The complete guide to helping parents meet their baby's special needs and promote optimal development in the first year after homecoming. Providing family-centered, developmentally supportive guidance in the months after the NICU.

An essential resource for parents of premature babies. The birth of a new baby is a time full of joy and wonder. But when your baby is born premature, that joy also comes with stresses and challenges. Written for parents, but full of practical advice for health care professionals alike, Preemie Care helps ease the unique preemie journey to health, with a comprehensive guide to the first year of life. Leading neonatal nurse specialists Karen Lasby and Tammy Sherrow draw on their decades of experience, empowering you with the knowledge and resources to give your little one the best possible start in life--in the NICU and beyond. In Preemie Care, you will learn: - How to care for yourself and your baby while in the NICU - What to expect at the time of discharge, and how to prepare for the journey home - Strategies to foster your baby's health and prevent illness - Everything you need to know about feeding--from the breast, bottle, tube, and spoon - How to support and stimulate your baby at each key developmental phase - Tips for self-care during this challenging year - And much, much more, including stories from other preemie parents Having a premature baby can feel like an unexpected journey on rough seas. With extensive and up-to-date information about how to look after your little one, Preemie Care will be a life preserver through these tumultuous waters and will help steer you confidently through the first year of your baby's life.

A mother’s moving and honest memoir about the premature birth of her daughter—and the strength and grace that can be found in the midst of life's greatest challenges In her early thirties, Kasey Mathews had it all: a loving husband, a beautiful two-year-old son, and a second baby on the way. But what seemed a perfect life was shattered when she went into labor four months early, delivering her one-pound, eleven-ounce daughter, Andie. The first time Kasey was wheeled into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), nothing prepared her for what she saw: a tiny, fragile baby in a tangle of tubes and wires. All at once, Kasey was confronted with a new and terrifying reality that would test the limits of love, family, and motherhood. In this riveting, honest, and often humorous memoir, Preemie chronicles the journey of one tiny baby’s tenacious struggle to hold on to life and the mother who ultimately grew with her. From hospital waiting rooms to the offices of alternative practitioners, from ski slopes to Symphony Hall, Kasey tries to make meaning of her daughter’s birth and eventually comes to learn that gifts come in all sizes and all forms, and sometimes... right on time.

"When is Baby Coming Home?: A NICU Story" is written about a baby being born before the due date and having to spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Children under the age of 14, (18 during flu season) are not allowed in NICUs. Siblings at home often have many questions/concerns about their brother/sister still in the hospital. This book answers some of the questions they may have and can prepare them for the circumstances to follow a premature birth.

'A Journey to Home' is a comprehensive Preemie Baby Book and NICU Journal. Over three years in the making, this journal will be a companion during the NICU stay, and a book of memories in the future. It is a book of expectations, setting parents up for a true understanding of what is to come. It builds resources while celebrating the joys of their baby's life. "The development of this book began 4 hours after the birth of my son. I longed to be able to journal and have a keepsake that was adjusted to my premature child." "In my personal journey, I have found that you must find peace with being a parent of a preemie. It is only after much time that I have been able to rejoice with my toddler, and shed layers of protection that sheltered us from harm in the past. I will look at him with a little less guilt in my heart, and continue to treasure every breath, word, and step that he takes in his life."

"Features family stories and guidance"--Cover.

Lianne Totty a children book author looking to use her past experiences to help others cope. She hopes to help plant the seeds of hope and peace in the hearts of those who have an extended NICU stay ahead or have experienced loss. Lianne Totty is a Patient Services Administrator at a major teaching hospital in Washington DC. After battling infertility and multiple losses in 2016, Lianne and her husband delivered her miracle baby at 27 weeks and spent 6 terrifying months in the Neonatal Intensive care Unit (NICU) at that hospital, eventually losing the baby. That sent them on an emotional journey that led to her writing the book "Baby Went to Heaven," as a tool for parents who've left toddlers and other small children at home; and must later explain to them why the baby they were all eagerly expecting never comes home. They eventually went on to have another baby who was born at 25 weeks at same hospital but with a much different outcome. Lucas is alive and thriving. He truly is her light. Lianne's story of loss and recovery encompasses the hopes and fears of every parent, a story that those who have suffered the death of a child will relate to.