My second son, Brendan, arrived two months prematurely and spent six weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Having a premature baby who had to fight for his life, and whom we nearly lost, was a life-altering experience that I will never forget. Bringing a preemie home is a far different experience than bringing home a full-term, healthy baby. I am sure many of you know what I’m talking about.—
With my first son, Royce, everything was happy and easy–as it should be. Milestones came naturally and when it was time to start solid food at five months of age, we were ready and did so with no worries. With Brendan, we were so overwhelmed with worry, doctors’ appointments, mixing breast milk with special formula, and handling him with such extra care that, when the five-month mark came around, the thought of starting him on solids still seemed a million years away. It wasn’t until an appointment with one of Brendan’s primary doctors that my eyes were opened.
(Liza with Brendan when he was in the NICU.)
The doctor asked me when I planned to start Brendan on solids. I told him I hadn’t even thought about it. He told me that it was time. I looked at him cross-eyed and said I was scared to change our routine–what if something happened? He said that Brendan was stable, putting on weight, and while he still had a lot of catching up to do, he was otherwise healthy. He told me not to be afraid. He said that most preemies have such an intense start to their lives that the simple pleasure of a homemade meal can do wonders.
I was sold. As soon as we got home, I mashed a banana and mixed it with some warm breast milk and rice cereal. The doctor was right. Not only did Brendan take to swallowing solid food immediately, he ate the entire four-ounce meal! I was completely shocked. He was so happy eating and turned out to have quite an appetite for such a little guy. That was a real turning point for both of us. The best part is that Brendan began to thrive in a way I hadn’t seen before.
(Liza’s son Brendan today.)
Preemies need the very best and most complete nutrition available because they have so much catching up to do–many have medical issues beyond just putting on weight. As parents of preemies, we should not underestimate the power of a healthy diet and delicious food.
However, remember that every preemie is different. It is of utmost importance to consult your doctor(s) before starting your preemie on solids or straying from his normal routine in any way.
Liza Huber is the founder of Sage Spoonfuls, a book and product line that gives moms the tools they need to make homemade baby food with ease.
