[blparent] Babies on Monitors

[Veronica Smith]

Gab was on a machine when she was born but luckily we didn't have to bring
her home with it.  but while we were in the rooms with her, that silly thing
kept going off and it would scare me half to death and each and every time
it was just that Gab  somehow pulled the wire off. That was similar to the
story Dr. Maurer told us but one time it was real and the baby was not
breathing.  Scarey

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jennifer Jackson
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 3:04 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Babies on Monitors

She may want to talk to another representative from the company with the
monitors. The machines are very simple to operate, but you know how some
sighted people can be about figuring out how to explain things in a
non-visual way. Perhaps a vision specialist can come out and help her label
the machine?

 Now this was six years ago as my little guy turned six last week, but I do
not remember having any problems with setting up the monitor. Of course we
may have been monitoring for different things, but it was a heart and
breathing monitor for a premature baby leaving the NICU to go home. 

Basically I put a Velcro strap around his chest that held the monitor in
place and then swaddled him up around it. When the alarm went off I was
instructed how to respond. If the monitor was in place I was to pick up the
baby and check him for distress. Now I could not tell if he was blue or off
color, but I could check if he was breathing normally and conscious. The
monitor had colored lights that indicated what kind of problem it was and a
color detector kept close at hand should check that for her. The machines
are made to be very simple because they are being operated by inexperienced
and often frantic parents who just heard an alarm go off about their
precious baby.


I do hope she gets this figured out as I know what a stressful time this can
be. At first it was uncomfortable, but I had a two year old who was really
not ready to leave my bed so I found that I kind of liked having the baby
across the room on a monitor. I slept better anyway until he became mobile
enough to start setting off false alarms by dislodging the chest monitor.

How premature is the baby of the mom looking for monitor questions? Are
there any other health problems aside from prematurity?


Jennifer

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Deborah Kent Stein
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:31 PM
To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet blparent Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] Babies on Monitors


I have just spoken with the new mom Jan posted about earlier.  Her baby is a

preemie, and he will be on a heart monitor when he leaves the hospital.  The

monitor has a touch screen.  The hospital tried to find an older model with
buttons, but they say they are unable to do so.  She is a single mom with
very limited support in the community, so this is presenting a serious
problem.  Has anyone on this list had to deal with an inaccessible heart
monitor?  Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Debbie



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