Kangaroo Care - My Best Friend's Miracle

[peckedbyducks]

My very good friend has just been though the ringer fighting the hospital and then this story about Kangaroo Care for preemies helped turn around her experience (and leverage). Just wanted to make sure my bigger community knew about this option.

Thanks!

http://trib.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/article_96b7cae0-0db4-5b2e-9674-727920c685b2.html

[MeepyCat]

Thank you?

It's a lovely article, but I think most of the mamas here know about kangaroo care already, in a been there, done/doing that, kind of way.  I don't mean to be harsh, but in real life, many (if not all) of us hear about kangaroo care a lot - the first thing most people ask when they find out you have a preemie is whether you've heard of it. 

One of the hard things about having a preemie is that we believe, when we're pregnant, that if we can just hold our babies in our arms and feed them at our breasts, we can make everything alright.  For ordinary babies, this is true.  For preemies, it isn't (at least not right away).  So as much as I love kangaroo care, and believe that it was good for my daughter and is good for other preemies, I am very, very cautious about the way I talk about, and about the things I say when other people bring it up.  It's a good thing.  It's the way we have to love and help our children while they are so fragile.  It is not a miracle.  It is not enough, alone, to heal us or our babies.

[CGsMom]

Well said Meepycat.

[MsBlack]

peckedbyducks--

Thanks for posting that article--it was great.  And I'm sure that you reached some mamas who read here, but don't necessarily post.  Some mamas, families, and their supporters who hope to help as much as possible, may NOT have already been around this block and are indeed glad to find new information.  I've found in general on the MDC forums that for every frequent poster there are perhaps dozens of lurkers who are shy about asking questions, don't know necessarily what question to ask, and may be hesitant to face resistance from others--but are grateful for info such as you provided.  And will check it out on their own, regardless of the comments of any other posters. 

So again, I'm glad you posted and shared that article.  I can tell you from experience as a support person to friends recently in NICU that even at their hospital, where Kangaroo Care is 'officially' on the menu, it is not well-supported or well-respected (nor is breastfeeding, unfortunately--pumping, yes, actual breastfeeding, no).  And I wish I'd had this article to share with the parents!  I think it would have helped them push for it more, in the face of the 'official approval' but actual discouragement of KC that they encountered.   Because of the actual discouragement of breastfeeding and KC, I watched that hospital delay a baby in needless ways.  Parents need this information and encouragement!