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Your Questions Answered

What Rob and Taylor did

Bedrest

Once our son was led to the kanalen website, we studied and Taylor began to follow many of their suggestions, including 24/7 bedrest

Diet specifics

Healthy, daily orange juice and yogurt, lots of veggies, bran

Cleanliness

Cannot be overemphasized, clean sheets, clean bed pads, clean towels, clean hands

Water

Almost cannot over do. Drank 8, 8oz bottles each day

Activities

Visit Sidelines.org for suggestions
Taylor read, watched movies, napped, worked from home

Home or hospital

Some stress immediate hospitalization. Taylor seemed to thrive at home in familiar territory with loved ones until it was too dangerous to remain at home.

Steroid shots

Study about these. Taylor did take them.

Trust God

Our verse we prayed continually was: "They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed." Read Sebastian's entire story at no cost.

Complications during pregnancy

Contractions

Contractions mean labor might be eminent. Stay still and call your doctor. Labor can be delayed and every moment your baby remains inside is moment of advantage.

Bleeding

Bleeding can occur for any number of reasons. Call your doctor, but this does not necessarily mean you need to terminate or deliver. Please read our story March 31 and April 1 entries.

Hospital stays

Taylor was rushed to the hospital on several occasions and was sent home after the complication subsided. The last time she remained because it was so close to expected delivery.

Labor and delivery

Can happen quickly

Labor and delivery can occur very quickly and is essential that excellent medical people be there.

Continuing nay sayers

Nay sayers may continue to speak up.

Doctors in room, actions

Expect lots of doctors doing lots of things you may not understand. Twelve were there when Sebastian was born.

After your baby is born

Baptism

Because of the high risk, you may want to arrange for immediate baptism. Sebastian was baptized right after birth.

Ventilator

Your baby will likely be put on a ventilator immediately.

Billirubin

Your baby may be kept under a light in the Nicu to normalize his billirubin

Blood gasses

You will be told blood gas numbers that can be alarming.

Casts and constrictions

Plaster casts may be fitted for your baby even when he is only days old to correct problems.

Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax is potentially dangerous situation in which a collection of air or gas in the space surrounding the lungs occurs- it is most likely resulting from the ventilator.

Visits

• Be super germ conscious and make sure all others including medical people are too.
• Expect to see all sorts of tubes as your baby is in his incubator. Find out what all the numbers and tubes mean – it is helpful.
• Love your baby, sing to him, hold his tiny hand, kiss him if you can

Holding your baby

This may not happen for some time.

Feeding

Breast feeding is out, but pumping is in. The hospital will help you with this. Your baby may not each much for a long time. Remember his first experience of something going in his mouth was not good – the ventilator. Speech therapists will help with feeding issues.

Breathing treatments

The hospital will do this and you will learn how to do this.

NICU

Find a high level NICU that can handle your situation.

NICU to step down

Many babies go to a step down unit before they go home. This can last for months so find a good one...get recommendations from the NICU nurses who have cared for your baby.

Therapies

Physical and speech therapies are common. You will learn a lot.

Transfers

Your baby may have to be transferred to different hospitals for different tests. Try to go with him. No one will watch over or care for your baby like you will.

Taking your baby home

Monitor

Be sure you have one that monitors heart and breathing and oxygen saturation levels

Therapists visits

Have a notebook to schedule and keep a record of what happens with each. Make sure therapists wash their hands and are not sick themselves.

Doctors appointments

Your baby may have a pediatrician, a pulmonologist, a gastro doc, an orthopaedic, etc.

Additional Tests

Additional tests may be ordered – sleep studies, barium and modified barium swallow, MRI – use your best judgment

Equipment

Your baby may need oxygen tanks and nose canulas, syringes for meds, overnite feeding bags and stands, monitors for breathing and heart rate, wedges to keep his head up if he has reflux.

Oxygen

Watch this and monitor it.

Overnite feeds

This helps babies get calories they may need that they do not get during the day or that they lose because of reflux.

Siblings

Teach siblings and cousins about this little baby. They are the greatest fans!

Help in your home

Have someone there to help you and/or to be on call for the first year

Return admissions to hospital

It is not unusual for PROM babies to be readmitted to the hospital for infections that settle in their very vulnerable lungs.