Am I weird for thinking this was a bad idea?

[Latte Mama]

Would you bring your preemie on OXYGEN out to the public pool on a 90+degree day? Hmmmm?

[Dingletwitz]

Well, no.

[Mrs.Music]

No. A better question is... Why on earth would you? (you infinitive, not you the OP)

[alexsam]

Is there a medical reason not to? I'm genuinely asking, as to me, the chance to get some sunlight and see people and have a breath of fresh air and do something "normal" and fun out of the house/hospital might seem like a welcome reprieve?

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Music

No. A better question is... Why on earth would you? (you infinitive, not you the OP)

Sorry, the teacher in me has to be picky: You mean "generic you" not 'infinitive'. Infinitive is a verb form.

Question: Is an hour or two outdoors in the shade really that bad for a preemie on oxygen? Maybe the rest of the family were going completely bonkers and bouncing off the wall?

[SpiderMum]

OMG I once saw someone in a Mexican restaurant with a tiny tiny baby on oxygen.....wtf?! If I had a baby that small that needed freakin' oxygen, I would NOT BE OUT IN PUBLIC, PERIOD. I'd probably not let anyone in my house either for fear of germs...and I'm not one who normally worries about that kinda thing.

[CookAMH]

I think a lot depends on a humid 90 degree day or a no humidity, breezy 90-degree day. They feel completely different.

Hanging out in the shade? AC there and back? Fresh air? Mamma needing to GET OUT? Could be a good thing for everybody. If that wasn't the scenerio, then I would probably stay home.

[alexsam]

I dunno, guys... Having sick babies and being home/in the hospital all the time can be really, really stressful. Little things that we take for granted (like a meal out or a trip to an outdoor pool) can be enormously important to people's emotional health, especially under such huge stress. Unless y'all are doctors, I think we should reserve judgement...

[meemee]

yes i would. yes i have. not me but my friend whose dd on oxygen had to keep up with her 3 older brothers activities.

however her dd wasnt 'sick' that was her state of being for the next 18 months of her life. i discovered a whole bunch of prejudices within me when my friends preemie was born.

she really didnt do anything different or go out of her way to keep a germless envioronment because it would be a losing battle with 3 older boys. her dd also still has a gtube at 5.

[camracrazy]

It just depends on the circumstances.

We have taken my dd out on pass from the hospital. The hospital we go to is 3 hours from our home, so if she stays I usually stay with her while dh comes home to work and be with the other two kids. We have walked to the playground, to eat, to the mall, to the Ronald McDonald house, etc. while she was on pass. Her doctor said it was fine and actually encouraged it for the well being and sanity of everyone! I don't think you can imagine how GOOD it is to feel the sunlight or be brushed by the wind until you've been deprived of it for days.

[number572]

If that mother has been thru all that she has with a preemie on oxygen and all, she's most probably done her research and knows if its ok or not. I wouldn't spend any time judging her. For all we know, her doc could have recommended that she and the baby get some sunlight, we just don't know.

[babygirlie]

Sometimes you just GOTTA have a burrito! or just GOTTA take a dip in the pool.. like emergency dancing! kwim?

Well, I know my baby when on oxygen was in the hospital and had jaundice... so my first thought is jaundice and she needs the sun light.

[MusicianDad]

Unless she was smoking or lighting a fire or just playing with matches next to the oxygen tank, then there really shouldn't be a problem. Oxygen itself is not flammable, it is an oxidant. Which means that it doesn't feed the fire, it simply allows the fire to burn.

[lookatreestar]

i prob wouldn't bring baby to a public pool... but outside for a bit, sure. (public pools creep me out!)

[Joyster]

I don't know, it depends on my baby's situation. Which is why I'd also be hesitant to make a judgment on the mother.

[mumm]

Warmth to help baby regulate body temp. Moist air is assist in breathing. Siblings getting to have fun. Mom getting to be "normal" for a bit. Yup, I might do such a thing.


That preemie baby might be 3 or 4 months old and may need oxygen for another few years. She may have thermal-regulatory issues her whole life. You don't always know the whole story. Maybe said preemie is not expected to live much longer so they are living it up in the meantime. You just never know.

[karne]

Sure, for many of the reasons folks have already identified. I know that when my youngest was very sick as a child, my pedi basically told us to get outside on the days that it was manageable. Change of scenery, stress relief, warmth, fresh air.....there were many reasons. I don't know the mom's or baby's situation, but it is awfully easy to become isolated when you have a sick child.

[mommy2maya]

Yes, I probably would have. Her drs said it was important to get her outside, not to stop my life as long as she was doing ok. Plus I had three older kids who were in school etc- it was not in the cards to be a shut in. I wouldn't have brought the baby IN the pool, lol, but she didn't go swimming til she was two because of the temp regulation issues. She just still wasn't ready last summer, even when she was 14-17m.

[Latte Mama]

Good to hear different perspectives. Being a nurse, I tend to think of my ABC's (airway,breathing,circulation). Hot,humid weather makes it difficult to breathe in normally and for anyone on oxygen it's worse. Preemie's have enough of a fight as it is, I thought why make it harder?

[cschick]

How old is the preemie, and how long is the child expected to be using oxygen?

If the oxygen is a short term type thing, I probably personally wouldn't do it. But if the child is expected to be on the oxygen for months or an indeterminate amount of time, that's when you start figuring out how to live a normal life around the medical need. And that will involve going out places like the pool.