Parents of Preemies ~ Welcome!

Preemie mama · #1 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 01:57 PM

Welcome to Parents of Preemies

Parents of Preemies is a place where we can all share our experiences about our children born prematurely at various weeks of gestation. It is helpful to know that you are not alone in this experience because sometimes it may be a bit overwhelming. Whether it's a question about weight gain, a brag that your six month old can finally roll over, or you just need to vent a little bit; there is usually someone who can relate to your situation.

Dawn (DKalgren) has offered to mail a copy of preemie growth charts to anyone who would like them. You can contact her by e-mail to supply her with your mailing address. Her e-mail address is: kalgren@comcast.net She has also found an online Conversion Chart to use with the chart.

Your host of the Parents of Preemies forum is Amy (Preemie Mama). Amy's first preemie, Cody, was born at 27 weeks on July 10th, 2001 after two pregnancy losses at 20 and 13 weeks. Her newest addition is also a preemie. Logan was born on May 17th, 2005 and was born at 34 weeks.

Preemie mama · #2 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 02:10 PM

Poems about Preemie's

The Preemie's Prayer

Dear God, as you look down upon us,
We know that you might have to squint.
We're located here in the NICU,
It's the nursery that we rent.

There are many alarms and sirens,
Connected to our & Condos' & Flats'.
The nurses tape our booties on,
And dress us in funny hats.

We have a lot in common,
All of us were in a hurry.
For many different reasons,
Our strokes came a little early.

Some of us don't know why,
We bursted out from our bubbles.
We entered into this world,
Never meaning to cause any troubles.

Mommy and Daddy are worried sick,
About the odds that we must beat.
Please God, help them to realize,
That seeing us grow is a treat.

Breath by breath, we'll learn to breathe,
Ounce by ounce we'll tip the scale.
We're like the boat in the ocean,
That knows not to sink-just sail.

For we are living miracles,
Mommy and Daddy must simply believe.
That you have angels watching over us,
From the time we arrive, till the time we leave.
Author unknown

The Special Mother

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressure and a couple by habit. This year thousands of mothers will give birth to a premature baby. Did you ever wonder how mothers of preemies are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instrument for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a great ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew"
"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia"
"Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard, he's used to profanity"

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a premature baby". The angel is curious, "Why this one, God? She is so happy." "Exactly," smiles God, "could I give a premature baby to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But, does she have patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in the sea of self pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it."

"I watched her today, she has that sense of self and independence that are so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect, she has just enough selfishness." The angels gasps, "Selfishness; is that a virtue?" God nods, "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child who comes in a less than perfect way. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied."

"She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says, "Mommy" for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. When she describes a tree or sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations."

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see; ignorance, cruelty, prejudice, and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side." "And about her patron saint," asks the angel, pen poised in mid air. God smiles, "a mirror will suffice."

You Know You're The Parent of a Preemie When...

1.You use strange initials (C-PAP, CCs, NICU, NG) when discussing your child.

2.You actually remember how many CCs make up an ounce.

3.You count his weight in grams.

4. The skin on your hands is peeling from washing so often!

5.You hesitate when someone asks his/her age, but you know exactly how much he/she weighs!

6. The answer to "How old is your baby?" is a story 30 minutes long!

7. When someone asks his birthday, you reply, "Which one?"

8. You start to understand some of the things they say on ER!

9. You turn into Kung-Fu Mom when someone tries to touch your baby.

10. You attempt to measure just how much spit-up he/she just had before you clean it up!

11. You know how much he weighs before putting him on the scale at the doctor's office

12. You cry at Maternity Ward and get mad at Baby Story.

13. You see a 7lb newborn and say "Wow! She's so BIG!"

14. Your baby is months old before he can even go to the mall.

15. You have never explained why your baby is on an apnea monitor.

16. When someone says how tiny your baby is, you argue that he is huge -- and to demonstrate, you whip out pictures of him in NICU.

17. You do a health check on people when they come to your house to visit .

18. You make people wash their hands before going near your child.

19. You want to scream when someone says that she just wants to have this baby now - at week 28, 32, or 34.

20. You are so amazed when someone actually tells you your baby is big for his age!

21. You tried to find a place to buy newborn size diapers in bulk.

22. You called half your relatives when the baby grew out of their first pair of pajamas!

23. You never take your child for granted.

24. You worry about RSV season and it is still weeks away . . .

25. You know what "RSV" stands for.

26. You donate his/her tiny clothes to the NICU and marvel that they seem so small - when they were too darn large!

27. Your son gets a simple cold and her doc sees her within the hour!

28. People say, "He CAN'T be __ old...he's too little!"

29. It has taken them 5 months to grow INTO newborn clothes!

30. You pick up 2 pounds of ground beef and think that your baby was born at the same weight

31. You buy "Purell" in bulk

32. You can stare at your baby for hours when he sleeps

33. You know about oxygen tanks and regulators more than the company supplying it to the airplanes

Preemie mama · #3 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 02:20 PM

Helpful links about preemies

Preemie baby book

Prematurely Yours

March of Dimes

Parenting in the N.I.C.U.

Preemie mentoring

Preemie mentoring

Information on R.S.V.

R.S.V. Protection

Preemie clothes

Tiny Bundles

Preemie Clothes

Preemie mama · #4 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 02:27 PM

Preemie Definitions

Central line - an intravenous line that is threaded through the vein until it reaches a position as close as possible to the heart.

CPAP -(Continuous positive airway pressure) pressurized air, sometimes with additional oxygen, that is delivered to the baby's lungs to keep them expanded as the baby inhales & exhales.

Dexamethasone - a steroid used to rapidly develop the baby's lungs and other vital organs.

Eclampsia - from the Greek meaning like a flash of lightning because it seems to strike from out of the blue with seizures and, eventually coma. A life threatening condition for mother and baby. Blood vessels in the uterus go into spasm(vasospasm), thereby cutting down the blood flow to the fetus. In the mother this leads to kidney failure. Brain oxygen is also lowered causing seizures. Tissues become waterlogged due to fluid retention and hemorrhages can occur in tissues of vital organs such as the liver. The main course of treatment is to deliver the baby-usually by c-section. As soon as the baby is born the condition subsides.

Hyperbilirubinemia - High concentration of Bilirubin in the blood that can not be broken down by the liver. The bilirubin can penetrate and damage brain cells.

Indomethacin - An aspirin-like drug sometimes used to close the patent ductus arteriosus.

Intubation - The insertion of a narrow tube into the infant's nose or mouth and into the trachea in preparation for delivering additional respiratory assistance.

Magnesium Sulfate - a drug that controls high blood pressure in pregnant women with pre- eclampsia. It also increases blood flow to the unborn baby. In addition it also stops uterine contractions in pre-term labor.

Patent ductus artiosus - (PDA) An abnormal condition, common in preemies, in which the ductus- the fetal blood vessel connecting the aorta and the pulmonary artery fails to close after birth.

Pre-eclampsia - A complication of pregnancy in which the mother has protein in the urine, high blood pressure, rapid weight gain and swelling from fluid retention. The disease can worsen into eclampsia, a life threatening condition for mother and baby.

Retinopathy of prematurity - (ROP) A disorder of the developing retinal blood supply, which occurs in some premature babies. ROP may cause mild to severe visual impairment or even blindness.

Surfactant - A soapy feeling substance that coats the surface of the alveoli, changing the surface tension and keeping them from collapsing.

Umbilical catheter - a thin tube attached to the end of the umbilical cord. Threaded through the umbilical artery into the aorta. Used to easily obtain blood samples. Also used to introduce medications, fluids and other nutrients.