(Reprinted with permission from Health4Mom.org) Premature infants thrive when parents spend lots of time interacting with them. NICU parents: Do you feel anxious, frustrated, aching to do more for your premature baby’s growth and development besides pump that milk, and sit and stare?You are not alone. LAYING DOWN TRACKS There is still much to learn, but every year researchers add to the evidence that premature infants thrive when parents interact with them. Each minute your preemie’s brain is making 200,000+ neural connections; early recognition of you as parent is key. Now we know that singing or...

(Reprinted with permission from Healthy Mom & Baby  magazine and Health4Mom.org) Expert advice on pumping for your preemie By Candace Campbell, MSN-HCSM, RN Share: Are you the mom of a preemie who dreads pumping milk at night while the baby is in the NICU? You’re not alone. Who can blame you? It’s inconvenient. It interrupts your sleep. And perhaps you’re discouraged that even though you are pumping every 2-3 hours during the day, your milk supply is also dwindling.  While there is no solution to the fact that your milk supply follows the simple principle of supply and...

Home With Your Preemie  - 5 Things Parents Should Know and Do [Reprinted with permission from Health4Mom.org] The first few weeks at home with a preemie can be especially trying. No matter if your preemie was born at 26 or 36 weeks, here are a few things to keep in mind 1. I Got The Thermoregulation Blues Your preemie lacks the subcutaneous fat necessary to keep herself warm unless she is sufficiently wrapped. You don’t have to crank up the thermostat to 80F (after all, Eskimos have babies, too), but a wise parent wraps the baby in more than one layer. For the first day or so, take baby’s...

BRINGING BABY HOME / BABY-PROOFING YOUR WORLD / BABY-PROOFING YOUR HOME /PARENTING YOUR NEW BABY Bringing Baby Home By Candace Campbell, MSN, RN [reprinted with permission, Health4Women magazine] Congratulations and welcome to a new stage in your life – parenthood! Or maybe this isn’t your first baby and it’s welcome back to the magic kingdom! In an instant, your new baby has changed you from a couple into a family. The irony of your new essence, parenthood, evokes what I like to call a babylove addiction, which in a poetic sense, may be likened to a line from the old Eagles song,...

Greetings, Blogfriends, Here’s a new article also seen in the new Health4Moms website. Printed with permission. Feel free to pass it on, but please remember to share the source. Enjoy! Candy Newborn Skin Care 101 How to love and protect your baby’s skin By Candace Campbell, MSNc, RN Even experienced parents flinch at the idea of skin care for a new baby and the many products with their associated promises on the market. What’s a parent to do to keep baby smiling? It’s enough to make a grown person cry! Here are three ways to fight the Skin Care Blues. #1 The best defense is a good...