Preemie diapers, or?

[Night Elf]

My nephew was born May 1st and was 3 lbs. 8.8 oz. I don't know when he'll be going home, but will he still be in preemie diapers? I never sent a gift/card when they had the shower because I'm out of state. I'd like to do a little something for them. I was thinking surely they would need diapers. Is there something better I can do? I hope to use Amazon so I can have something delivered directly to them without me having to package something up and mail it to them on my own.

[Guest]

I would perhaps just do newborn diapers, because you don't know when baby will be able to come home. I agree that buying through Amazon is easiest when the recipient is out of state.

[Ottakee]

I would go with newborn as well....or even size 1 as babies grow fast and it is nice to have something a bit bigger.

[Night Elf]

Ok, I'll do newborn. I wish I knew what she got from her shower. I don't want her to end up with stuff she doesn't use. I'm assuming she got tons of clothes and blankets. I figured I'd go for disposable stuff. Diapers and maybe a pack of wipes?

[Rachel]

Since it is your nephew, ask your brother/sister where they registered or what brand of diapers and wipes they plan to use. Diapers will always be used and are usually quite appreciated unless they plan to use cloth.

 

Lately I have started including a couple of books in all baby presents. It's something people don't seem to buy for themselves until their babies are a little older.

[gardenmom5]

it's fairly common for them to only be around 5lbs ish when they're stable enough to go home.

 

My niece was 2.7 when she was born (dropped below 2 before her weight started  climbing).  sis used a diaper service, so they were the "newborn" diapers.  for clothes, she was in premie sizes for months. (they were huge on her.)  even at 18 months she was the size of a nine month old - and freaking others out with how tiny she was while running around and climbing.

[GoVanGogh]

My DS was 7 weeks premature, weighing 5 pounds. But he was skin and bones, not a bit of fat on him. His hips and legs were so tiny, despite being 5 pounds. He wore preemie diapers until he was 2-3 months old. Our NICU did send us home with a few extra packages of diapers but they didn't last long.

 

 

[Night Elf]

Problem solved. I got smart and asked my SIL directly what she would like. She said she really needed more receiving blankets, so I'll send a couple of those. She posted some pictures of the nursery on Facebook, and you can see the packs of diapers and wipes filling the changing table. :)

[Um_2_4]

My friend had one pretty small and I remember the hardest thing to find was preemie clothes! That was years ago (said baby is now in high school) but I remember running around to stores looking for preemie onesies and PJs  for her. Could you find some preemie PJs and send them (I saw some recently at Walmart` and Target) and send those with some books. I'm pretty sure preemie size clothes is not a present she already has (very few expect an early arrival).

[busymama7]

Just make sure that you don't get the flannel receiving blankets. They are mostly worthless and way too small. The newish muslin ones (like the brand Aden and Anais ones) are amazing.

[Lolly]

They will likely be preemie size when they come home. Mine (three of mine were preemie) all stayed there for quite a while. The hospital sent diapers home with us. At that time, you couldn't purchase them elsewhere. Newborn swallowed them, but we used them when we ran out of preemie. My favorite gifts were preemie clothes. We had/received very few because everyone figured they would outgrow them quickly. Not so in our house. I still have those little outfits; they are extremely dear to me.

[lexi]

Just make sure that you don't get the flannel receiving blankets. They are mostly worthless and way too small. The newish muslin ones (like the brand Aden and Anais ones) are amazing.

Yes! Get these. This is what I have for my newborn. They are awesome and I use them to cover while nursing or to put over the carrier or stroller when we are out.

[zoobie]

Just make sure that you don't get the flannel receiving blankets. They are mostly worthless and way too small. The newish muslin ones (like the brand Aden and Anais ones) are amazing.

These are amazing, and available on Amazon.

[Carrie12345]

One thing I wish I had done for my niece (and didn't, because my MIL thought it was a stupid idea  :( ) was send a designed-for-NICU outfit.  Supposedly, it brings a little bit of normalcy and, of course, makes for cute pictures.  http://www.preemiestore.com/preemie-to-5-lbs

 

Obviously their practical usage is limited, but the photo/keepsake factor can be big.

[GoVanGogh]

One thing I wish I had done for my niece (and didn't, because my MIL thought it was a stupid idea  :( ) was send a designed-for-NICU outfit.  Supposedly, it brings a little bit of normalcy and, of course, makes for cute pictures.  http://www.preemiestore.com/preemie-to-5-lbs

 

Obviously their practical usage is limited, but the photo/keepsake factor can be big.

 

This post really struck a nerve with me... May or may not be the case with the MIL mentioned above, but still an emotional issue with me.

My DS was premature due to a perinatal stroke. We realize daily how blessed we are that he survived. I still cherish each and every photo from those early days. I still cherish his little preemie clothes. It isn't something I sit around and dwell on, but it was such an important time for us and it is an important part of who DS is today. (He has mild cerebral palsy.) I have one preemie outfit in a display frame. I don't have any of his NICU pictures out on display, but in a photo album. 

My MIL has always been outspoken on how I need to get rid of those photos - because she can't bear to look at them.

Too bad. It isn't about her or the fact that she is uncomfortable seeing a baby with tubes out the top of his head or hooked up to a machine.

I wish my MIL was the only person that said something stupid to me, but she wasn't. Many people didn't know how to act or what to say. I still hear that often from people who have had a premature baby. That bit of normalcy of dressing a baby - mentioned above - is so important when everything else seems ripped away from your control.

[Paige]

My twins were about that size and were in preemie diapers for a good 2 months after we got home from the hospital. Preemie fits to about 5-6lbs. Mine came home at 4lbs, and weren't 6lbs for a while. I wouldn't send diapers now, though, because the NICU provides them and you don't know when he will come home. The best gift would be for take out or delivery meals because they will probably not have much time to cook if they are traveling back and forth to the hospital all day.

 

Also it would be nice to send them a normal congratulations card and flowers or something- nothing sad or disappointed. I was a little sad that when DS was born everyone sent happy cards and flowers and when DDs were born early we got silence and uncomfortable condolences! They weren't dead. They were going to be fine. 

[SKL]

Depending on how premature and what other issues the child has, it may be a while before the baby goes home.

 

When my niece was in the NICU, I held off buying anything size-specific.  She ended up being in the NICU for about 4 months IIRC.

 

Gift cards to accessible restaurants for the parents while they're in the NICU might be a welcome interim solution.  My sister was partial to Olive Garden.  :)

[Carrie12345]

This post really struck a nerve with me... May or may not be the case with the MIL mentioned above, but still an emotional issue with me.

My DS was premature due to a perinatal stroke. We realize daily how blessed we are that he survived. I still cherish each and every photo from those early days. I still cherish his little preemie clothes. It isn't something I sit around and dwell on, but it was such an important time for us and it is an important part of who DS is today. (He has mild cerebral palsy.) I have one preemie outfit in a display frame. I don't have any of his NICU pictures out on display, but in a photo album. 

My MIL has always been outspoken on how I need to get rid of those photos - because she can't bear to look at them.

Too bad. It isn't about her or the fact that she is uncomfortable seeing a baby with tubes out the top of his head or hooked up to a machine.

I wish my MIL was the only person that said something stupid to me, but she wasn't. Many people didn't know how to act or what to say. I still hear that often from people who have had a premature baby. That bit of normalcy of dressing a baby - mentioned above - is so important when everything else seems ripped away from your control.

 

:grouphug:

[FaithManor]

Our grandson was born five weeks early and was in the nicu for a week. He wore pampers preemies for two weeks after that before newborns fit well enough to not leak. He was six weeks old before her smallest cloth diapers fit.

[mamiof5]

I would ask. What if they got enough diapers and are trying to save for something else? Not that you never have enough diapers :) but sometimes I just like to ask what are they needing the most?

[vonfirmath]

My twins were born at 5 pounds each. They were in the NICU for a couple weeks before we took them home once they gained weight back to their birth weight. The NICU sent us home with some preemie diapers, and it wasn't long until they were into newborn size. I'm not sure if that's standard policy or not (sending preemies home with diapers), but I thought I'd mention it.

 

My friend's twins were in preemie diapers (and something smaller before that) As I recall, at the time, she had to buy them from hospital supply stores.  (The surviving twin is going to be 17 this year though)

[redsquirrel]

My son came home at 5lbs. He was actually in preemie clothes for a while, he's a small person naturally.  One friend send a small selection of preemie clothes and I really appreciate it.  It was nice to have some things that didn't fall off him.  Luckily, he came home in July so it was hot and it was ok that he spent most of his time in sling or a blanket doing kangaroo care.

 

So, maybe ask her if she has a few preemie onesies? 

 

And when my son was born prematurely, the nicest thing anyone did was my friend who came to my apartment and scoured it from top to bottom.  She is a nervous cleaner, lol, so it actually made her happy...weirdo! But it made our life so easy.  That and plain old cash.  We spend a LOT of money on gas traveling the hour to get to the NICU where he was staying. I ate a lot of gas station pizza because it was the only thing I had time for and it was available.