You can minimize noise and light for your child. You can keep your voice low
and soft whenever you are talking or singing to him. You can even request that
your child be moved to a quieter spot in the NICU if the activity level is too
high where he is. You can ask other visitors in the room to keep their voices
down.
Keep your baby as comfortable as possible by swaddling his body, including
arms and legs, in a receiving blanket. Put a hat on her since it is sometimes
hard for preemies to regulate their body temperatures. Add booties for the same
reason. Bring his own clothes from home so that he isn’t wearing hospital
regulation clothes all the time.
You can keep your baby from becoming over stimulated. She cannot handle more
than one thing at a time. If you are talking to her, don’t rock. If you’re
rocking, don’t sing. It’s one or the other with preemies - more than that is
too much for her to handle.
Take Care of Yourself and Your Partner
You can take care of yourself and your partner. I remember waking up from a
horrible nightmare a few days after I’d come home from the hospital (buy my
baby was still there). I felt my belly and knew something was wrong, but in my
sleepy state I couldn’t put my finger on it. Suddenly I shot up in bed,
panicked, shouting, "The Baby! Where’s the baby?!" I was petrified
and couldn’t think where he was. I needed my husband at that point, and he was
there for me in a way that no one else could have been. He was going through
the same thing and needed me too. You can be there for your spouse too. Your
child may have special needs down the line due to prematurity, and your
marriage or partnership is crucial to your family now.
Last, but not least, when your baby comes home, if she gets to come home,
then you can take a tiny sigh of relief, and prepare for the challenge of
raising your child.