Re: preemie-l Visitors, Taking Places after Discharge
Suzanne900@aol.com
Tue, 11 Jun 1996 22:26:12 -0400
In a message dated 96-06-11 16:22:15 EDT, Kim writes:
>I think parents of preemies (myself included) often shelter our children.
We
>can't help it. But eventually, we are able to treat them like ano other
>child. it just takes a little longer for many of us.
>
We thought we would shelter John Henry when he came home, after all, he was
on oxygen, just over RSV, and had recently been through heart surgery. We
were good about the hand washing and keeping him away from children, but it
became very apparent that he needed the stimulation of being out in public,
he would get very grouchy at home. He also ate better in crowded places. We
tried to keep him 6 feet away from people if possible, a distance our
pulmonologist suggested, and we kept him from touching anything. We did go
out to visit relatives often, but he didn't spend too much time in the same
room as the kids.
John Henry came home at the end of July, when there wasn't too much going
around, and then over the winter he had an ear infection and two viruses,
both picked up at doctor's appointments. He got over them better than I did.
I think that it would be a good idea for those with new premies to ask the
doctors if you can wait in another room away from other patients. Of course,
your child could always pick it up from staff members, too. When I called
about JH being sick a week after seeing the pediatrician, his whole office
was sick!
I just saw something that would have been quite useful for us if it had been
around a year ago. It is a stoller by Cosco (I think) called Rock n Roll, and
the seat can glide or rock. It was about $85 at Toys R Us and I thought it
was rather nice. John Henry liked to bounce alot, and still does. I may still
get it for him since we do alot of strolling and I usually have to move the
stroller back and forth as we go to get him to take a nap.
Suzanne
(mom to John Henry, 24 weeker, 14.5 months old)