If you’re waiting in hospital for your premature baby to get the okay to leave, it’s likely you’re a little stressed. For some ideas to distract your mind and reduce this stress, read on…

Giving birth to a premature baby can be a worrying time. On top of all the intense preparation you’ve had to deal with up until this moment – antenatal classes, scans, morning sickness, and general planning – you’re now faced with a new issue altogether.

You’ll be pleased to know that 8 out of 100 babies are born premature.  So you are not alone in this. Hospitals are well prepared for this eventuality and, in some cases, induce pre-term labour for the safety of the parent and the child.

So, if you’re waiting for your premature baby to get the okay to leave hospital, or if an injury during childbirth has prevented you from leaving hospital ASAP, there are ways to cope. In this post, we’re going to give you some tips and tricks for coping with a situation like this. From top tips to staying sane whilst you wait patiently in your hospital bed, to some brief information about premature babies, take a look…

What is a Premature Baby?

A premature baby is a baby that is born earlier than its due date, usually around 28 weeks or 7 months into the pregnancy. The way to tell if you need a premature birth is if you receive any of the below symptoms:

Regular contractions or tightening as though you’re already going into labour

Period-type pains;

If you start to ‘show’ – the plug of mucus that seals the cervix during pregnancy gives way and comes out;

You experience a gush or trickle of fluid, akin to your waters breaking;

Or, you get backache that you’ve never previously experienced.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call your midwife or nearest hospital immediately.

In terms of why it happens in the first place, premature baby causes range from poor nutrition during and after pregnancy, to smoking, and infections.  Even having had a previous premature birth can make it more likely to happen again.

Do I Need to Worry About my Premature Baby?

I’ll give it to you straight premature baby complications are inevitable.  Plus the earlier your baby is born, the more vulnerable they’ll be. However, any baby born at 24 weeks of pregnancy and beyond is considered viable.

Premature baby development can be tricky because the baby hasn’t fully developed in the womb. That’s why it’s so important to let the professionals look after your baby in the neonatal unit, until they’re ready to let you meet.

8 Top Tips for Staying Sane Before you Meet your Premature Baby

The time spent waiting for this meeting can be long and arduous.  It’s important to keep your spirits up, and your mind busy. This way, you’ll be healthy and prepared for life with your newborn. With that in mind, it’s time to share our top tips on how to stay sane whilst waiting in hospital for your premature baby.

1. Read a Book

With so much reading material out there, and so little time to read in our day to day lives, being bed-ridden is the perfect excuse to crack open a book. It doesn’t even need to be a book – you could read a magazine, a newspaper or your hospital wristband; whatever takes your fancy.

2. Listen to a Podcast

If you’re too tired to track your eyes across a page, you could listen to an audiobook or a podcast. You can usually get free trials with companies like audible.  Then you can cancel them once you leave the hospital.  Alternatively just head over to YouTube or Apple Podcasts!

Top tip: if you sign up to audible and threaten to leave a few times they give you even more free books!  Then you can still leave after with your pockets full.

3. Watch a Streaming Service

If reading isn’t your cup of tea, or isn’t distracting enough to take your mind off your worries, then you could binge your favourite TV show or watch a film on one of the many streaming services out there.

Top tip: Disney just launched their streaming service Disney+ with 7-day free trial, so you can start planning a list of cartoons and films to share with your child once they’re ready.

4. Play Some Phone Puzzles and Games

If reading and having images beamed into your eyes at high speeds still isn’t enough to keep your mind occupied, then phone games are the perfect solution. You can get pretty much any puzzle, card game or board game you want on your phone these days, so the choice is yours!

Top tip: It might help to pick something a little difficult or out of your comfort zone, so your mind doesn’t wander into the land of negative thoughts.

5. Shop Online

Another way to get your thumbs moving and your brain whirring is to do some online shopping. There must be things you forgot to buy for your baby in the lead up to this moment, and there’s no better time to fill those gaps. Or, use this time to buy something you’ll now be able to fit into, now the baby bump has subsided – treat yourself!

Top tip: if this was an unplanned premature birth then it’s a good idea to buy some premature baby clothes, as it might take a few more weeks for your baby to grow into the clothes you already bought.

6. Meditate and Do Some Yoga

If you’re feeling fit enough to get out of your bed, and want to avoid lying down all day with your thoughts, then you should try to do some yoga and meditation. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to leave your bed and go outside for a run, and your local gym is obviously a no-no, so these are pretty much your only options for getting exercise.

Top tip: there are loads of guided meditations and free yoga sessions on YouTube for beginners, so you don’t have to have done it before to try it out. You could also download an app on your phone for this, as there are loads to choose from.

7. Keep a Private Journal

A great way to keep positive in this time is to get everything off your chest. Confiding in a partner or family member is great but if you want to get all the details of your worries out of your head, then there’s nothing better than putting pen to paper.

This will not only be beneficial for yourself, but it could also help out others in the same position as you. By writing down your feelings, what happens day-to-day in hospital, and how you’re coping, you could help someone in need.

Top tip: write the journal on your phone and upload it to a site like Medium. This has the dual impact of helping others in your position, who might not have a strong support network. Watching the views and comments on your story build up will really help you pass the time.

8. Start a Blog

If you’re finding that you have much more to say than you first anticipated, you could even start your very own blog about your experience! This will work in the same way as above, by helping you deal with your feelings. But, it’ll also help out others who are in a similar boat, killing two birds with one stone.

Time to Take Your Premature Baby Home?

That just about does it for this post on keeping busy whilst waiting to meet your premature baby. After reading all this, it may even be about time for you to take your little one home with you!

Today, we’ve covered how you know whether you’re going to have a premature baby and what it is. We’ve touched on whether you should be worried that your baby is premature.

And, most importantly, we’ve shared some tips with you on how to keep your mind active and worry free through this difficult time.

Remember to stay healthy and try not to worry about your baby as they are in safe hands. Before you know it, you’ll be meeting them for the first time since bringing them into the world. If you have anything to add, feel free to comment down below – I love hearing my readers’ experiences; maybe we could help one another out in the process.