Today’s post is sponsored by Gerber® Good Start® Gentle, who believe that comfort for baby means happiness for all.
Here is my Formula for Happiness™.
I’ve talked about my birth story with Emma many times…I had an emergency c-section because her heart rate kept dropping during my contractions, then she was in the NICU for 50 days (10 days for pulmonary hypertension, and the rest with feeding problems due to having a Cleft Lip and Palate).
There were many factors in keeping our daughter happy even with her being in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)…
Putting Regular Clothes on Him/Her…Always come in an bathe your child and put the clothes that you brought to the hospital for the baby. I think this helps baby feel loved and a little more comfortable than being in a hospital gown. Bring your babies own blankets and put on the bed.
Spend LOTS of quality time at the hospital…believe it or not there are a lot of parents that dont spend a lot of time with their child when they are in the NICU. They let the nurses take care of the child, however, I feel it is vital in the care of the child to make sure they see the parents and other family members as much as possible. This time can be very stressful but its very important to be there daily.
Coming to all of her Feedings…feeding time bonding is important. In Emma’s case we made it to almost 95% of her feedings because we were working hard with teaching her how to eat with her Cleft Lip and Palate. She would run out of stamina mid-feed because she was working extra hard…
Another eating obstacles that occurred with feeding Emma while she was in the NICU was being allergic to her formula. We tried breastfeeding but since her “sucking” capabilities weren’t good due to her cleft palate, change her formula. The doctors’ didn’t believe that she was allergic because she wasn’t throwing the milk up, but only clinching her stomach after she ate. So we eventually got her different formula after some debate with the doctors!
Now that Emma is 3 years old and I have a 9 month old…I would say my #FormulaForHappiness is to cherish EVERY DAY with your babies! Listen to your Motherly Instinct! But ask questions that you don’t have the answers to…Gerber Good Start is promoting their site as a place that moms can go to for questions about sleep, nursing and nutrition! So if you haven’t found your #FormulaForHappiness and you need assistance they are here for you!
What is your #FormulaForHappiness?
