Preemie and anxiety

As I sit in the hospital cafe, I can't help but think about everything the nurse and Dr had told me this morning. The nurse gave me the rundown of what I should do before the baby comes home. Mind you, it is Thursday, and I was told that the baby would be coming home on Tuesday. I'm thinking about all I have to do and panic a little. Why you ask? Well, I have never taken care of a newborn by myself that was born premature! Last night was the first time I was able to give the little guy a bath and today was the first day I have ever tried breast feeding, but more about that later.

So anyway, the nurse not only asked who the baby's Dr would be, what I should say to make the appointments, but she told me about the car seat challenge, asked me if I wanted the pictures done at the hospital of the baby, asked if my boyfriend and I will be rooming in before the baby goes home and asked why I have never breast fed before. It was a long list of stuff she was going over with me and I am sure that I forgot one or two things she talked about. I never realized there was so much to do before baby comes home, partially because I would have had the shower first, have time to prep for baby then have the baby. All the prep when I had the urge to 'nest'.

So now I have all these things to talk about with my boyfriend with hopes of not stressing him out. Slowly we have been trying to prepare by washing his clothes and the cradle linens, buy diapers and wipes and all the other essentials for a new baby. We still need a changing table, more blankets, bottles and other stuff I can't remember right now. The list is too long!

Ok, so breast feeding. That was an adventure. I didn't know what to expect at first and really didn't realize how much work it really is! The lactation consultant came by to help me and she told me preemie feeding is different from a full term baby feed. Since my little boy has just gotten used to the bottle, the LC said it might be more difficult. She helped me position him and my hand/breast accordingly. You have to pay attention with a preemie too because they are so small you have to make sure they remember to breathe. So without going into too much detail, I got the hang of it and the baby eventually calmed down and got the hang of it as well. He was then supposed to eat from his bottle in case he didn't get enough, but kept pushing it away. I guess we will see if he gains or loses weight to determine if he's getting enough.

Pretty exciting day so far and its only the afternoon. I breast fed twice, found out he's coming home soon, and have realized how much I have to do this weekend to get the house ready for him! I'm trying not to stress too much, but the more I think about it, the more I stress.

Its starting to rain and since I don't have a watch, I'm wondering what time it is and if the baby is awake. I will keep you posted on everything that goes on. Feel free to comment and share your experiences- it would be great to compare notes.

Ciao!
-J