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Nurturing Your NICU Baby
Special Care for Preemies
By Amy E. Tracy
Make a "home away from home." For the first few weeks that Daniel was in the NICU, I didn't feel like he was mine. After all, the nurses and doctors seemed to know more about him than I did. But as my husband and I began decorating Daniel's bedside with family photographs, a stuffed lobster my parents sent during a trip to Maine, and a tiny Buffalo Bills shirt (my husband's favorite football team), the nursery seemed more "homey," and we began to feel more like a family. Nurses say decorating your baby's bedside also helps the hospital staff get to know your family better.
Let your baby know you're not far away. When Kathy Witowski of Chicago returned to work a few weeks after her son, Jack, was born at 25 weeks, she left baby washcloths she'd slept with in his bed for a familiar scent. Jack also listened to audiocassette tapes of his mom reading Curious George books. Cotton balls with breastmilk can also be comforting.
Keep in close contact. Theresa Kledzik, a neonatal nurse at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado, encourages parents to call, day or night, with specific questions about their baby.
"Don't just ask how he's doing," she says. "Ask what position he's in, if he's using a pacifier, and how long he's been sleeping. This will make you feel more in touch with your baby."
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