My son was born September 27th, 2006 @ 26wks. His health is great except for these tiny galstones that he has. He has to take this medicine called Ursodiol twice a day. It gets very nerve racking but I know he needs it. My question is: Does anyone know of any daycares for premature babies or have you ever heard of a such thing? I'm asking because I would really like to go back to work or school. The only thing stopping me is daycare for my son. I want him somewhere that I know will be able to handle his condition and will make sure he has his meds and also, is skilled enough to care for premature children. Please help me. I dont know if I should just stay home until he turns one or continue to search for a daycare. I NEED him in a safe place, so that when I am at work or school I will know he is well taken care of.
2007-02-24 16:36:17 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I am the mom of a preemie (dd was born at 35 weeks). I found that the best thing we did was find an in home daycare provider. Someone who does child care out of their home. That way they can give the meds on time and correctly. The problem with private daycares or public for that matter. You have different people working on different days. And they might not know that your son would need the medicine at a certain time. We looked into putting out dd into La Petite Academy and they told me they couldn't guarantee that they could give the meds on time. I didn't think that was acceptable. So I went to our local daycare association and got a list of local in home providers. We interviewed 12 providers. We decided on 3 to do background checks and references. We asked for 3 current clients and 3 past clients. Our daughter actually excelled in the in home daycare! She is speech delayed and had sensory issues. But with the one on one contact with the daycare provider it actually helped her catch up with the other children her own adjusted age.
2007-02-24 16:48:33 · answer #1 · answered by princessbummer 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First of all, congrats on your miracle baby! =) It's good to hear that he's doing good.
My daughter was born at 27 weeks and is now 13 months old...she had a 4 month stay in the NICU and although she had a few typical preemie problems and came home on 9 different medications, she's doing amazing now!
I've NEVER heard of a daycare that provides care to preemies specifically. You could always chance it all and enroll your preemie in any daycare, but I REALLY wouldn't do that and a lot of daycares probably wouldn't take a preemie with special needs anyway. Perhaps there are daycares out there for kids with special needs...I'm sure there must be some SOMEWHERE, but I'm also sure it's twice as expensive as regular daycare because of the special needs each child may have. Every preemie is different...some have more meds and conditions, etc than others. Also, we were advised by NICU nurses and our pediatrician that our daughter (and any preemie) should NOT be in any type of daycare until they're about 2-3 years old, mainly because of the high risk of sharing germs, illnesses, and infections.
I know how you feel though...I'm now a stay-home mom because we can't put our daughter in daycare and we have no one we trust to watch her. And although I LOVE being a stay-home mom and would prefer to remain a stay-home mom, we NEED the money...we're getting by alright for now though, so until she's in pre-school, we're planning on just dealing with our situation the way it is now. I wish I could find a legitimate job that I could do from home!
2007-02-25 08:15:01 · answer #2 · answered by Megan V 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to work in a daycare and have never heard of a specialty daycare (this doesn't mean they're not out there). If you really want to go back to work, interview possible daycares. Make an appt to go in and take a tour. Talk to the director, find out who would be working in your childs' room. A lot of daycares deal with children who take meds. Talk to the director of the center about having them administer the medication. Generally the director is there everyday and will help in the classroom that needs it. If you're still hesitant, maybe consider online classes and/or working from home. And as was said above, there are home healthcare workers out there who could provide services in your home. You need to do what you're comfortable with.
2007-02-24 22:17:47 · answer #3 · answered by Branwyn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow! What a tiny little guy. My daughter was also a preemie and I ended up staying at home with her which made the NICU doctors very happy. I've never heard of a daycare that is particularly for preemies, but I believe that the main risk is in your son catching RSV. I would ask your pediatrician, NICU doctor, etc. and see if they think your son will be able to withstand the germs that are found in most daycare centers. Best of luck.
2007-02-24 16:41:50 · answer #4 · answered by RedBirdy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Uh, I would not put my INFANT child in the hands of strangers - especialy when he has a medical condition!! Really, you want to send him off to a day care??? I understand that you'd like to go back to work or school...but sorry, your child's saftey and health is you number one priority.
2007-02-24 16:46:39 · answer #5 · answered by Rain 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
just stay home with him for the year. u may actually qualify for FMLA
2007-02-24 16:51:42 · answer #6 · answered by Miki 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋