Life With A Premature Baby

If you have a premature baby, you can use Babble Soft's web and mobile application, Baby Insights, to keep track of his/her feedings, sleep periods, and diaper changes, as well as mom’s breast milk pumping both during and after their stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  You can note your preemie baby’s height, weight, and head circumference in Baby Say Cheese whenever you want to record a baby growth or baby development milestone!

A premature baby, or preemie, is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Approximately 12 percent of babies in the United States — or 1 in 8 — are born prematurely each year. In 2003, more than 490,000 babies in the U.S. were born prematurely. (source: Wikipedia)  In fact, the rate of premature birth increased almost 35 percent between 1981 and 2005 (9.4 to 12.7 percent). (source: March of Dimes)

Because they are born too early, preemies may have health problems because their organs did not have enough time to develop. Preemies often need special medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.  And they need special care when they are released to finally go home.  Things that need to be monitored closely are:

1. Feedings.  Whether you are feeding them breast milk pumped from mom, breast milk from a Mother’s Milk Bank, or specially formulated formula, it’s important to note how much they are eating and when.  Keeping track of their feeding times and amounts in a central location can help you determine when they eat, how often they eat, and even when they tend to eat more.

2. Diapers.  Keeping track of how many wet and soiled diapers a premature baby is having is a great way to see if they are eating enough.  Making sure your baby has enough wet diapers can prevent dehydration.  Seeing soiled diapers is a good indication that your baby is getting enough food to grow.

3. Growth.  If your premature baby is getting enough to eat and having a good amount of wet and soiled diapers, then the next thing that’s important to keep track of is his/her growth.  All pediatricians will look for weight gain, height gain, and growth in head circumference.

4. Sleep.  How much and how often your preemie baby sleeps can help you determine the best feeding times and when to wake him/her. 

If you know someone who has a premature baby, Babble Soft applications make for a unique baby gift.  You can easily send them an Email Gift no matter where they might be in the world!  It will be the most useful gift they to help them through those often worry filled days while their baby is in the NICU or soon after they bring him/her home.