Tips to
Keep your
Preemie or Newborn Safe
When you are ready to bring your baby home from the hospital, you may not have had a chance to prepare for your new arrival. If your baby was born early, there are a few tips that you need to keep in mind with preemies to protect them and give them a great start. Preemie’s may have had a challenging beginning but you can improve their chances of staying healthy once they leave the hospital with these important tips:
1. Once you are home with your baby, don’t leave the house with them until their due date, unless it is to go to a doctor’s appointment.
2. Because the fingernails are normally still attached to the finger you don’t need to trim them until their due date. Trimming the nails early may result in cutting the baby’s finger tips and increasing the chance of infection. If the nails are too long or jagged, you may be able to file down a little to make it smooth.
3. The first thing people will do when they see a newborn out is grab their little hands. People can’t resist the feel of tiny fingers wrapping around their finger. Unfortunately, their hands may have germs on them and when your baby gets hungry and starts noodling their hands, the germs may go into their mouths. Yuck! In order to protect your newborn, put cloth mittens on their hands to protect them when you take them out.
4. A preemie can maintain their body temperature by keeping a cap on their heads. You can use the one that the hospital gave you or you can buy your own. Make sure you keep a hat on when you are at home or you go out.
5. Keep a journal of everything. This is important for every doctor appointment. Document when they eat, amount, and document all throw ups (more than just spit ups) and record bowel movements. You will be surprised how many times they have a belly ache and you have to think of when their last bowel movement was. Also, journal other important things such as questions to ask your Doctor, milestones your baby accomplished, breast feeding information such as what time, which side. If you pump, document the total amount and time. Pick a journal that you can easily put in your purse or diaper bag.
Your baby will grow up quickly and soon the preemie stage will be over and they will be toddlers walking around keeping you on your toes. Don’t be afraid to keep company at bay until the due date in order to protect your baby. People will understand that you are trying to keep your baby safe and healthy. Instead, send pictures of your baby to everyone’s email address so they can see everyday how fast your preemie is progressing. Share your preemies’ first few weeks with everyone. Enjoy them! 
