Under certain circumstances, your baby has to stay in the hospital for an extended period after birth, especially, when they are born earlier than 37 weeks. Since they don’t spend sufficient time in the womb, premature babies often have to be monitored and kept under favorable conditions until they are able to sustain independently.
Babies born prematurely are kept in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) till the doctors are sure they can survive on their own in the outside world.
All this while, they are away from the mother and only get to spend little time with her. This makes it necessary for parents to bond with their little one while they are recovering and developing. Though the baby won’t respond in vivid ways and will sleep most of the time, your presence is still significant for both of you.
1. Calm Down And Breathe
We know that under such stressful circumstances all you care about is your baby’s health. You want them to recover quickly, but you won’t want to lose these moments feeling anxious and tensed. Breathe in deep and relax. Hold your baby close or stay near them. Watch that little life breathing peacefully before you.
2. Notice How Your Baby Responds
Pay attention to what your newborn likes. Does she like it when you gently pat her back or rub her feet? If she gets irritated and cries, you will know she is not liking it. Don’t get disheartened if your baby doesn’t react when you expect her to—she is conserving her energy to recover and develop.
As she will grow and heal, she will start focusing on you and other things happening in around her.
3. Get Their Attention
Stimulate him with your voice. You could try making soft sounds, sing a lullaby or read him a story. See if he turns to look at you when you are cooing or singing to them. He might look away when you talk and turn back to hear you sing.
4. Protect Them From Overstimulation
If you feel they don’t respond well to certain noise, touch, or may be are disturbed by a bright light, ask the medical staff to dim the lights or keep the monitors far away. Make their stay in the hospital calm and soothing—make sure they aren’t unnecessarily disturbed by elements in their vicinity.
5. Make The Baby’s Space Home-Like
If the medical staff is amiable, talk with them to allow you to make your baby’s hospital stay more home-like. Decorate their space, ask if you could place stuff toys inside or near the incubator. You can also keep family photos nearby.
Keep your baby’s blanket with you for some days, until your smell gets onto the cloth. Place it near your baby so that your scent remains close to them when you are away.
6. Capture The Moments
It might not strike you to click your baby’s pictures when they are at the hospital, but, it is a good way of capturing these moments through photographs—it will inturn help you bond with your baby.
You will not want to miss on the moments when your little one held onto your finger or blinked their eyes, looking at you.
7. Skin-To-Skin Contact
With babies, a skin-to-skin contact creates a sense of security and comfort. One of the best ways to bond with the baby is to hold them close to your bare chest or between your breasts whenever the doctors allow you to do so. Cup your hands around their head and cradle them to sleep while singing them a lullaby.
Under your love and care, your baby will recover quickly. Once your baby is out of the incubator, know that the time isn’t far when you can take them home.
