https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:18:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1975430 Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:07:54 +0000 BabyPenguinXO 1975430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm had a c section and a 34 week preemie.</p> <p>On the C section...</p> <p>Brief undies. High waist. Maternity leggings and or yoga pants that you can pull the fold up. Nothing that rests on your scar.</p> <p>Pumping came easy for me I pumped 12 hours after the birth he was born at 11:22pm and by the time I recovered for 2 hours and got to see him and got in my PP room it was late. I didn't sleep a lick and had to pump around 11 am after seeing him holding him for the first time and having breakfast.</p> <p>There are often LCs at the hospital in the NICU. Call and ask, also ask about meeting with a neonatologist to help answer your questions, they scheduled all this for me as standard practice with an expected preemie. I found it helpful to pump next to the baby during the day. I was lucky enough to stay in a room at the hospital for our 22 day stay.<br /> Try to be open minded about it and not worry if pumping takes time at first, I personally believe having a more relaxed approach helps a ton. I could have fed twins! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973733 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:56:33 +0000 MrsRcCar 1973733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Everyone has given you great advice already. We had a two week stay with E in the NICU. I was glad I had toured the unit. It made me feel much better and the nurses were so sweet to us. I had a hospital grade pump while I was in the hospital and when I visited E in the unit. When I was home I had a double electric. I spent as much time as I could in the unit with E but it felt great to know that I could call anytime and the ask anything of the nurses. Hope all goes well, and feel free to join us on the preemie mom check in. Big hugs momma! I know it is all overwhelming. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973732 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:55:20 +0000 lady grey 1973732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LaughLines: I work with NICU moms and can wall you some pumping tips if you'd like.</p> <p>I haven't had a baby in the NICU myself, but from an outsiders perspective I would suggest keeping guests to a minimum. If people want to do something to help you have a friend set up a meal schedule, so people can drop off (not visit) homemade food that will be yummy reheated in a microwave. You will get sick of hospital food quick! Usually there is a "family kitchen" with a fridge and microwave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973504 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 10:29:25 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1973504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You've gotten great advice already, and if you check my blog posts I have several on the NICU, and I think Mrs Carrott also dealt with IUGR. D also has intestinal issues so if that is something you end up having to deal with please wall me! I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible, best of luck to you both. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973491 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 10:18:33 +0000 LemonLong 1973491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here's some pictures of my little ones in the early days. Make sure your car seat is able to handle tiny babies and you may need extra head support to make them fit better. The second picture is my youngest next to her 21 month old sister. Juniper was the size of my toddlers baby dolls, and now her dolls wear all the girls old preemie clothes! </p> [attach=2482/14/ng62iy.448x600.image.jpg] [attach=2482/14/ng62j1.337x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973477 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 10:04:55 +0000 LemonLong 1973477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>FYI- my IUGR babies weren't that cute coming out, they had really dry, peeling skin, and had weird colored skin to where everyone was always commenting on jaundice which they didn't actually have, so I probably wouldn't spring for newborn pictures. As a new mom having such a tiny baby was scary, I was afraid to touch her. They really are pretty unbreakable though! In the early days whenever I would take my kids out people would come up to me to tell me they thought I was carrying a doll until the baby moved.<br /> For baby carriers I liked the moby and k'tan once they hit 6 lbs or so. You will not be able to use the ergo for awhile. You have to be a bit more careful with little babies to make sure their chins are up so their airway isn't closed.<br /> With my first I was obsessed with her weight gain. I went three times a week to my hospitals free breastfeeding support group to do weighed feeds to make sure she was gaining. I EBF both my girls. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973427 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 09:14:32 +0000 LemonLong 1973427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had two children both with IUGR. </p> <p>My first, the IUGR wasn't caught until 38 weeks. I went in for an ultrasound that day, and a couple of hours later the doctor called me and told me to go to L&amp;D because the baby needed to come out right now. I was induced and delivered vaginally. My baby was tiny but in good shape. We stayed the normal two nights at the hospital with no NICU. After we were discharged we had a couple of extra appts to check weight and bilirubin but that's it. Lydia was 4 lbs 11 oz when we were discharged.</p> <p>When I was pregnant with my second, we were monitoring a bit closer. After seeing her drop on ultrasounds from 30% to under 10%, they induced me again at 37 weeks. Juniper also did not need any NICU time. She needed some extra monitoring because of her age, but nothing too big. She was discharged at 5 lbs 2 oz.<br /> both my girls were symmetrical IUGR, and vaginal birth can be stressful on IUGR babies, but I felt comfortable attempting it with the monitoring they had in place. Your doctor will probably have you do non stress tests and biophysical profiles to make sure the baby is doing okay. Preemie clothes can be hard to find, target and carters usually has some. Don't overbuy though, they grow fast! Out of the womb, both my girls started to catch up. I'd say my oldest was caught up to her peers by age 1. Now at two, she does have a speech delay which may be related to her IUGR. Hope everything goes well for you and you can cook a little longer to avoid the NICU! I know it's stressful. After two IUGR babies, my husband is adamant that we not have any more because the stress was too much for him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1973419 Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:47:32 +0000 LaughLines 1973419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>thanks everyone! I've been reading a lot and trying to prepare. It's quite a change in mindset from what i was expecting.</p> <p>As for practical things - luckily it happened to be insurance enrollment time at work so i "upped" our insurance to the highest level - hopefully that will help with the medical bills. We were already probably going to do this because of the costs of delivery anyway, but this really solidified the choice and justified the added monthly premium expense.</p> <p>I read Mrs. Bee's post about preemie gear. I haven't bought any clothes yet because the size is too hard to predict. I'm wondering if there is anything else I should buy to help - though I suppose i'll have plenty of time in the NICU to be ordering things on Amazon</p> <p>DH is trying to keep me calm, but the news combined with the hormones have caused me to burst into tears at some pretty random times... I'm trying to find outlets in other ways like nesting and getting stuff ready around the house for baby. And at least hte holidays will help to distract! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970971 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:15:16 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1970971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to repeat some from above, but here's my list: (I had a 25-weeker and spent 143 days in the NICU).</p> <p>1. Tour the NICU and meet the docs. This will give you so much piece of mind on the day of the C-section. They probably already have a bed ready and waiting for your lo just in case (that really comforted me).</p> <p>2. I agree about learning to pump early. You should get a pump and supplies at the hospital, so find out what brand they use and just get extra parts, a cover, and a hands-free bra. </p> <p>3. Find support. The preemie group on here is great. There's an even larger preemie group on Babycenter which I used a lot at the beginning.</p> <p>The rest of the stuff you can figure out as you go...</p> <p>Big hugs and best wishes!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970906 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 13:47:56 +0000 ballerinabee 1970906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know about c-sections, but here's what I can add about the preemie / NICU piece (I apologize for the novel):</p> <p>Find out if you can tour the NICU, or at least get a description of the set up, rules, etc. Our NICU was an open floor plan, which meant that at shift change, all of the families had to go out of the NICU entirely for 30 minutes for report (due to HIPAA privacy laws). The timing of that was important, in terms of visitors, timing my dinner breaks / when to get there in the morning. </p> <p>Find out if you can spend the night / nap in the NICU by your LO; I couldn't since it was an open floor plan and they had no cots / recliners (only rocking chairs). Their rule was no sleeping visitors, because if you fell out of the chair, they'd have to attend to you instead of the babies.</p> <p>Don't be afraid to advocate for your baby. 99.9% of the nurses who cared for C were amazing, but there was 1 that really upset me. My Mom encouraged me to talk to the head nurse / charge nurse, and I was able to explain my concerns and request that the nurse in question never be assigned to my baby again. </p> <p>It was really helpful to me to be able to participate in C's care; I got to do diaper changes, take his temperature, give him his n-g tube feeds while holding him to my bare breast (so he would associate the feeling of a full belly with my smell / proximity to my breast before he was able to latch). </p> <p>It's ok if you need to leave the room for procedures. I couldn't bear to be there when they moved his IV or did his lumbar puncture. My hormones were understandable crazy, and everything made me sob. Watching him undergo those things was just too much for me. The wonderful nurses reassured me that 1. he wouldn't feel the pain because they give them a glucose solution that helps numb / pain relieve for them via a sugar high (which made me laugh), 2. that she'd hold his hand, and 3. that it was ok to be overwhelmed / scared / sad / etc. </p> <p>Be kind to yourself and patient with yourself. Having your newborn stay in the NICU / hospital is not natural or easy. I cried every single day. Sometimes the tears were happy, frustrated, angry, sad, scared, you name it. </p> <p>Make sure you eat and drink enough fluids, and get enough rest. As hard as it is to put yourself first, you have to in order to be there for your baby. </p> <p>If you plan to breastfeed, take advantage of the hospital-grade pumps. The pumping I did in the NICU was SO much more efficient / quick than what I did at home with my double electric. In hindsight, I wish I had rented or pushed my insurance to provide a hospital-grade pump for home. </p> <p>If you pump, be patient with your supply. My milk didn't come in until day 5, I think. Part of that is that babies are MUCH more efficient at nursing / stimulating production than a pump, and part of it is stress. Know that if you choose to pump / BF, whatever little you get (esp the colostrum in the beginning) is SO good for baby. A good lactation consultant is key to helping you figure out the pumping, and don't be afraid to ask for someone different if you aren't comfortable / getting what you need. According to our neonatologist, NICU babies do better with BF, but they do well with formula too, so whatever decision is right for you will be perfectly fine for your baby. Don't let anyone pressure you / make you feel like a failure regardless of your choice. </p> <p>Feel free to wall me (or other preemie / c-sec bees), post threads with questions / vents. We're all here for you.</p> <p>I hope everything goes as well as possible. I'll be thinking about you both! :goodluck: :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970239 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:17:40 +0000 LuLu Mom 1970239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a C-section and NICU stay (although it was much shorter than some) but i'll fill you in on what helped us! </p> <p>C-section:<br /> 1. get some drawstring pants or some yoga pants in a size bigger than you would normally wear. comfort around incision is key.<br /> 2. get up and move right away, it hurts like a b*tch, but you will heal so much better if you force yourself back to normal movement. I was up and down and fine by day 5.<br /> 3. where the tummy binder, it's a lifesaver. </p> <p>NICU:<br /> 1. Limit visitors, especially this time of year, extra germs are not your friend. We only allowed our immediate family to visit &amp; hold our LO. Tell friends/extended family, they are more welcome to come visit you and look through the window/from a distance but really be careful who touches the precious LO!<br /> 2. iPad is your best friend, I spent most of my time in there with LO and when she was sleeping or under the lights (she got jaundice after a few days of not eating) and I couldn't hold her, I would watch Netflix or update friends/family on FB.<br /> 3. If your hospital is close enough, make sure you go home and get some good sleep, my favorite nurse finally "kicked" me out saying I was doing LO no good sleeping in the room when she was under the lights, that I would be better if I went home and got rested in my own bed. she was 100% right I was so renewed the next day/two.<br /> 4. Ask lots of questions, I may have annoyed the nurses, but I wanted to know what was going on with my child. </p> <p>(we were initially in there for breathing issues and was on oxygen and she was a "lazy baby" who didn't' want to latch/suck at all and initially didn't want to breathe on her own once she got the oxygen. We ended up syringe feeding her which caused her to get jaundice because she wasn't eating enough to get rid of it.) </p> <p>And just remember to breathe and that your baby is in good hands. Hormones will be going wild (I broke down about day 3) and was a mess and that is normal, just try to get past it and do what is best for your child! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970231 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:13:42 +0000 LBee 1970231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No experience with preemies, but maybe try walling Lemonlong? I think she had IUGR! I also think someone on the blog had IUGR as well. Maybe try searching that? </p> <p>I did have a c-section and it really wasn't bad! I was a FTM so I didn't have any other experience to compare it to, which helped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970223 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:07:55 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1970223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section with a 34 weeker (not super early) and there are a lot of other mommas on here who had preemies too. My biggest suggestions would be 1. make sure you have a pump, and learn as much as you can about how to use it now. Maybe see if your OB can get you in touch with a lactation consultant who can teach you as much as possible now...it was overwhelming to learn having a baby in the NICU (This is assuming you will be breastfeeding...if not, that is okay too!) 2. Tour the NICU and meet the nurses if you can. 3. Reach out to other moms and ask any questions you have, knowing that your fears and anxieties are normal. 4. Ask your hospital if it is possible for accommodations can be made if your NICU stay is short. We were able to stay at the hospital even after I was discharged because our hospital wanted to encourage me to be able to breastfeed. They had an empty room in an overflow wing, and we were able to sleep there free of charge. This eliminated the driving back and forth. LO was only in the hospital for 8 days, and this may not be sustainable for the long term if your stay is long, but even having those extra few days to be close were so wonderful it is worth looking into. </p> <p>Good luck momma. I know you must be so scared and anxious. I will be praying that baby is healthy and that all goes smoothly for you all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970219 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:04:14 +0000 tinyperson 1970219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For questions re: c-section, see this thread! <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-about-cesarean-section" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-about-cesarean-section</a></p> <p>I have no advice on the other issues, but I'm sorry you're dealing with this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970216 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:00:40 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 1970216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 27 weeker. I had pre-eclampsia, so I only had 4 days to get mentally prepared. We had an 11 week NICU stay which is considered very good. I really think there isn't much you can do to be prepared. I'll be honest. It's really really hard. Definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through. But as you go through it just keep thinking that your baby girl will come home. It feels like they never will, but they do. Since they know she has this, she will have time to get the steroids to help mature her lungs which helps a ton! My son got them and he has no breathing issues at all. As for the c section, it really wasn't bad at all. And because your baby will be in the NICU it does help you to heal more easily since you can rest more. Please ask me any questions you have! Here or on my wall. I'm here for you. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. It will be ok though. My son is 4.5 months old and is doing fantastic! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-prepare-for-a-premie-and-c-section#post-1970186 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 08:40:37 +0000 LaughLines 1970186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a very type-A person and like to be prepared for and plan for as much as I can in life. This one has thrown me for a curve so I'm hoping someone out there can help!</p> <p>I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant. At my 20 week ultrasound, the doc found "echogenic bowel" which means the intestines are brighter in color on the screen than they should be. This can mean many things, including downs syndrome and cystic fibrosis. I got testing done for those and a few other things, and everything came back negative which was a HUGE relief. They then explained that, even though i didn't have those issues, they still wanted me to do monthly high-risk ultrasounds to "keep an eye on it", especially growth.</p> <p>At my 23 week ultrasound they said the ecogenic bowel was still there, and that baby was in about the 40th-percentile for growth. They wanted to watch growth but that was a good number still.</p> <p>Yesterday I had my 27 week ultrasound, and the echogenic bowel was still there and the growth was not as good. Her head / legs measured fine (actually OVER 50th percentile) but her abdomen was only the 15th percentile. They said this is likely a sign of asymmetric IUGR (inter-uterine growth retardation) which is one of the things they watch for with ecogenic bowel. It's not technically that yet, because it has to be more around the 5th percentile (not 15th) but it could get there as the weeks go on if her abdomen doesn't grow more. They said asymmetric IUGR is actually better than symmetric (where ALL the measurements are low) because that means the body is sending all the blood/nutrients to where it's needed most (the head and heart), so at least those areas are growing well. The other organs in the abdomen are still developed and work, they're just small. </p> <p>SOOO... they said this is likely due to a placental issue and that there is a good chance (30% at the measurements currently, could go up if the measurements get worse) that they will need to do a c-section to take the baby out early so that she can grow better outside the womb. </p> <p>Overall - the baby should be fine, everything is developing, she'll just be small and might need to be in the nic-U for a while. I'm very thankful that the news is not worse, but i'm still scared for the issues that may come up. </p> <p>Does anyone have any advice on how to be prepared (mentally and practically) for a preme, C-section, or Nic U stay? I can't change the likelihood of this happening, so i want to try to be as prepared for this as I can. </p>