Second child

3 replies

Tw1nkle · 15/01/2015 09:42

Hi, have been told I'm likely to have a prem baby again.

I'm really worried about my dd (6). I stayed in hospital for 9 days with her, but she was our first. She's getting upset at the thought of me staying in hospital this time round.
Fingers crossed I'll be able to gone home after a few days, but if baby2 has to stay in, how have you all coped pleased?
Any advice?
Thanks.

OP posts:

FraggleRock77 · 15/01/2015 16:09

Congratulations. I will be watching this thread. We have a DS 15months but are trying again. I literally spent 7 weeks never leaving the hospital so unsure how it would work if i had a prem for the second time?! Wishing you luck OP x

Annbag · 15/01/2015 19:45

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at the poster's request.

BigTroubleinSmallBoots · 16/01/2015 11:48

Hi Tw1nkle, congratulations on your next baby! Exciting and nervous times I bet. My first baby wasn't prem but my second, DD was born un-expectantly at 25 weeks and my DS was 6 at the time. She was in for 10 weeks, I was in for 5 days. Luckily our NICU is in our home city so were able to be at home and at hospital relatively easily. That made all the difference for DS, as we could be with him before school/teatime as usual and spend all day with DD in NICU. Sometimes when she was very critical I would go back up after DS's bedtime.

For my family it really helped having DS to look after because we had to keep the show on the road for him, and had him to keep bolstered and protected from the worst of our experience. He would come up and sit in the ward on DD's 'good' days and drew her pictures, cards and chose gifts for her. We were very honest with him - in an age appropriate way, and had to have quite grown up discussions with him about life/death/random events. I think the mixture of being involved, being informed, normal things continuing and knowing he was loved despite this big crisis going around him helped him to deal with the upset and the trauma.

It took him about 6 months to be over it all, and his school were very supportive with him. With an older child like yours I would do the same again, but with a little one, say under 3 it would be much more difficult I would imagine as they don't have the language and emotional skills yet. Children are so resilient though. Best of luck to you all!

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