The day you bring home a prematurely born baby can bring emotions mixed with joy and apprehension. Prematurely born babies, or preemies, are a blessing because they have fought long and hard to make it! On the other hand they have very special needs and parents are often nervous about being able to meet those needs, especially in the early days.
Swaddling for preemies
If you have ever been in this situation you probably understand the need to learn good techniques such as swaddling that can be used to soothe a preemie infant, especially those showing signs of colic. And the best way to learn this technique is by using a preemie swaddling wrap specifically designed for the task.
A generic "baby blanket" may be too thick, too short or have other characteristics that make it less than ideal for properly swaddling such a young baby. A good preemie swaddle wrap should be:
Made of lightweight and breathable fabric.
Stretchable to allow for safe tucking in of loose ends.
Very soft to the touch as to not irritate delicate newborn skin
Swaddling wraps can be especially useful for preemies because these infants have missed valuable development time in the womb. Swaddling re-creates that womb-like experience and allows a baby to focus and tune in to their maturing process as well as focusing in on the sounds, motion and faces of their parents or caregivers.
Other Techniques You Can Use with Swaddling to Comfort Preemies
Each infant reacts differently to soothing techniques such as swaddling and oftentimes more than one method may be needed with very young children such as preemies. However once an infant has been swaddled, parents can better incorporate additional soothing techniques if needed. Other techniques recommended by child care experts include:
Motion (vibration, dance, bouncing, swinging)
Sound (constant whooshing - white noise - rhythmic music)
Position (mimicking the natural position while a baby is in the uterus),
Sucking (calming by breast feeding or pacifier)
Patience, Love and Time
Sometimes despite our best efforts as parents our best allies are patience, love and time. As preemies develop and grow they begin to adjust to the world around them. We also continue to learn about their other needs and make adjustments to foods, clothing and sleep routines that help with the soothing process.
As your baby reaches 4 -6 months they should begin to have fewer bouts of excessive crying or other symptoms associated with colic. However in the meantime a good swaddle blanket and lots of swaddling blanket will go a lot way to helping you comfort and soothe your premature infant.
No comments:
Post a Comment