Favorite Product Friday #13

This week my favorite product is the Leap Frog Learn and Groove Table.

I've always liked these tables for my preemies because they come at a good height when kids are learning to stand but can also be used to encourage tummy time. I particularly like this one because it plays a lot of jazzy type music (that doesn't give me a headache - always a bonus) and has a variety of things to push, move or open. My daughter is a big fan of options so this toy suits her well.

Here are some suggestions for using this toy to help foster development with your preemie.

Tummy time - Just like most other tables, this one allows you to remove the legs. Take the front two off and then you can create a great toy to get your preemie on his/her tummy and hopefully not fighting it as much.

Sitting - Take the legs off completely and let your preemie play with this toy while he/she is learning to sit (or feeling stable sitting but not ready to try standing).

Crawling - You can use this toy as a motivator to get your preemie crawling (if that's what he/she needs to get moving).

Learning to stand - The height on this one seems to work well for my daughter. It keeps her interested so she can practice learning how to stand up. The other great thing about this table is that it can help her learn how to go from a squat position to standing. She has a hard time with this transition and other tables/blocks/etc haven't motivated her like this one or have been too tall to make it easy.

Fine motor - Obviously the various buttons and other fun stuff make this a great toy to encourage fine motor development. Once your preemie starts being able to move the objects, encourage him/her to do specific things with each part of the table.

Developmental Wednesday #9 (On Thursday)

Things have been crazy here so many apologies for the delayed post.

This week's developmental information is focused on preemies who are 3-5 months old. In the past I did a post with similar information for preemies who are 0-2 months.

Here are developmental milestones you may start to see at this age:

Large Motor

• Keeps head in line with his/her body when pulled to sitting from lying down
• Rolls from stomach to back
• On stomach, supports self on extended arms
• Bears some weight on feet when held in a supported stand

Small Motor

• Reaches for object and tries to grasp it
• Will finger own hands at midline
• Transfers toy from hand to hand
• Shakes rattle purposely

Social/Play Skills

• Looks at the object he/she is holding
• Smiles or reaches to familiar people
• Smiles or laughs during physical play

Communications

• Turns eyes or head in the direction of voices or sound
• Vocalizes when talked to or sung to
• Uses different cries to indicate what he/she wants

Ways to Optimize Your Baby's Development

• Change your preemie's positions during play time - on tummy, sitting (supported at first and then independently) or lying on back
• Offer toys/objects that your preemie has to reach to get - this will encourage rolling over
• Continue talking, singing, and laughing with your preemie
• Bring your preemie's hands together at the center of his/her body and let him/her bring hands to mouth.
• Let your preemie explore toys by mouthing them (if they are willing to). If your preemie doesn't like to actively mouth things then gently place a textured toy (like a ring) on your preemie's lips and see what he/she does. Slowly over time your preemie may accept it more and be willing to do it him/herself.
• Shake a rattle (and help your preemie do it themselves) to hear the noise and get a response.
• Encourage banging, tapping or any type of noise making

In Case of Emergency

Obviously every parent hopes to avoid the late night rush the Emergency Room or the panicked call to 911. With a preemie the chance of this happening is even higher than normal. It helps to be as prepared as possible - it will make it easier on the emergency personnel and you. Here are some tips to be as prepared in case you do have to call 911 or go to the emergency room:

1) Medical Information: In a previous post I talked about keeping medical information organized and together in one place. The best time it will come in handy is during an emergency when people need medical information and you are probably too frazzled/busy/tired to remember it all. Keeping a binder updated and ready is a great tool to ensure that emergency personnel know everything that they need to in order to give proper medical care. The key here is to make sure your binder is updated - especially the medicine information.

2) Fire Department - If your preemie has respiratory issues, call your fire department when you bring your preemie home. Let them know that your preemie has respiratory issues/is on oxygen/etc, so that if you have to call 911 they will come prepared with a pediatric oxygen mask. The fire department is often the first on the scene so it's really helpful for them to know in advance what they might be facing. Our fire department keeps a board with this type of information so they noted our address and our daughter's condition when we called.

3) Know what you know - I'm sure people have told you this - you know your child the best. This is absolutely true. Take confidence in that fact and make sure you assert yourself during an emergency if need be. Our daughter is a fast breather naturally so whenever I have had to take her to the after-hours clinic, I always make sure that they know what her baseline breathing/heart rate is so that they can make a diagnosis off of that.

4) Equipment - If your preemie requires specific equipment - oxygen, feeding pump, etc. make sure that you let the medical staff know. For visits to the ER, bring that equipment with you because you don't know how long you'll wait so it is always best to be prepared. Bring whatever medicine you will need for the next few hours as well as any food or formula.

5) Diaper Bag - Try and keep your diaper bag packed and ready all the time so that you can grab it on a moments notice. A couple of toys and/or snacks will go a long way towards keeping your child entertained during a long wait at the ER.

6) Siblings - if you have other siblings, call a neighbor, friend or family (someone who can get there fast) to watch them so they don't have to go with you to the hospital. If they can't get there quickly, arrange to have someone pick up them up at the hospital.

Favorite Product Friday #12

This week's favorite product is the Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Boom Box.

My daughter got this toy at Christmas and she has loved it ever since. When you press the yellow button on the top it plays four (maybe five I can't remember) little songs that have a catchy beat along with flashing lights and a spinning wheel in the center. My daughter loves to dance to the music. The green "antenna" can be pushed and pulled up and down and the red dial can be spun around. There is also a plastic ball filled with beads that can be spun around and the musical note button makes funny sounds when you press it. The spinner in the center moves around and squeaks when you do spin it. Basically this is a compact toy with a lot of fun things to do with it.

Here are some ways to use it at various points in your preemie's development.

Watch this - Your preemie will love to watch the lights and spinning wheel so sit him/her down and press the button. This is a great toy if you have an older sibling too because they can "help" you show your preemie how it works.

Tummy time - If your preemie doesn't particularly care for tummy time, than this is a great toy to keep them occupied and entertained. Put the toy on one side or the other to encourage head turning. Place it in front of your preemie to encourage reaching with one hand or other other.

Movement - When your preemie is ready to start pivoting or crawling, place this toy just out reach and turn it on to encourage him/her to move towards it. This also works well when you want your preemie to pull to stand - put it on the table so they can go get it.

Cause and Effect/Fine Motor - Show your preemie how each of the buttons and dials work so that he/she can do it too. This is a great way to teach your preemie about cause and effect and work on their fine motor skills at the same time.

Have fun rockin' out with your preemie.

20 Ways to Calm your Crying Preemie (and You)

Sometimes your preemie will start crying and none of the usual tricks seem to be working. This can be very stressful for you and your preemie. Here are some ways to try and get your preemie to calm down and to help you cope with the crying:

1. Walk around the house with your preemie. If he/she is on oxygen, hook up the portable tank so you can go as far as you want without worrying up tubing.
2. Dance with your preemie. Put on some music and dance around the room/house. Make sure you make big body movements so your preemie will feel it.
3. Bounce your preemie gently in your arms. For both of my preemies I would hold them close and then go up and down as low/high as I could so they could really experience it.
4. Go for a walk in the stroller - sometimes the movement and/or change of scenery will help your preemie calm down.
5. Go for a ride in the car.
6. Put your preemie in an electronic swing
7. Turn up some music, run the vacuum or let the water run in the tub for a few minutes. When my daughter is too tired to sleep, running the water helps her calm down and fall asleep.
8. Offer your preemie a noisy toy like a rattle. Shake it so he/she can hear it. Sometimes the change in noise is just enough of a distraction to allow you to calm him/her down.
9. Sing or talk to your preemie in a quiet, sing-song voice. Sing easy songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Your Boat, etc. I've also found that if I'm going to be singing for awhile it's helpful to do songs like Old McDonald, The Wheels On The Bus and If Your Happy And You Know it because they can go on for a long time as you add on new animals, etc. If you're talking and run out of things, start going over your to do list or anything that will keep you talking.
10. Memorize a couple of short baby books so that you can quietly repeat them to your preemie. My go to books are Goodnight Moon, I am a bunny and Runaway Bunny. This is helpful if you are so stressed that you don't want to/just can't think of calming things to say/talk about. It lets your mind go on auto pilot for a minute or two.
11. Put your preemie in a baby carrier or sling and walk around the house. Being close to you will often help your preemie settle down. Sometimes if you bounce up and down as you walk this can help calm your preemie down as well.
12. Lay your preemie down across your lap and gently rub or tap his/her back.
13. Put your preemie against your chest and gently pat his/her bottom or back.
14. Give your preemie a massage.
15. Swaddle your preemie tightly if he/she is small enough.
16. Feed and/or burp your preemie one more time, just in case
17. If you use one, offer a pacifier or your finger. If your preemie is really upset, you may need to hold it at his/her mouth until he/she is calmed down enough to take it.
18. Hold your preemie close to you and breathe slowly and calmly, sometimes your preemie may just need to feel your calmness
19. Remove yourself from the situation and let someone else take over. If you're home alone - call someone. Your husband/wife, family member, friend, neighbor. Anyone that you trust that is available to come over long enough to give you a break.
20. If NOTHING works, than put your preemie down in his/her bed or a swing and leave the room. Check back at least every 15 minutes.

Developmental Wednesday #8

This week's developmental post is dedicated to the topic of object permanence. Developmental therapists, child books or magazines all talk about this issue. Newborns and young babies have no concept that a person, toy or book can exist even if he/she can't see it. Around 8 months, your baby will start to look around for an object that you have hidden - or will cry if you leave the room. This is a great developmental milestone that you can work on with your preemie. Here are some ways to help your preemie look for hidden objects:

1. Peek-A-Boo - Obviously this is a favorite game for almost all babies. In the beginning your preemie will be excited just by the fact that every time you "disappear", you come back. Once your preemie has mastered the basic idea, try peeking out from the left or right side of your hands too.

2. Hidden Object, Part 1 - Once you think that your preemie is getting ready to look for a hidden object, start by placing a blanket over part of a toy. Leave enough exposed so that your preemie can still see the object. This way he/she will realize that the toy is there but they start to get the idea of removing the blanket to see the whole thing.

3. Hidden Object, Part2 - After your preemie has mastered the first part, start covering the entire toy and encourage your preemie to find it. Slowly over time, he/she will get the idea and will pull the blanket off to find it.

4. Hidden Object, Part 3 - The next thing you can do is to use a small object and put it under a cup, bucket or box and have them look for it.

5. Hidden Object, Part 4 - After that, take two similar boxes or cups and place an object under one of the items. Make sure your preemie sees you put it under one of the cups and then encourage him/her to find it. In the beginning he/she will probably pick up both cups and then slowly they will pick up the one that has the hidden object.

6. Rolling an Object - Once your preemie has mastered the concept of looking for a hidden object, you can start using a ball or car (something that rolls). Put a book or box in the path of the car or ball. Roll the ball or car behind the box or book and see if your preemie follows the path of the moving object.

Tip: When you are hiding items, try to use a bland or uninteresting blanket, cup, etc. so that your preemie doesn't get distracted by the new thing if front of him/her.

Visiting the NICU

Once you bring your preemie(s) home, it's natural to want to visit the NICU. It's your chance to thank all of the wonderful doctors, nurses, RTs, etc. that helped your baby, you can say hi to people who became like friends over time and show off how well your preemie is doing. Most NICUs want you to come back and visit - heck, I've had doctors and nurses demand it. Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to make your visit a successful one.

Pick a good time - Call and find out the best time to come for a visit. Although the nurses and doctors are always busy, there are certain times of the day that are less hectic so try and plan a visit during that time. This will give more people a chance to see you and visit with your family. Remember shift changes - you don't want to be stuck in the waiting area for a shift to change.

Who you want to visit - If there are a few doctors and nurses that you really want to see, call ahead and find out if they are working. You won't be able to hit everyone all at once but if you can see a few favorites or primaries than you'll feel even better about the visit.

Set expectations for yourself - Visiting the NICU after your baby has gone home can be a bit hard. Just being there can bring back a flood of memories and emotions that you might not be expecting. Keep in mind that everyone is busy working so they may only get to spend a few minutes with you - don't' take it personally! Depending on how long your preemie was in the NICU, you may have to remind them who you are. Again, don't take it personally - they take care of a lot of babies.

Bring a recent photo - NICUs love to celebrate their successes so bring a picture or two of your preemie. That way they can hang it in the break room for everyone to see.