Читать книгу Sister Lilian’s Babycare Companion: Complimentary and traditional care - Lilian Paramor - Страница 80

From a medical point of view, both the weight of the baby at birth and the number of weeks the pregnancy lasted are taken into account when assessing the nature of prematurity. For most parents-to-be, however, the crucial factor is the shock of labour starting so much earlier than expected, and this is linked with the immediate fear for the baby’s safety and normality. There is no adequate way of preparing for this. Although some preterm babies might require very little specialised attention, prepare for the possibility that intensive medical care may be needed for your newborn.

Very premature babies are something of a shocking sight for their parents. You might feel that you can see right through your baby’s skin, which will be purplish-red and wrinkled – in fact, he will look thoroughly wizened.

Most parents of full-term babies are astounded by how small they are, so imagine the thoughts that must run through the minds of parents of a preterm baby which may weigh only one to two kg! The fear of handling this little scrap of humanity is combined with the fierce desire to hold and cuddle, bath and feed your baby like all the other mothers in the ward. These conflicting emotions are an added burden to parents of premature babies.