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Baby Blog Week in Review: May 8 to May 27

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Oops! The last few weekends have been filled with craziness and I have simply forgotten to do my week in review blogs! Between homeschooling conventions, a bout with croup, and year end activities–the time (and my brain) just escaped from me. So if you’ve missed anything recently. . .it’s here! Saturday, May 26 Babies Have Astounding Capabilities Scientists and researchers are learning more and more about how babies learn language. It’s changing the way we define intelligent and challenging our beliefs on the best ways to enhance development. Friday, May 25 Preemies Listening to Vivaldi? Check out this exciting research … Continue reading →

Preemies Listening to Vivaldi?

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Music therapy for preemies is cropping up all over the world, and it’s showing promising results! Music therapy is designed to help relax the infant and studies are showing that it improves neurological functions! Here are some unique ways in which preemies are being treated with music. Granada, Spain Nurses at a maternity hospital put speakers up to an incubator three times a day. The therapy has several goals. The first is to reduce cortical levels (the hormone present when we’re stressed). Secondly, researchers are looking to see if they can help improve the bonding between the preemies and their … Continue reading →

Bonding with Your NICU Baby

Recently, here in the baby blog we have been talking about preemies and the NICU experience. Emotionally draining is an understatement. Bonding is also another challenge as you might not even be able to hold your little one for awhile. NICU babies have unique needs and consequently it’s important that you give yourself permission to observe your baby’s cues and watch them closely. Your baby might not be interested in the outside world for awhile and actually, that’s not a terrible thing. NICU preemies, particularly ones who are sick, need all their energy for recovering. Once your baby is matured … Continue reading →

You Are Still a Parent In the NICU

Ideally, you gestate for nine months, you give birth, and in a few days, everyone goes home. But as we know that doesn’t always happen. Premature birth can happen to any mother, but some women are at a greater risk. Multiples almost always come early with a mere 5% making it a full forty weeks. Nonetheless, whether you are prepared for the NICU experience or not, when it happens, it can be nothing short of devastating and depressing. A Difficult Birth Babies who are born early are almost always born via cesarean section. While I realize that the surgery goes … Continue reading →

Will You Walk for Babies?

The March of Dimes has recently revamped itself and is now the March for Babies–but the founding principle is the same. Marchers get sponsors to donate money to help for research to improve the quality of life of disabled and premature babies. Most marches are taking place April 27 and now is the time to sign up. Will you march? Prematurity In the United States, prematurity affects approximately 10% of families. I had never contemplated it much until I got pregnant with twins. At 24 weeks, we were told to prepare for birth in as early as 7 weeks. That … Continue reading →

Why the US Infant Mortality Rate is So High

In case you hadn’t heard, the US has the second highest infant mortality rate among the developed nations. If you’re thinking our health care system stinks and that’s why so many babies are dying. . .think again. While certainly universal access to health care (or lack thereof) does have an influence on whether or not mothers get adequate prenatal care, the reality is that the United States pushes the boundaries on what can be done in both fertility and neonatal medicine. Just to be clear: infant mortality means that a baby was outside of the womb, took at least one … Continue reading →

NICU Womb Rooms

Premature births are on the rise. It used to be that 32 weeks was considered the age of viability. With each one of my pregnancies the age of viability was earlier and earlier. That’s saying something considering that starting in 1998 I was pregnant every other year until the twins birth in 2005. Doctors now say that the age of viability is as early as 24 weeks because of advances in technology and improvement of care. Instead of focusing on how to keep the baby alive, doctors are now focusing on how to help the baby’s development in the future. … Continue reading →