Pregnancy is wonderful, but a woman does not always succeed in delivering her baby before the due date, and the baby may be born sooner than parents and doctors expected. In the world every year about 15 million newborns are born prematurely.
If you have a baby born before the due date, do not despair. Just be ready to mentally pass the test that fate sent. Yes, there are many difficulties (primarily psychological) that you must deal with.
Clouded by prematurity
Tears of happiness, a sea of congratulations, flowers, smiles, the first meeting with your baby, the first attachment to your chest immediately after childbirth ... However, this is, unfortunately, not about you. Preterm labor, alas, evokes completely opposite emotions and leaves far from positive memories. You scroll the same thing a hundred times in your memory: your experiences, fear of the unknown and silence ... Silence is very depressing, especially if the baby is so weak that it does not cry after birth. What to do? The only right solution is to think about it as little as possible and not to remember, because there are already enough problems.
Too little information
To your question: “What about the baby?” Doctors do not give a specific answer, the information is dry and there is little of it. It’s painful to hear such phrases: “You didn’t deliver half the term, what do you want to hear?”, “The day has passed, the baby is alive, thank God!”, “The first days for premature babies are always critical, terrible can happen any minute” ... Well Do you do in this situation?
Try (as much as possible), despite your emotional state, to understand the doctors. They are really afraid, as they say, to think, because the baby is very weak. All you have to do is be patient!
And one more tip: learn to independently evaluate the condition of the newborn: if the complexion does not have a bluish tint, then this indicates that breathing is normal, the saturation on the monitor should be within 100. And the fewer devices that are used to support the baby’s breathing, all the better. If the child was transferred from mechanical ventilation to CPAP, this is already a positive trend, which means a small victory.
Constant fear of the unknown
He constantly haunts you, because you think about the baby around the clock, you will find out the diagnoses and possible consequences. First, calm down first, your little feelings and nervousness will not do any good. Secondly, try to look only for positive information. In this matter, online forums are good support to build your confidence. Remember that about 85% of babies born prematurely are nursed safely.
Possible separation from the baby
Not all maternity hospitals and perinatal centers can be with your child. Quite often, a woman is discharged, and the baby is left in the hospital. It also happens that the baby is transferred to another department or hospital for the next stage of nursing, and the mother is not put in a certain time (for example, while the baby is in the incubator or until the wards are vacated). Some departments did not initially provide for the joint stay of a mother and a child. This situation is one of the most powerful tests for a woman. How to behave in this case, what to do?
Take care of the crumbs in the distance:
- maintain lactation and, if possible, transport expressed milk to the hospital;
- to do knitting for the baby, because he will need both socks and hats, these products are needed prematurely (there are whole groups on the Internet dedicated to this). Knitting will reassure you;
- prepare for discharge purchasing everything you need.
The feeling of an unfinished pregnancy
At first, it will be hard for you to look at pregnant women, especially those who are in the last stages and they already have a big belly. After all, you didn’t have time to be like that. Sling will help to cope with this condition (when the baby is already at home). You should often tie the child to yourself, in this position, and the baby, and you will be calmer, and thoughts that you “did not inform” will be faster.
Guilt
Moms who have premature babies are haunted by the thought: “I didn’t inform you, so it’s my fault, and the child suffers because of me.” Many mothers simply feel guilty. However, let's see why delivery occurs prematurely. This may be due to low placenta previa, uterine structure, swelling, infection, which can penetrate the body from a coughing passerby, and many other reasons. And the woman’s guilt is not here, unless she unloaded the cars and pushed the car, which could provoke childbirth.
Release the guilt, sort out objectively in your situation.
Breast problems
First, drop out colostrum from itself drop by drop, then fight against a rush of milk, which is obviously a bit much for premature babies, and at the same time not to lose lactation is a difficult task that a woman faces after a premature birth. Help to cope with thisbreast pumps and frequent decantation (every three hours, even at night).
We also read: How to express breast
No doubt, the occupation is tiring and not very pleasant. Especially when most of the milk is poured into the sink. But this procedure is simply necessary! Indeed, every day the child eats more and more, and the day is not far off when you try to attach it to your chest.
Losing comparison of your baby’s development with other children
The problem of prematurity will worry you for more than one year, because you are constantly comparing your child with other children born on time. Girlfriend baby already walkingand yours only started crawling. Comparisons go into your head and you are constantly losing both in real age and in gestational age.
What do you do?
Listen to doctors and follow their recommendations, and not listen to neighbors and friends, and do not compare with those children who were born on time. Do not sit idly by: periodically undergo hens of massages, stimulation, rehabilitation, and deal with the child. If you see that the child is developing, but the process is slower, do not worry, give him time, take your time, he has his own pace.
Enjoy the moment, because children grow very fast.
Video consultation: premature babies. What are the chances of a child “ripen”
Tells a children's neurologist Kolesnikov Yuri Alexandrovich
