visitors when home from NICU

my baby should be home within a week from the NICU. Everyone wants to see him- my brother and sister-in-law and my grandma have not seen him yet. My in-laws saw him but did not hold him yet. Close friends and extended family and neighbors want to see him. Right now he is only 4.1 lbs, born 3.13 lbs. He is healthy, just small, born 35 weeks with inducing because placenta was insufficient.

How should I go about visitors? 1 a day? all at once? 1 a week? everyone wear masks? I feel he is so small, it will be hard for him to fight germs - I think I would have been overprotective to begin with but now that he is premature I am extra nervous. Or as long as no one is sick and washes their hands when entering and before holding him it should be fine?

Re: visitors when home from NICU

You need to decide what you are comfortable with when it comes to visitors. It's hard, but people (especially family) need to understand that the baby is more susestible to colds, and if he gets one, it can be 100000000 times worse then if a full term infant did.

DS was born at 33 weeks and spent 10 days in the NICU. Overall he was a healthy boy. When we got home, and even for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year we asked that anyone that even thought they were sick, just getting over being sick, or not feeling 100% please not hold him. Whoever wanted to hold him, we asked if they could wash their hands first. When they did hold him I usually placed a receiving blanket between DS and whoever was holding him (and not just a swaddle, the blanket was put on the shoulder of whoever was holding DS so his face couldn't touch their clothes.

Good Luck with him !!

Re: visitors when home from NICU

I would limit visitors for a while. Most people are sick or are carrying "sickness" and don't even know it yet, lol. It stinks b/c you want the world to see the baby but it is not the best thing for the baby.

If you do have visitors I would limit it to very close family/friends and explain to everyone they will meet him in the spring, lol!

It's not worth the risk...make sure everyone washes and sanitizes there hands even if they are not holding him. Just make it a rule if you walk into your home everyone washes, no questions asked. You'll be surprised how many people, family included will try to fight you on this!

Bottom line is do what you feel is best to protect him from having to see the NICU again. Follow what ever the Doctors and Nurses tell you before you leave.

Most importantly enjoy the time with your baby, it goes super fast!

Congratulations on his homecoming!

Re: visitors when home from NICU

DS spent a month in the NICU and came hoe at 4lbs 5oz. Anyone that came over was asked to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer. Also we put a blanket on them most times for them to hold him. May be extreme but he was tiny and premature and I couldn't take the chance of him getting sick. Thankfully everyone understood. Good luck!

Re: visitors when home from NICU

my girls spent over a month in the nicu and are 4 months old today. we still screen everyone who comes over. we had to cancel x mas plans bc someone had a cough etc. once we told friends and family that if they got a fever they would be hospitalized they backed off. It's just not worth the risk.

gl

Re: visitors when home from NICU

My 31weeker spent six weeks in the nicu. We didnt have any visitors for about two months besides our parents. Even then it was just my cousion & his wife until another three months. They all met dd at her baptism. If you dont feel comfortable tell them the nicu said no visitors. That is what the nurses told us to do, blame them. I would also enforce strict handwashing rules by all visitors. With it being flu/rsv season I would wait if I were you. They just have to be patient. People dont get it unless they had a preemie. Kwim? Enjoy your baby once they come home, & worry about the rest after. Dont let them bully you. Congrats!!

Re: visitors when home from NICU

Coming from a mom of a preemie born at 32 weeks & spent 4 weeks in the NICU, was discharged at 6lbs 6oz, you truly need to limit everyone at this time of year. I'm sure the nurses will tell you closer to discharge that the health of your child is more important then having the visitors. Preemies are so susceptible to sickness & since their immune systems are not 100%, they end up worse then you can imagine.

My son ended up getting RSV 3 times last year & it was all started as a cold caught from his brother. Seeing him so helpless & on a nebulizer was enough for Dh & I to limit until the flu season was over. The last thing you want for your NICU baby is to end up back in the hospital bc if something you could prevent.

We also.were told since Dh travelled the subway daily to have him change clothes prior to holding the baby & wash your hands millions of times a day.

Re: visitors when home from NICU

DS's were born at 32 weeks and came home from the NICU after 32 days. We let immediate family come over to visit, but only if no one was sick. I canceled a trip rom my sister because one of her DD's was sick. Always have guests wash their hands and the blanket idea is great too. Once they get a bit bigger and start getting their shots you will begin to feel more comfortable having company.

Re: visitors when home from NICU

I would limit visitors. Close family only and ask everyone if they feel sick or run down to please stay away.
Preemies are so susceptible to getting sick and what is a mild cold in an adult can be so much worse for preemies.

My twins were in the NICU when they were born in March and they both ended up with RSV in February. My DD was treated at home and my DS was hospitalized.
RSV presents itself as a cold in adults, so someone can very easily pass it along without realizing and the little ones end up much sicker. Not trying to scare you, but the health of your little one is the most important!
Congratulations!

Re: visitors when home from NICU

Just say no visitors until he catches up.

People mean well & want to show their love... but they can be brewing something nasty. Waiting a while to see your baby in person will not kill them. Say that the doctors told you to. Send pics to everyone.

After battling a horrible croup infection with my kid (yes, he caught it from his cousin... who looked good during Xmas but did cough HORRIBLY, to which his mom said he was just getting over a cold)... I'm not letting any kids & only having my parents & inlaws visit this FULL TERM that I should be delivering any day now. Not until she has a bit of an immune system.

Unfortunately, masks & handwashing are not 100% and at 4 lbs... that's a teeny baby.

Re: visitors when home from NICU

DD was full term and had a NICU stay, and we had only parents visit. After we came home, we asked our friends to hold off because I didn't want to take any chànces with people's cold and cough... I think I
May have offended some but my baby was in the Nicu and saw what she went through..so we are getting visitors now. She is 9 weeks, was I over the top.. Yes, but I feel like I had every reason to be. So you only u can decide how to go

Re: visitors when home from NICU

Re: visitors when home from NICU

My were born at 31w6d and had a 3 week NICU stay.

We were given strict instructions at NICU discharge to limit visitors for 8 weeks.

During that time, we had their Bris so people did get to see them from a distance but no one held them. Since the weather was warm, we actually used the coat room as a room to keep the babies away from the crowd (we hired a babysitter to stay with them so we could socialize a bit).

The only people who came to visit were our parents and siblings.

We still haven't really had other visitors because now its cold & flu season.

I try to post lots of pics on Facebook for people to see, and I started posting videos too.

Their stay in the NICU has turned me into a bit of a germaphobe, but that's fine with me as long as my boys are healthy.

Re: visitors when home from NICU

My twins were born at 34 weeks and spend 10 days in the NICU. They were born in January so it was cold and flu season.

The nurses told us to wait 2 weeks to have any visitors. (just my parents brother and sister came to see them). Then I started having visitors....no kids (except my nephew) and no one who was sick.

You have to do what you are comfortable with.

We also waited until after their last synergist shot to take them out in to public