https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 12:16:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1800639 Wed, 06 Aug 2014 09:44:44 +0000 eissak22 1800639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish my company was being more flexible with me, but I'll get the 12 weeks (working from home) and that's it. We don't have room in our budget for an at home nanny or private daycare. And DH's work schedule isn't very flexible either. Sigh. Thanks for the recommendations though, ladies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1800206 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:21:29 +0000 ElbieKay 1800206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you budget for a nanny during the first few months that you are back at work? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1800162 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:43:05 +0000 Applesandbananas 1800162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is there any way to work it out with your boss to extend your leave, given the circumstances? </p> <p>Are you expected to work from home during the first 12 weeks?</p> <p>Does your husband have any wiggle room in his schedule?</p> <p>Maybe you could stagger your schedules so that you go in 7-3 and he goes in 10-6 and you only need a nanny from 9:30-3:30? Shaving off a few hours might make it a little more affordable?</p> <p>Good luck, I hope your LO keeps baking!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1800137 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:30:39 +0000 mrs. 64 1800137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My NICU really, really discourages preemies going to daycare. They did say that in home daycares are slightly preferable to centers because there are fewer children, but they really advised against daycare altogether. We also had to make some tough decisions because of this. I had pre-e and I hope you are able to avoid it, but feel free to ask me anything if needed. Hope you are able to cook that baby a while longer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799860 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:50:28 +0000 MarieJ 1799860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD was born at 34w5days &amp; spent 10 days in the NICU. I took off 17 weeks and she did receive the synagis shots per the rec of the NICU doctor since we were dead in the middle of flu season. I put her in a home daycare for about a month &amp; when that did not work out, I transferred her to a daycare center &amp; everything has been fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799832 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:23:06 +0000 eissak22 1799832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: They have 2 buildings, one for newborns through 2 years old, and the other for 2 and up. Hopefully that would help some. They can have up to 50 kids in the baby building alone though. </p> <p>@Mrs. Blue: I have narrowed down the ped but haven't officially called and registered her yet. I thought I had a little more time, but apparently baby has other plans!! Thank you, that's a good idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799824 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:19:19 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1799824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@eissak22: Everyone says kids just get sick a lot in the first year, so I think it's pretty normal. Not fun and it did require us taking a lot of time off, but normal. Have you chosen a pedi yet? I would call and talk to their nurse and see what the doctor would recommend in your situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799818 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:16:48 +0000 LemonLong 1799818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine wasn't a preemie, but she was IUGR and left the hospital at only 4 lbs 11 oz. she was probably around 10 lbs when she started daycare at 12 weeks old in January. She did get sick a lot the first year, but after 3 months it's not as big of a deal. Look for a daycare where they keep the infants separate from the older kids which may help keep the germs down. Now that she's almost two, she rarely gets sick enough to miss daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799816 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:15:51 +0000 eissak22 1799816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: No, my company is only 11 employees so we don't qualify. And if I try to fight my boss the work environment would become really really crappy.</p> <p>@littlek: I love the sound of only a 10 day NICU stay!!</p> <p>@Mrs. Blue: This is what I'm concerned about. I want to BF or EBF as much as possible, but even so in the middle of winter with flu season and RVS rampant, I worry that she would be sick often. Those germy little kids in daycare just don't sound healthy for a preemie. I wish I could afford a nanny or have a family member keep her for a while, but we can't.</p> <p>It'd either be daycare, or quit my job after my mat leave is up and find a part time job at night like waiting tables so I could leave her with my husband while I worked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799806 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:07:09 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1799806@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My boys were 36 weeks and were in NICU for a little over a week. I had to go back to work when they were 3 1/2 months old. They were born in March, though, so at least it was the beginning of summer. I have no idea if it's because they were preemies, because I wasn't able to BF very much, or just luck of the draw, but they were sick ALLLLLLL the time the first year. It was extremely stressful. If we had been able to afford a nanny or found an awesome in home daycare with smaller numbers, I think that would have been better just to reduce the exposure a little bit. But, as far as just taking them out, I wasn't too concerned about that. Our ped did ask that we try to reduce outings for the first 2 months until they had their 2-month shots. We tried to generally stick to that, but still went to the store, to dinner, etc. some. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799788 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:53:00 +0000 littlek 1799788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had my LO at exactly 34 weeks. We did not put him in daycare until he was 4 months old. LO was in the NICU 10 days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799786 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:51:13 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1799786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a 25 weeker and am having a nanny for the first two years. Will you be using fmla for your mat leave? If not, you get 3 add'l months although usually unpaid. Sorry you are having scary issues! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799781 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:49:08 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1799781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My lo was born at 34+6 and spent 1 week in the nicu. We went out to dinner the night we brought him home and we're out in public daily. I started taking him to our church nursery at 3 weeks and the gym nursery at 8 weeks. Lo was breastfed St that point and I was a teacher so he had a pretty solid immune system, but he never got sick. His first real sickness wasn't until 6 ish months when he got an ear infection due to teething. His first bad illness was a virus which he just got at 17 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preemies-amp-daycare-1#post-1799768 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:43:43 +0000 eissak22 1799768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will be 30 weeks tomorrow and was diagnosed with gestational hypertension this week. My doctor has advised me to expect an early baby. We are hoping I'll make it to 34 weeks, but because this developed early my chances of it becoming pre-e or worsening are pretty good. (50% chance it becomes pre-e). Therefore we are expecting an early baby. Hopefully she'll hang out for a long time, but we aren't counting on that. I get 12 weeks maternity leave where I will be working from home, and it starts the day baby is born. Depending on how long she hangs out in utero, part of my leave will probably be with her staying in the NICU. My concern is (well, one of them) once my 12 weeks is up, I have to go back to work. It doesnt' seem to matter how old or small she is, I will be expected to put her in daycare and return to the office. I know preemie's have weaker immune systems and to me putting a premature baby in a daycare setting in the middle of flu season is just a terrible idea. I'm trying not to worry about this too much, but I do want to have a game plan.</p> <p>If you had a preemie, when did you feel comfortable having baby around other children, particularly germ factories like daycares. Did you leave work or stay out longer to care for your itty bitty babe? What did you do? Or what would you do? Any and all practical advice welcome. </p>