey. There are a few, but my favorite was Girl in Glass by Deanna Fei.
-If your hospital allows it and you vibe with a particular nurse or two, you can request for them to be your primary. Having the same nurses was huge in my daughters care and my own mental well-being.
I wish you and your family the best of luck! Remember that your baby girl is an absolute warrior who will just blow you away with her strength and determination ❤️
There are bandaid buttons for on her skin. Check out these tender grips- they're for oxygen, but they work for any tube. We used them both in and out of the hospital. Just get some adhesive remover, too. I think the brand is Removall, or maybe uni-solve.
You might try pacifier clips on her clothes. We put our kids' oxygen tubes down their clothes, but we managed to miss the ng so I'm not sure about that. I don't see why it wouldn't work, though.
Amazon has it cheaper than a lot of brick and mortar types. 6 cans for $114/97 with subscribe and save.
Enfamil NeuroPro EnfaCare Premature Baby Formula Milk-Based with Iron, Brain-Building DHA, Vitamins & Minerals for Immune Health, Powder Can, 76.8 Oz, 6 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HG52FYX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1GC92V3MWS87PNPTCWB3
Ask lots of questions. Find out when care times are and what you can do. Find out when doctors do morning rounds and ask if you can be there to hear what they have to say. Ask what you can do. Our hospital had little scent cloths that we traded out, you put it where it’ll pick up your smell (like moms bra) and then put it by baby, I traded them out daily. Nicu milestone cards are great, they help you celebrate every little thing, like weeks of gestation, lbs hit, getting off ventilator, etc. that are unique to nicu babies. There’s a few great micropreemie specific support groups on Facebook that are great as well for micro specific questions or concerns.
My guy was born 24+1 so just a bit later than your daughter. The first several weeks were the scariest but we didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until we brought him home. With his prematurity and the state of his lungs we’ve isolated to keep him from ending up back into the hospital, it’s been a long road but the smiles and snuggles make it all worth it. He’s 18.5 months actual/15 adjusted and walking more steady with every day.
Here’s the set of cards we got and loved, it looks like they’ve made some neat updates since we bought ours!
NICU Photo Cards from Every Tiny Thing - Celebrate The Special Milestone Moments in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752VG1WP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KYA0VS4PZ0BQ5CPF7168
One of my twins started rolling around 4 weeks (almost all the way over), so our PT recommended a transition sleep sack for newborns.
This is the brand we chose - and it’s working well so far
There is a size between Preemie and 1 with Dr. Browns nipples, called “newborn” or “transitional.” They aren’t at Target or Walmart but they are available through Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YZZZF3J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HYP3PHX6BHTF7XCMQN9Z
Our NICU had my daughter using these nipples as the 1 was too fast for her and the Preemie was too slow. They’re a game changer!!
With or without a GI tube, these were or tops that are similar a life saver:
Carter's Baby Boys 4-Pack Cotton Kimono Tees https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HEFZE5E/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_8TTEB9NX6WPV1MK1E02M
Congrats! Some things I can think off the top of my head that really helped out when my son came home was getting a long oxygen tube do you can keep the machine in one spot and shorter one for night, white hypafix tape (comes off easier after soaking in water and was gentler than the typical tegaderm on my sons sensitive skin - you can even cut out hearts with the tape), and when the hypafix is being tricky, these adhesive remover strips. I would only use oxygen tanks for walks and appointments and try to get used to the insurance-issued machine. It sucked for us having to lug it up stairs and everything, but it’s only temporary. Best wishes!
Congratulations on coming home!! My son has a trach and ventilator, so our DME provides a Masimo pulse ox (same brand as many of the NICUs out there... same probe they wear in the hospital), but it's a bulky system so the subject of alternative pulse ox comes up in the trach group on facebook frequently. Many say they don't like Owlet because you can't adjust the oxygen level alarm settings at all, which is fairly important on an individual basis (my son's alarms at 85, because he wiggles a lot, so it'll falsely claim he's desaturating a lot when it's not picking up). BUT, I've seen quite a few parents in that group say they love this wearable baby pulse ox.
There's a book with many terms called Preemie Parent Survival Guide to the NICU. It's very informative so may help your wife with any she's missed.
.https://www.amazon.com/dp/173484700X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_XC7MDQB3Q8NBS8G62RQ6
I agree with the posts about postpartum trauma from the NICU experience. Everyone's experience is different, and although it's hard not to compare our stories and think 'oh they had it worse, I shouldn't feel this way', I had to learn that all of my feelings, emotions, and responses were valid, should be respected and not dismissed. Going to a postpartum specific counselor was very helpful for me! It's also been helpful uncovering why I think or respond to things differently almost 2 years after my experience. For example, I realized anytime my baby is sick with a cold or something, I have a lot more anxiety and it is a trigger for me. Realizing that is helping me to be more compassionate to myself during those times. I also had a family member gift this book to me - I highly recommend! It helped me start to name the emotions I was feeling and a good starting point to process the NICU trauma. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/098983414X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_K436RM6YE9F222TBWFZK
There’s some great ideas here, I’ll add Nicu milestone photo cards (Amazon link below), and if she plans to pump or eventually breastfeed a nursing cover is amazing for when you have to pump and talk to baby’s doctor at the same time. And a good hands free pumping bra
NICU Photo Cards from Every Tiny Thing - Celebrate The Special Milestone Moments in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752VG1WP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_76RXK4ZCCK43197DJC1E
Congrats on your son coming home soon. We had our daughter at 28+2. Spent 70 days in the NICU. The thing that was essential for us was a bottle sterilizing machine. I highly recommend the Wabi. https://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Baby-Electric-Steam-Sterilizer/dp/B07CTK7X15/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=wabi+bottle+sterilizer&qid=1618932736&sr=8-5
Phone Holder Bed Gooseneck Mount - Lamicall Flexible Arm 360 Mount Clip Bracket Clamp Stand for Cell Phone XS Max XR X 8 7 6 Plus 5 4, S10 S9 S8 S7 S6, Overall Length 33.4In(Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLF1KMB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Z0PJ4HQ4XBR2QSHAXAR8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
We attached this to our chairs and watched our favorite movies and sports teams with our little guy. Helped give us that home comfort while staying hands free
I was on bed rest for 5 weeks, from week 21 on. It was supposed to be until week 34, but I didn’t make it and delivered in week 26.
This was pre-COVID so I’m sure things are different but I wasn’t bored at all because every 20 minutes someone would walk in. A nurse, the cleaning staff, the meal service... I was so exhausted and couldn’t even sleep through the night because the vitals checks they would do. I hope you get to be more rested than that but I always laughed when the staff told me I was there to rest. Basically I read and browsed the internet and one of the nurses tried to teach me to crochet. My husband would visit in the evenings (we didn’t have any other children). I found the days went pretty fast.
I did buy the book Preemies and asked for a tour of the NICU so I knew what to expect. Oh, and buy a hands-free pumping bra now if you don’t already have one!
Best of luck. 💛
Congrats on your little one! Take things day-by-day and little achievement by little achievement. I found this journal helpful for documenting little victories/changes each day. Good luck and best wishes to you!! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G9RXQJP?pf_rd_r=9G4DDPEVPS45D2D5Z4DG&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=e7f4ce88-6912-4fb3-8594-b3376c91defc&pd_rd_w=zGFNb&pd_rd_wg=2lfN0&ref_=pd_gw_unk
This is what I am currently using and it seems to have helped me a lot:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ES85AFY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
But if that doesn't work, don't beat yourself up over this. A fed baby is best and there is nothing wrong with formula. I also heard that Enfamil is way easier on your LO's tummy than similac.
Congrats! Your child is truly a miracle and that’s great that you want to find ways to celebrate. I think getting NICU milestone cards (like these) will help you know what’s coming and all the little things you can celebrate. These were the best gift someone gave me as soon as the found out my son was born early.
As the medical team said, there definitely will be ups and downs and the easiest way to remember that is remembering that adults can’t be at 100% every day, and that’s ok. What got me through his NICU stay was “don’t count the days, make the days count.” It’s hard not to compare your child to someone else’s and not get upset when you see other babies graduating. My son was in for 5 months, which is longer than most 26-weekers, but now he’s a thriving one-year old and you would never think he came home on oxygen and an ng-tube.
Visit as much as you can. Kangaroo care as much as possible. Bring books (any book) to read to her and talk about your day (she’ll keep your secrets ;) ) and don’t ever hesitate to ask question and advocate for her when things need to be adjusted or changed. And lastly, don’t EVER feel like your not doing enough. You will all get through this and look back at how strong everyone has become through this journey.
Throwing in a suggestion for a toy that helped us immensely with getting our kiddo to do tummy time without fussing. This duck lights up, moves and sings and his songs will haunt your dreams, but it was the only way to get our son to increase the amount of tummy time he was doing. It helped and he has been meeting milestones since.
JOYIN Dancing Walking Yellow Duck Baby Toy with Music and LED Light Up for Infants, Toddler Interactive Learning Development, School Classroom Prize and Children https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KGJQ5HV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_i_jAF4FbEH0S2WN
We use a safe heater in baby’s room like this one. Took a few tries to find the right setting, but now it keeps the temperature pretty well. It never gets too hot to touch.
Just brought my 30+0 baby home this week at 39 weeks! I had accreta and was in out of the hospital the whole pregnancy until one final large bleed where they did a c section. Like you, my first was full term and over 8lbs so this was all new to me. The hardest part (after knowing she was safe and just needed to grow) was the daily drive to the hospital (45mins) but half way through we switched to a closer hospital and it made a world of difference. Sounds like your hospital is close to home though so that’s great! I will tell you that the beginning is scary and I sometimes felt naive and silly for assuming we would be bringing her home. You need to trust the nurses and know that they are doing everything to keep your little one safe and comfortable.
Something that made a huge difference to me was having her own blankets for the isolette and crib. It was nice to see her everyday with a new pattern rather than the same hospital blanket everyday. I ordered these and then donated them back to the NICU so another family could enjoy the change of blanket scenery. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076QBQ9KJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_2V-RFb19W921D?psc=1
Good luck! It’s worth it all once you bring them home ❤️❤️❤️
Hi there! As a fellow NICU mom (gave birth to 28+2 weeker, she's now 37+1) I know how hard this all can be! My baby also had respiratory distress and needed to be resuscitated upon arrival. Odds of survival were given to us as well. They weren't great. But she's been recovering like a champ and is now off of respiratory support, out of incubator, and feeding almost fully on her own by bottle! Try not to think about the odds so much. Focus instead on small goals and accomplishments by your babe. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need to just talk to another NICU mom. My advice is to take care of yourself as much as you can. Also, I found this journal extremely helpful to keep track of medical details and stats while in the NICU. Best wishes to you!! https://www.amazon.com/Our-NICU-Journey-Activities-Intensive/dp/0999084011/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&aaxitk=fxa3E.pxwb2INqyF7l4zmg&hsa_cr_id=7336386010001&pd_rd_r=6bd3bf13-5010-4251-a81e-3c3029ec4768&pd_rd_w=PR5au&pd_rd_wg=2fOmO&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_img
First buy these
NICU Photo Cards from Every Tiny Thing - Celebrate The Special Milestone Moments in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752VG1WP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Km8cFbBJMF8FP
A nursing cover for pumping, you will end up pumping in front of the whole world at some point, especially I imagine in a large shared bay.
Nipple cream
Be sure you’re pumping with the right size flange
See how the hospital prefers you store milk (our first nicu preceded parent provided bags, the second hospital provided bottles)
I love this for cleaning pump parts with dawn soap from home because Palmolive doesn’t get the grease off:
Munchkin Latch Pump Brushes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019OYFV6U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xu8cFbYWFGAPT
A good water bottle with a lid, you need to keep really hydrated to keep pumping.
I’ve tracked my pumping with the app PumpingWork
It can help especially in the early days to keep a note on your phone or a notebook with doctors and nurses and others names and something that helps you remember them, like “Stephanie with the bubbly personality” or “Holly the ginger” or whatever helps you remember them. Doctors, PAs, RTs, nurses, developmental therapists, it’s a lot of names.
Also not a physical item but we started a caring bridge page to update friends and family rather than fielding dozens of texts with people asking what was going on.
I’m sorry you’re in our club but we welcome you with open arms ❤️
Those amazon nicu journey cards really are amazing.
NICU Photo Cards from Every Tiny Thing - Celebrate The Special Milestone Moments in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752VG1WP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rnv3EbNP09MS1
There are other brands I believe but it’s nice to celebrate the small things when life is so up and down in the NICU.
I also think this is the first time I’ve seen a hospital use the huggies premie diapers - I always wondered what they looked like and if they smelled as good as the pampers. It sounds weird but I collected an unused diaper of both our premie boys and saved them just so I could remember how small they were at one time. I did that for each premie size and until they got to newborn. I also wrote in their books when they finally got to fit in newborn diapers because it felt like an accomplishment! I have them in their memory boxes. The one is 10 now the other 3. I never thought we’d get to these points and the nicu days seemed to last forever.
Your little man is stronger than we all know. Good luck on your journey and we’re all here for you ❤️
This isn’t one you wear all day, but was a life saver for me during and after the NICU:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUWJ3P4?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1
I wore/wear comfy nursing bras (https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Bravely-Organic-Wireless-Maternity/dp/B01N2T2BKD/ref=asc_df_B01N2T2BKD/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312476174137&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14631213853410735080&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hv...) and liked how I could just zippier this bandeau style one off and on over them. I exclusively pump and still love having this at home!
We purchased a cosleeper and literally laid her in it everywhere (couch, bed, table). It’s also nice now she’s a little older, we take it to her Mimi’s house so she has a place to sleep.
We just got discharged last week after 158 days in the NICU. Not sure how old the sibling is but this booked really helped introduce our 5 year old to the NiCU. I highly recommend it.
No Bigger than My Teddy Bear
https://www.amazon.com/dp/097284600X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_d-vTCbJEYJRXS
Spending some quality time with the sibling at home. Something as simple as having someone to step in our place and take her to a park/playground was a huge relief.
We had a long NiCU stay and we were quite surprised by how quickly family and friends continued with their normal life. I think just checking in on them, letting them know you are thinking about them is soooo valuable. We sometimes felt like we got sent away to NICU prison and the world forgot about us!
And as everyone has mentioned gift card to the hospital cafeteria or coffee shop nearby are very helpful.
I hope the surgery goes well.
Thanks for the reccomendation!
The Medela App has some really cool features! It does chart, which is awesome but it only includes the 3rd - 97th centile. Where we are between the -4 and -5 centile we aren't quite there!
Poly vi sol made my 30 weeker desat bc it tasted so bad. We used novaferrum instead and it caused no issues at all and tastes WAY better.
NovaFerrum Multivitamin with Iron Supplement for Infants and Toddlers 50 mL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S7K1432/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1BiZBbH03A59Z