Resources & Links:
Books
Below are a variety of helpful books written specifically for families with premature babies.
For Those Who Hold the Littlest Hands: Information & Support for Parents of Babies in the NICU
Kirsti A. Dyer, MD, MS, FT
Physician, Author, Educator & Former NICU Parent
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You Are Not Alone: The NICU Experience
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Sabra Albritton, Donna Acosta, Deanna Bellinger, Denise Farmer, Lori Goodwin, Renne Heinrich, Cathy Hollingsworth, Jan Kakimoto, Sylvia Lotter, Devyani S. Raval, Sandra Campbell, Penny Ratzan, Joan McGinnis & l. Urrutia
$19.95, 182 pages, Childrens Medical Ventures Inc., 1998
Twenty stories of hope, heroism, heartache, and healing as told by the parents of children treated in the NICU. Includes wonderful photographs.
Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child: The Emotional Journey
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by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D. & Mara Tesler Stein, Psy.D.
$29.95, 928 pages, Fulcrum Publishing, 2004
When your baby is born too soon, you must face not only the medical aspects of prematurity but also the many emotional aspects of parenting your premature baby. This book helps you face the emotionally intense challenges of coping with your feelings, developing your identity as a parent, and managing your relationships.
What to Do When Your Baby Is Premature: A Parent’s Handbook for Coping with High-Risk Pregnancy and Caring for the Preterm Infant
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by Joseph A. Garcia-Prats & Sharon Simmons Hornfischer
$19.00, 384 pages, Three Rivers Press, 2000
Topics include: the first 24 hours after delivery; coping with insurance; your preemie's growth and maturation; how to be a good NICU parent; bringing your preemie home; and later-life development. Filled with the voices of dozens of parents who've been in your shoes, this reassuring guide will help you make the best choices for yourself and your baby.
Breast Feeding Your Premature Baby
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by Gwen Gotsch
$6.95, 60 pages, La Leche League International, 1999
This short book covers the basics: milk pumping and storage while your baby is in the hospital; supplementary feedings and ensuring baby's getting enough; kangaroo care and many more topics. Short on specifics but a good primer.
Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More!
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by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada
$18.95; 429 pages; La Leche League International, 2007
This third revised edition of Mothering Multiples offers valuable information with an emphasis on breastfeeding and attachment-style parenting. All aspects of caring for multiple babies are addressed, including possible complications of pregnancy, preparing for a multiple birth, coping with newborns who might need to spend time in a NICU, establishing a milk supply for multiple babies, adjusting as a couple, and caring for toddler multiples.
Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies
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by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli & Mia Wechsler Doron M.D.
$24.95; 592 pages; Pocket Books, 2000
Dana Linden and Emma Paroli, both moms of preemies, joined forces with Mia Weschler Doron, a neonatologist, to produce the book they wish had been available when their children were in the NICU.
Kangaroo Care: The Best You Can Do To Help Your Preterm Infant
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by Susan M. Ludington-Hoe, Ph.D. with Susan K. Golant
$15.00, 44 pages, Bantam, 1993
A comprehensive book explaining what kangaroo care is, which preemies are suitable and why (not all qualify), the physiological theories behind it, and how it benefits both infants and their parents. The authors describe a typical NICU stay and how kangaroo care can complement NICU treatment.
The Preemie Parents’ Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years
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by Susan L. Madden, M.S.; foreword by William Sears, M.D.
$16.95, 393 pages, Harvard Common Press, 2000
How to work with your child's healthcare team in the NICU, coping with medical complications and their treatment, ways to hold a preemie, how to interpret a preemie's body language, follow-up visits with the doctor, and more.
Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies
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Edited by Kimberly A. Powell & Kim Wilson
$13.95; 288 pages; St. Martin's Press, 2001
Both mothers of former preemies, the editors have compiled 22 engrossing stories of premature babies -- written by their parents -- to try to offer emotional support to other parents who have babies born before term.
Believe in Katie Lynn
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by Bartholomew Resta, M.D.; illustrated by Kitty Harvill
$18.95, 48 pages, Eggman Publishing, 1995
The story of a tiny, seriously ill premature baby and how, despite all her medical treatments, she fails to make progress -- until her mother holds her.
The Premature Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Premature Baby from Birth to Age One (Sears Parenting Library.)
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by James Sears, Martha Sears, Robert Sears & William Sears
$15.99, 256 pages; Little, Brown, 2004
The authors address parenting a preemie in the hospital and parenting a preemie at home, all the while providing an astute combination of statistics, Q&As and first-person notes from "Dr. Bob."
Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up!
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by Timothy Smith
$23.95, 216 pages, Bergin & Garvey Trade, 1999
Written by a prize-winning journalist and father of a now-thriving micro-preemie, this uplifting book is filled with parents' stories of their preemies.
Your Premature Baby and Child: Helpful Answers and Advice for Parents
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Edited by Amy E. Tracy, Dianne I. Maroney & Judy C. Bernbaum; Jessie Groothuis, Contributor
$16.95; 352 pages; Berkeley Publishing Group, 1999
This comprehensive handbook provides detailed information on a wide range of topics for "preemie parents" after the NICU, from dealing with the stress of parenting a preemie to tips for when your child starts school.
Newborn Intensive Care: What Every Parent Needs to Know
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Edited by Jeanette Zaichkin
$29.95, 471 pages, NICU Ink Book Publishers, 2000
An easy to understand and comprehensive book on prematurity and the care of your child in the NICU. The editor, a registered nurse with more than 20 years' experience in the care of newborn babies, has pulled together the comments of a number of nurses to provide guidance for families of premature babies. The chapter on taking your baby home from the hospital ("Homeward Bound") is particularly good.
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