Kind of BW related: Kangaroo Care ?

[bentlaj11]

Does anyone know if they teach Kangaroo Care to moms of NICU babies? I'm going to visit a family friend who has a baby in the NICU now, and I'm giving her a stretchy wrap and am going to print off some articles on kangaroo care for her. The reason I was asking this is because they are waiting for the baby's breathing to slow down before they take her off of oxygen completely (from what I understand), and I know she is finally getting to hold her. I wondered if they let them hold them on their bare chest, and maybe that would help her breathing? I also, thought it would be neat to have some sort of program to teach BW as way to get in some good kangaroo care to moms there... you know how lots of ladies knit hats/blankets for the babies... maybe we could get them to make stretchy wraps.. Just curious! Thanks!

[MeepyCat]

There's not a lot to teach about kangaroo care - it's really a very simple concept.  The ability to actually do it will depend some on the NICU.  Some NICUs have antiquated policies.  Some have great policies, but don't have one chair per patient (and yes, that is totally dumb), and kangarooing preemies in the NICU really is best done in a recliner.

When my DD was in the NICU, I was encouraged to hold her on my bare chest, as was DH.  It seemed to help her breathing some, but there were still reasons for her to be in the isolette a fair bit (she was under bili lights for jaundice), and I don't think that wearing her would have helped, in fact, I suspect it would have been impossible.  For her first few weeks in the NICU, DD could only be moved as far as the wires went.  She was wearing monitors that reported on her temperature, heart rate, breathing, and O2 levels.  For her first few days, she was on and off of CPAP even when she was breathing room air, and there were tubes for that too, as well as an IV line for TPN (she didn't get food by mouth until she was about four days old).  Getting her in and out of a stretchy wrap could potentially have knocked a bunch of that wiring loose - not good.  Had someone given me a stretchy wrap at that time, I'd have thanked them, but had they suggested I put it (or any wrap) to immediate use, I'd have been sure they were crazy.

Finally, please (please, please) check in with your friend before inundating her with information about how to help her baby.  1) There's a good chance she already knows about kangaroo care - it's pretty well-established, and many NICUs are very enthusiastic.  2) She already has an entire staff of people who know better than her what she should do for her baby.

[bentlaj11]

Yes! Thank you! I completely agree with her getting lots of info as well as going through an emotional roller coaster that I could never understand! I did print off an article on kangaroo care, but I still wasn't sure about giving it to her. I also did not expect her to be able to use the wrap while her baby was in the NICU.. more of a thought for her when she gets home.. especially while she's having to chase around her other 2 kids! I know that the lady's mom is going to get to stay with her for a month or so to help out, too, so she might not need it much at first anyway. I think I will just give her some printed instructions on how to use it (since she lives in a different town) and leave out the info on kangaroo care. It breaks my heart to think about babies being apart from their mothers! Thanks again for your insight!!

[bentlaj11]

ETA: I also completely understand that it's not as simple as kangaroo care = cured baby, gets to go home! I know that there are many other factors, including being able to eat/nurse. I'm sorry that my question made it sound like I thought kangaroo care would cure her. I just didn't know if it was a common thing for NICUs or not (provided that the baby is able to be held). Thanks again!

[TiffanyToo]

Kangaroo mother care is fairly common knowledge in most hospitals. The use in the NICU environment varies by hospital, professional understanding and logistics. It is sad I often here of preemies being given formula over mothers milk, separated from parentes  and parents threatened wtih CPS when wanting to be a part of the NICU experience.  Yes we may have the best medical stuff on earth yet I think we sometimes throw the baby out with the bath water.

Truly the Europeans do it better there are hospitals that require parents and/or extended family to stay at the hospital 24/7 to have baby on them to help nurture baby and to work along side NICU professionals to grow baby to health.

Here is a link to Dr Bergmans stuff on KMC his stuff is awesome. http://www.kangaroomothercare.com/

[TiffanyToo]

I highjacked the topic at hand, sorry.

I do have some comments on baby wearing in the NICU and beyond.
 

It can be done! The professionals around the mother should first understand the mechanics of wrapping.  Respect that the mother knows what she is doing when it comes to wrapping and understand how important necessary the skin to skin contact between the mother baby dyad is.

I would encourage a professional consultation with a baby wearing professional for the care providers, the parents and extended family who maybe asked to provide Kangaroo mother care as surrogate support.

German style woven wraps would be the most developmentally appropriate to a preemie. The preemie must be a minimum of 3.5lbs. Tummy to tummy carries only. The Germans talk about a woven wrap vs a stretch knit. My understanding is Dr. Bergman uses a similar weave style for his tops that change the orientation of baby's lungs and this cannot happen with the stretch knit.  A preemie wrap is preferred as it will better fit baby's preemie size.

Wrapping with a preemie must be firm to really support that not yet term body. Baby's should be in a modified "froggied position" legs no more than 30*. Baby's face must be visible at all times. If baby shows stress at anytime baby should be taken out the wrap: faster breathing/pulse, color changes (grey) or blueish dark around mouth, nose and or cold sticky sweat.

If you have any questions just let me know.

[MeepyCat]

Originally Posted by TiffanyToo 

Truly the Europeans do it better there are hospitals that require parents and/or extended family to stay at the hospital 24/7 to have baby on them to help nurture baby and to work along side NICU professionals to grow baby to health.

OT, sorry - while I agree that some hospitals have dumb and antiquated practices, requiring a family member to be in the hospital 24/7 with a babe in the NICU is the opposite end of extreme and problematic practice.  There was no way I could have had someone in the NICU with my DD all the time, and it would be seriously unethical to deny a child treatment because parents needed to keep working, or care for other children, or recover from surgery, receive medical treatment themselves. 

I do know of hospitals where, because there is insufficient nursing staff, a family member needs to stay with a hospitalized child at all times, but those are bad situations.

[bentlaj11]

Thanks TiffanyToo! The baby who's mother I'm going to see was born early, but was full term (36 wks) and was over 6 lbs at birth. She had lung complications from inhaling fluid. Thank you for the info and linky on wrapping preemies, though. I did not know that there were even special wraps for them! I'm going to have read more about European hospitals, too. I think a 24/7 policy is amazing!

I was mainly giving her the wrap now because the hospital is in the town where I live and they live in a different town, so I won't get to see her when they leave the hospital (hopefully it's soon). I don't think it's something she will use right now, but hopefully later on.. I just know how much I loved the stretchy wrap I had, and now the woven!

Thanks again for the info!

[TiffanyToo]

Originally Posted by bentlaj11 

Thank you for the info and linky on wrapping preemies, though. I did not know that there were even special wraps for them! I'm going to have read more about European hospitals, too. I think a 24/7 policy is amazing!

Yes I believe this practice is in Norway/Sweden the dad is given paternity leave for however long it takes for baby to no longer need a NICU so both parents are expected to help baby.  IMO that heps with the logistics of such a stay.

I was mainly giving her the wrap now because the hospital is in the town where I live and they live in a different town, so I won't get to see her when they leave the hospital (hopefully it's soon). I don't think it's something she will use right now, but hopefully later on.. I just know how much I loved the stretchy wrap I had, and now the woven!

I would make arrangements for you to show her how to use it and to help her get the practice for its use before she can use it.

Thanks again for the info!

Your welcome.

[AislinCarys]

Originally Posted by TiffanyToo 

Originally Posted by bentlaj11 

Thank you for the info and linky on wrapping preemies, though. I did not know that there were even special wraps for them! I'm going to have read more about European hospitals, too. I think a 24/7 policy is amazing!

Yes I believe this practice is in Norway/Sweden the dad is given paternity leave for however long it takes for baby to no longer need a NICU so both parents are expected to help baby.  IMO that heps with the logistics of such a stay.

I was mainly giving her the wrap now because the hospital is in the town where I live and they live in a different town, so I won't get to see her when they leave the hospital (hopefully it's soon). I don't think it's something she will use right now, but hopefully later on.. I just know how much I loved the stretchy wrap I had, and now the woven!

I would make arrangements for you to show her how to use it and to help her get the practice for its use before she can use it.

Thanks again for the info!

Your welcome.

Yes, well, In Sweden there is paid parental leave for about 18 months, for one parent at a time (although leave can be saved and used throughout the first 7 years, I think, so parents can and do save from child nr 1 so they can both take time off after having nr 2), and fathers (or other support person), gets a number of days (maybe 3 weeks?) of paid leave right after the baby's birth. However, with twins or an ill child or a preemie, parents will usually receive more support. Of course a parent (or person appointed by the parent, like grandma or an auntie) would be expected to stay with a baby in NICU. That doesn't mean that most hospitals are baby-friendly (anymore, 10 yrs ago things were different), this is just an expectation (and Swedes are very keen to do whatever is expected). Anyway, authorities would be assisting the parents, for example providing childcare (nearly all kids over 12 months are in childcare anyway, heavily subsidised by the government, and children are allowed to continue after the birth of a sibling - most do). There is plenty of extra parental leave you can get if you need it (for example, mum is sick, even just a cold, dad can get parental leave to care for the kids, mum would get sick leave, I think. Care for sick child certainly can be taken as paid leave from work for Dad, while mum is on parental leave. Just more forms to fill out ).