The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies -- from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond

As a NICU nurse for more than 20 years, I thought I knew everything there is to know about the life of a preemie, of a micropreemie and what life would be like after the big graduaation daay from my NICU. Then I became the mother of a child born 16 weeks early and weighing 1lb 6oz...I have been enjoying reading this last week Dr. Jennifer Gunter's new book The Preemie Primer.When Dr. Gunter contacted me last year about her project writing a complete guide for parents of preemies that not only covered the basics in the NICU through the toddler years, but beyond, I was very excited. There are a lot of great comprehensive guides to preemies for parents out there but most I find just don't address what happens after you go home and after your preemie reaches that magical age of two when we no longer have to consider their adjusted age. To someone who doesn't know better it would seem that everything is okay then and we all live happily ever after. But to many parents of NICU grads who spent any length of time in the NICU there is no magical date where everything is normal and all caught up...at least there isn't a well-defined mark in a preemie's timeline where we can point and say, "Here! Here is where your ex-24 weeker will be all caught up in growth and development and you can stop worrying."It ain't there, people.OB-Gyn Dr. Gunter herself has lived the NICU experience not as the medical professional but as the parent of surviving triplets, Oliver and Victor. Her son, Aidan, died soon after his birth. Her book is exactly what it is a titled, a primer for parents of preemies explaining the basics of a baby's NICU stay; the care they will receive, the potential complications that they are almost certain to have; the system that is insurance, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment and government assistance programs and how to navigate them; emotional and physical self-care; the real world after discharge and the other things that you should know but no one will tell you. Dr. Gunter reaffirms what I have come to realize that those of us in the biz really, truly don't know what happens after we bundle up our NICU grads and send them home to happily ever after unless we have personally lived it. I felt prepared the day Daniel was discharged home with his oxygen and other medical supplies but I truly wish I had a book like this then. I might have been better prepared for the re-hospitalizations, the endless doctor appointments, the therapies, the surgeries, the feeding tube, the unknown.One of the best things about this book is Dr. Gunter sharing parts of her own story in each chapter. My favorite was the conversation she had with one doctor about her son's chronic lung disease where the doctor told her that he would never climb Mt. Everest and how she reacted. I remember so many conversations like that..."he'll never hear your voice"..."he'll never be a fighter pilot"...he'll never sing opera". Just like Dr. Gunter, I couldn't help but mourn the "he'll nevers" even if I couldn't imagine in a million years my son doing those things. Some of the "he'll nevers" were and are indeed realistic and some predictions proved to be wrong still it is so unbelievably painful to hear your son shall be limited before he even manages to leave the NICU...even if you already know and understand these things as a medical professional like myself or like Dr. Gunter.All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend and endorse this book. It should be available in the reading libraries of every NICU and would make a great gift for NICU parents as a bedside companion in the NICU while they keep watch over their baby.One of the very best parts of her book is the epilogue, Dr. Gunter's "poster" of NICU graduates including someone we know. My only quibble is Daniel actually weighed 630 grams (1lb 6oz) at birth but everything else is Daniel's story from his perspective based on my interviews with Dr. Gunter. After I read Daniel's story to him, he offered his autograph which I had to accept of course. But he is not the only amazing preemie grad featured in the epilogue. Each story is real, sometimes raw, honest and always heart-warming. Life with a preemie is hard in the NICU, after discharge and after the magical age of two when everything is all-better. But it is also happy, joyful and victorious as we discover that there is life beyond the "he'll nevers" where we get to witness and celebrate all the amazing wonderful things that our preemies can do......like their earning their green-striped belt in Tae Kwon Do as Daniel did this last weekend.originally written and posted at [...]

The Preemie Primer is a resource guide, textbook, decision-making tool and support system all in one for parents of preemies. Not only is Dr. Gunter an OB/GYN with access to the most recent research on prematurity, but she also is a preemie parent herself. Well organized and user-friendly, her book allows parents to quickly find detailed information to help them make informed decisions about their children's care in the hospital and at home.Dr. Gunter breaks down complex medical research and translates medical language in an easy-to-read format for tired, emotionally fragile parents. The Preemie Primer provides parents with plenty of information to take home with them from the hospital covering everything from growth and nutrition to infections. The Mind-Body Connection section, an area often missing from medical resources, covers the emotional health of both premature babies and their parents and gives an in-depth discussion of medical mindfulness. A section titled "Making the System Work for You", instructs readers in navigating health insurance and assistance programs and managing prescription drugs. Additionally, Dr. Gunter shares the innovative programs and routines she developed for her own boys' care and development.With her own harrowing experience as an emotional guide and her medical knowledge and connections to provide the content, Dr. Gunter has produced an invaluable resource to parents and caregivers.

Filled with excellent information, although sometimes there's too much info about what could go wrong without putting it in context. Sure, there are higher risks for a range of difficulties kids might have if born preemie, but there are also tons of children who don't experience any of those problems. Great to read if you have a preemie, but please remember to take all info with a grain of salt.

I am the mom of a 29 weeker (1004g) that spent 107 days in the hospital. My son is now 6 months and I am just reading this book. I wish I had found this sooner! The author's story helps you along because one of the hardest things about the hospital stay was the feeling of being alone and helpless to do anything for your struggling child. Reading this book is helping me heal, months after we have brought him home. When you bring your Preemie home, you are kind of like "what now?" and this book addresses beyond his hospital stay as well.Buy Preemie Primer, it is by far the best. I bought Preemie: The Essential Guide for Parents and read it cover to cover while in the hospital. It is good, but not as indepth as Preemie Primer. I highly reccommend Preemie Primer for parents of preemies or anyone that has a preemie in their life. Another preemie mom told me that no one quite understands what it is like to have an extremely early preemie and the things you go through. This books helps you feel not so alone and will give family/friends better knowledge of what the parents are going through.

I am a mother of 28 week preemie triplets. This book puts all the hard to understand medical terms from the NICU into a language every parent can understand. This would be a great gift and tool for any mother sitting in the hospital on bed rest expecting a premature baby and for all the micro preemie parents. Dr. Gunter breaks down everything from causes of prematurity and explains almost every complication that could possibly happen to your baby in the NICU and how to cope with it. She uses her own personal experience with premature triplets to support and guide parents through the emotional roller coaster of caring for a premature baby from birth, through the NICU stay, taking home your preemie, and beyond. This is the best book I have read about preemies. I wish I could give one to every NICU mom. BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed.