But what about when things don’t go according to plan?
In fact, 1 out of 10 babies are born prematurely (viaMarch of Dimes).
This helps decrease stimulation and stress for your baby," Elliott said.
“When a baby is born too soon, this fat layer is missing.
In addition, a premature infant is not able to shiver.
This is why premature babies are placed in isolettes.”
Your little one won’t be living in an isolette forever, though.
Next to the isolette, you may find a ventilator or CPAP machine to regulate your baby’s breathing.
“The amount of time breathing support is needed varies depending on how early the baby was born.”
What are all those tubes a baby is attached to in the NICU?
“These alarms may go off when your baby is just fine,” she explained.
“They serve to alert the caregiver on the status of your baby.”
“As milk feedings increase, the amount of PN required decreases,” Elliott noted.
What about feeding your baby milk?
“Premature babies are usually first fed milk via something called the gavage feeding method,” Elliott said.
“This involves placing a tube through your baby’s nose or mouth to his or her stomach.”
What NICU babies are fed
So what’s going into the feeding tube attached to your baby?
Ideally,your breastmilk.
“This is especially common for premature babies born weighing 3.3 pounds or less.”
This means removing those tubes, one by one.
“Babies have to be growing well to go home,” Elliott added.
