Preemie/NICU sub-forum or sticky?

[CarenSwan]

The preemie/NICU support thread gets lost in B&B, partly because it doesn't get a ton of traffic. I would like to propose, however, that it get some kind of designation to make it easier to find. I think it would get much more use if it were more obvious. I was on MDC for a long time before I knew that it existed, and especially at the beginning when I was still raw from the traumatic birth, I could have used that support.

[liberal_chick]

I think this is a great idea. I had no idea the thread existed until many months after my ds was born.

M.

[crysmomofthree]

I agree with the pp, I have had two preemie babies since joining this board and I had no clue that it was there, I could have really used some emotional support with my babies

[CherryBomb]

Great idea!

[jo11]

great idea! I also had a premie and the support would have been great during that difficult time. It would also make it easier for those of us with previous premie experience notice the premie threads while "browsing" MDC- because although this is not a topic I might search out anymore (my ex premie is now 3) I could offer up hope and encouragement for those who are going through a premature birth.

[Cynthia Mosher]

I think traumatic birth is a separate subject from preemies and probably best in Birth and Beyond.

Preemies, however, might fit nicely in Special Needds Parenting and not get lost in the crowd.

[kondonis]

I too would love to see a sub forum specifically for preemies. Having a preemie covers a wide wide spectrum of issues that don't necessarily fit in "special needs" parenting (some preemies are just fine) which would also cover birth issues, getting pregnant again, development, vaccinations, circumcison, family issues, insurance issues, etc. If we had this, we could create stickies on common medical issues, such as NEC, RDS/CLD, RSV, IVH, ROP, Early Intevention, etc.

I find that the preemie thread is unbearable to get through- it is extrememly long nad so many people are talking about many different subjects it is extremley difficult to navigate.

many other boards have this as a separate forum and it works out very well for navigation, support, and information. MDC would have the leg up in the stickies and IMHO, make it all the better site for parents of preemies.

thank you for your consideration here -
Stella

[jkpmomtoboys]

I would ditto the request for a sub-forum, rather than a very long thread. As the mom of an older (5 1/2 yo) preemie, I would love to be a resource for moms just going through the preemie thing with their babies now, but don't think I have the time or patience to wade through a long thread.

As someone said, there are so many issues that go along with having a preemie, that a sub-forum would enable moms to find the help and assurance they need quickly.

[kondonis]

update request...

cynthia can we have this please?

thank you!

stella

[ozzyemm]

My baby was in NICU for a week. I got support from my DDC, but it would have been helpful to have a forum dedicated to this situation. There was alot of stuff that went on (Michael was given an IV without my permission, the nurse and doctor badgered me to give formula without due cause, he was given antibiotics also without our consent, and he wasn't sick) that we could have avoided if we had known better. I know my experience isn't unique, and I think other mamas could have given us support and information while our son was in NICU.

BTW-- he wasn't premature, just placed in nursery as policy because he was c/s. A routine test found he had elevated white blood cell count, which escalated into him being in NICU for 7 days of antibiotics.

[mimid]

This would be great for me as I'm expecting preemies and possible NICUers this spring/summer. I would love to be able to get advice from others.

[erika h]

Originally Posted by kondonis

Having a preemie covers a wide wide spectrum of issues that don't necessarily fit in "special needs" parenting (some preemies are just fine)

I agree - a separate forum for preemies would be wonderful.

[kkiolbassa]

My daughter was born at the end of Nov. She was a 35 week preemie and spent 10 days in the nicu/special care nursery. It would have been a great have a support forum here at that time. I hope we can have this.

[kondonis]

please please please please please can we have our own sub-thread?

[wende]

Yes please! It is so hard sometimes. My youngest 2 were preemies and while they were both very healthy (one was a 31weeker, the other a 32 weeker and I'm tandem nursing them both thankyouverymuch despite being told they wouldn't nurse) and wouldn't fit into a "special needs" catagory there are just some things that others don't understand. It's so hard to explain my feelings to those in my ddc who are talking about their full term, 8mo, babies pulling themselves up while my baby, who's going to be a year old next month, just started crawling today. Logically, I know that she is perfectly within a "normal" range for her adjusted age but people are still inclined to think "why is that 10mo not crawling?"

I don't even go to the preemie thread because it's so hard to weed through. My kids are not special needs. They are perfectly normal and healthy. They have no problems other than my constant need to explain "he/she was 2 months early so he/she is really only....whatever age". Having a sub-forum to vent about these things, to brag about the things that some other moms won't understand, to offer encouragement, etc would be wonderful!

/begging

[sweetpeasmom]

yeah i'd agree with other pp's that my preemie is not special needs. She's fine, she may have some minor issues associated with prematurity but it's not really speical needs, she'll grow out of it in itme. There's so much pertaining to having a baby in the NICU, especially those babies in there for a long term and it's very helpful to have support of moms who have btdt during that time. One long thread does get a bit overwhelming.

[mykdsmomy]

Kondonis, I have an ex 26 week preemie who's name is William too

I think the preemie subforum is an excellent idea.....it's such a need when you are going through a nicu experience......

[crysmomofthree]

This sub forum would really help promote what mothering stands for. It is really hard when your baby is hospitalized and all the nicu staff and drs don't understand that you want your baby to be healthy but also get all the benefits of natural family living, such as touch (kangarou care) breastmilk etc. It seems that most of the time the only babies who's parents are well informed of the benefits of natural family living get that type of care. In my experience it goes against the grain of a lot of the nurses and drs. There is a lot of push to get baby drinking from a bottle because generally its faster and easier which means baby leaves the nursery sooner. While it might take an extra couple days (which is forever when your baby is in there) the benefits to mom and baby are enormous if they are encouraged to breastfeed from the get go, as soon as baby is able.

Without a sub forum or dedicated area, a lot of parents of preemies don't even know that they can make the decisions for their own baby (re feeding and touch) It would be so helpful to have other parents with the same priorities as you give you hints and suggestions as to how to talk with the drs and nurses and get your families needs across

[kkiolbassa]

Originally Posted by crysmomofthree

This sub forum would really help promote what mothering stands for. It is really hard when your baby is hospitalized and all the nicu staff and drs don't understand that you want your baby to be healthy but also get all the benefits of natural family living, such as touch (kangarou care) breastmilk etc. It seems that most of the time the only babies who's parents are well informed of the benefits of natural family living get that type of care. In my experience it goes against the grain of a lot of the nurses and drs. There is a lot of push to get baby drinking from a bottle because generally its faster and easier which means baby leaves the nursery sooner. While it might take an extra couple days (which is forever when your baby is in there) the benefits to mom and baby are enormous if they are encouraged to breastfeed from the get go, as soon as baby is able.

Without a sub forum or dedicated area, a lot of parents of preemies don't even know that they can make the decisions for their own baby (re feeding and touch) It would be so helpful to have other parents with the same priorities as you give you hints and suggestions as to how to talk with the drs and nurses and get your families needs across

This is very true. Also, I think a subforum (maybe under parenting issues) would be better than a thread because if would make it easier to find what you're looking for. When my daughter was in the nicu, I didn't have a lot of extra time - between caring for my other kids, pumping and running back and forth to the hospital.

editing to add, my daughter is not special needs, but there are still things related to her being a preemie that I worry about.

[Treasuremapper]

My dd was not in the NICU, but she was hospitalized when she was 8 days old and had to have major emergency surgery. They would not let her in the NICU because of the risk of infection to the newborns who had not been released from the hospital. The hospital staff varied -- while some were totally resistant to breastmilk, others went out of their way to help me.

Even though she was full term, information about newborns in the hospital and after discharge would have been incredibly valuable to me. I did not have the support that NICU mothers seem to have with each other, because she was excluded from NICU and had to figure everything out myself with nursing staff that had almost no experience with newborns.

So -- can those of us with my dd's situation somehow be a part of this forum? It sounds like a brilliant idea.

Even a babies in the hospital forum might be helpful. There really are some unique issues -- whether the mama can sleep in bed with the baby (mine allowed it and even pushed it) how nursing during IV insertions and heel sticks reduces the pain, how to push for breastmilk, machines to use after discharge, how to keep up one's supply with little or no support, how to care for toddlers at the same time, how to weigh diapers when using cloth, and on and on. It would be great if it were easy to find such information, because in our situation it was a horrible unexpected crisis and we didn't have any time to search.