We have got a case of the preemie grunts. Lil’Bean grunts sometimes for hours at a time. It could be contributed to a few things: reflux, working on digesting, gas, or just plain being a preemie.
The first few nights home, it kept me up all night. I have found a few things that help minimize the grunting all night.
1- I make sure he is swaddled up real tight. This has helped when he is crying too. I read a great book, Happiest Baby on the Block and swaddling is one of the main ways to comfort a crying baby. We now know it helps with grunting babies as well.
2- He seems not to grunt as much when I am holding him, so I have put a wedge under his co-sleeper so he lies on an incline. This has also helped a bunch too.
3- I think one of his reasons for grunting is NICU withdrawals. I was told that they dim the lights at night while in the NICU, but the place is still lighter than most of us keep our bedrooms. Since we started leaving a light on in our bedroom at night, he has slept much, much better. In turn, I have slept much, much better. My lil’Bean doesn’t like the dark already!
4- Take away his pacifier. I know it sounds cruel, but I have found if I have left his pacifier in his mouth and he falls asleep and the pacifier falls out while he is sleeping and it is touching his mouth, he grunts until he can get it back in his mouth, which usually is difficult but I have seen him do it. It would be hard for me too if my arms were all bundled up.
I was talking to my Relief Society president about Lil’Beans grunting and she re-assured me that it is a preemie thing. She had a preemie, as well as one of her children had a preemie. When I looked it up online, I found many parents have experienced this with pre-term kiddos. Wheew, We are grateful we are not the only ones!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Lil'Bean is Home
Lil’Bean has been home for two weeks now. It is wonderful to have him home and not have to travel to and from the hospital to see him. Now it actually feels like we had our little guy. When you get a full night’s sleep, it just doesn’t feel like you have just birthed a child.
My previous slumbering nights are no more, and are now infant filled which is wonderful. I am adjusting much better than when I had Lil’Miss, and I am so grateful.
Lil’Beans last night at the hospital I was asked to “room in”. This consisted of going over lots of information on parenting a preemie, as well as spending the night at the hospital with Lil’Bean in the room with me.
The nurse on shift that evening was a piece of work. She was nice, but she was an earful to listen to and she left me exhausted. I got into the hospital around 8:15pm and at 10:30pm she was still lecturing me about how to get his bottles prepared, and how crucial it is to keep him from others in caution of keeping him from getting RSV. This particular nurse was formerly an ER nurse, so she had all the horror stories to go along with it.
Clearly pooped by 11pm, I was finally checked into my room and able to rest. I was wondering if she was ever going to quit talking. As she lectured me I sat in a rocking chair with Lil’Bean, she was standing slightly behind me and I got a kink in my neck from looking at her. I was really ready to go to bed that night even though little rest was had.
Lil’Bean slept for the first few hours, then between the hours of 1am and 5am, he was wide awake and ready to party. It made me think that they have been partying with him every night since he had been in the NICU. By 5am he settled down and I was able to rest some before his nurse wanted to come in and socialize one more time before shift changes at 7am. I was informed that it might not be until late afternoon before we would be able to check out so I took my time resting and getting ready with my little guy before we went home.
The hubster had dropped me off the night before and came with Lil’Miss when it was time to check out. We were out of the hospital by 3pm. It was nice to be able to leave. It almost didn’t seem real. We had a baby boy, and now he is going to be at home living with us!! We were excited. It is almost like Thursday December 2nd is his second birthday, his coming home from the hospital day. So over all he spent 24 days in the NICU. The staff and care he was given was excellent. We are so grateful.
The night before we left they weighed him and he weighed 5lbs 15oz. He had gained exactly a pound since his birth while staying at the NICU. We have been visiting the doctor for weekly weight checks, as of Monday he weighed 7lbs 3oz, another pound gained!! We were so proud of our growing little guy!
My previous slumbering nights are no more, and are now infant filled which is wonderful. I am adjusting much better than when I had Lil’Miss, and I am so grateful.
Lil’Beans last night at the hospital I was asked to “room in”. This consisted of going over lots of information on parenting a preemie, as well as spending the night at the hospital with Lil’Bean in the room with me.
The nurse on shift that evening was a piece of work. She was nice, but she was an earful to listen to and she left me exhausted. I got into the hospital around 8:15pm and at 10:30pm she was still lecturing me about how to get his bottles prepared, and how crucial it is to keep him from others in caution of keeping him from getting RSV. This particular nurse was formerly an ER nurse, so she had all the horror stories to go along with it.
Clearly pooped by 11pm, I was finally checked into my room and able to rest. I was wondering if she was ever going to quit talking. As she lectured me I sat in a rocking chair with Lil’Bean, she was standing slightly behind me and I got a kink in my neck from looking at her. I was really ready to go to bed that night even though little rest was had.
Lil’Bean slept for the first few hours, then between the hours of 1am and 5am, he was wide awake and ready to party. It made me think that they have been partying with him every night since he had been in the NICU. By 5am he settled down and I was able to rest some before his nurse wanted to come in and socialize one more time before shift changes at 7am. I was informed that it might not be until late afternoon before we would be able to check out so I took my time resting and getting ready with my little guy before we went home.
The hubster had dropped me off the night before and came with Lil’Miss when it was time to check out. We were out of the hospital by 3pm. It was nice to be able to leave. It almost didn’t seem real. We had a baby boy, and now he is going to be at home living with us!! We were excited. It is almost like Thursday December 2nd is his second birthday, his coming home from the hospital day. So over all he spent 24 days in the NICU. The staff and care he was given was excellent. We are so grateful.
The night before we left they weighed him and he weighed 5lbs 15oz. He had gained exactly a pound since his birth while staying at the NICU. We have been visiting the doctor for weekly weight checks, as of Monday he weighed 7lbs 3oz, another pound gained!! We were so proud of our growing little guy!
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