Advice

Crystal Gordon (Crystal.Gordon@sys8.wfc.com)
Fri, 7 Jun 1996 11:48:10 -300


Date:          Fri, 7 Jun 96 11:40:05 -0500
From:          MAILER-DAEMON@ops.wfc.com (Mail Delivery Subsystem)
Subject:       Returned mail: Host unknown
To:            <csm@sys8.wfc.com>

Everything you described sounds fso familiar!  Ahsley was born 17 
weeks early and she too was very irratible and on the apnea monitor.  
Every time she would cry (which was often) that monitor would go off. 
 It was a combination that could drive anyone insane.

What you have to realize is that the atmosphere at home is very 
different from the hospital.  At the hospital there were lights on 
almost all the time, there were many different sounds such as people
talking and monitors & venatlators going off.  At home, you probably 
think 'the quieter the better" but with preemies, that's not the 
case.  I suggest you try something we did.  We got a cassette player 
and a bedtime lullabye tape and put it in her bed.  We not only used 
it to help her go to sleep, but we also used it to calm her down.  It 
and having plenty of lights on seemed to work for us.  Ashley is now 
13 months and we still use it to put her to bed.  She can't sleep 
without it!

And about which doctor to use, if I had a chance to use a 
neonatologist rather than a ped, I would have dont it in a heartbeat. 
 But there was no one in our hospital that did that.  Instead I found 
a great ped.  Before I chose her, I went on consultation visits with 
3 different doctors.  I discussed Ashley's history with them and made 
the decision on which one I felt comfortable with.  Ashley's 
neonatologist recommended all three, but I made the choice.  

Anyway, good luck and just remember that they do eventually stop 
SCREAMING!

Crystal Gordon
Mom to Ashley (23wks -1lb 2oz, now 13 months and 14lbs!)
ped