such as they develop breathing problems immediately after they are born or few days after delivery, they have 95 per cent chances of developing jaundice. Some of these babies don’t have suckling reflexes,” says Mwangi.
Managing at home
At home, the biggest challenge for Sabina was trying to fit in the shoes of a paediatrician, clinical officer, nurse and even creating an environment like that of the hospital, which is practically impossible. Regulating temperatures, strict feeding routine to hasten weight gain, and handling his tiny body are some of the things that gave her nightmares. “The hardest part was on regulating temperatures. I didn’t have a room heater and I used to ensure that he was warmly dressed, which sometimes turned out to be overdressing. When the weather was not favourable, I used to practice kangaroo mother care (skin to skin contact of baby and mother),” adds the mother of one.
Sabina revealled that because of his weak immunity, nobody was allowed to see him. However, this was not well received by friends and some family members, but she had to be bold. “I thank God I had a strong support system from my family and friends. Even when my baby gained 10 grammes they celebrated him, talked words of encouragement and even to date, they speak highly of my courage and strength throughout the journey of preemie hood,” she shares.
However, some had nothing, but insensitive words about what led to premature delivery, some believing it was witchcraft, others labelling her as a weak woman who couldn’t carry the pregnancy to term. But she chose to focus on the positives. “All I would like to say is that no woman would like to give birth prematurely. The mother is no less of a mother. Preemie babies are not a bad omen, they are not out of witchcraft. There are just so many causes of premature deliveries, many of which medics advise delivering the baby early to save both the baby and mother’s life,” she adds.
Delicate baby
Sabina’s son will be turning three years next month. Though he experienced delayed development milestones, he is a healthy boy who is growing stronger every day. “My son couldn’t hold his head until when he was six months. He remained in foetal position. At nine months he couldn’t make a firm standing’ on my laps, his legs were extremely weak. I thank God he is progressing well,” she shares.
Her advice to mothers nursing preemie babies is that though it is usually disturbing to see a younger baby than yours hitting their milestones one after another, you should never compare your child with other children.
“Preterm babies are more delicate than term babies because some of their organs were born prematurely, hence performance is also compromised. Ensure a warm environment that has fresh air because the baby’s lungs may not be fully developed. Be careful of any drugs as much as possible because the liver is also compromised,” advises Mwangi.
He advises lactating mothers to feed well and take a lot of fluids for a regular milk supply. “Remember the baby needs frequent feeding to avoid dehydration and losing weight. Additionally, celebrate the very small progress of the baby makes,” he adds.
