Karen Lasby - Preemie Care

Lasby and Sherrow have produced an incredible resourcea go-to reference for families experiencing the birth of a preemie. The intimate vignettes from those who have walked this path will be of great comfort to preemie parents. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs clarity on their journey through the NICU and support in the transition home.

Dr. Michael Narvey
neonatologist and creator of All Things Neonatal

Lasby and Sherrow share a vitally important perspective on all the challenges, big and small, that families encounter in the first few months after discharge. The authors have helped countless families face all the issues that arise and how to manage them practically. Filled with useful, understandable background information and invaluable tips, this phenomenal resource will benefit any parent getting ready to go home with their precious new family member.

Dr. Deborah Clark
neonatologist, associate clinical professor, University of Calgary

Having a premature baby is a life-changing experience full of fear, stress, and uncertainty. Written by two highly experienced NICU nurses, Preemie Care provides a lifeline to guide parents through this challenging journey.

Deb Fraser
neonatal nurse practitioner and editor of Neonatal Network: Journal of Neonatal Nursing

In the NICU nurses toolbox, this book will be an excellent resource to offer parents, providing them the opportunity to explore what theyll encounter during and after their NICU stay; describing the NICU environment and a typical preemies medical journey; and giving practical tips for healthy coping. Fellow NICU colleagues will applaud them both for meeting this need and supporting our families.

dr. Amy Wright
president, Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses; assistant professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

This is a very comprehensive, practical book filled with advice for all who care for NICU babies. With their wealth of training and unique experiences, Lasby and Sherrow have provided the most important information around the NICU stay and the time beyond the NICU doors. They present complex information in a straightforward and personable way. As an NICU physician for more than forty years, I have heard many families and colleagues ask questions that are clearly answered and explained in this book.

Dr. Reg Sauve
physician and professor emeritus, University of Calgary

This book is just what parents have been waiting for to support their transition home from the NICU . It provides answers to questions that many parents may not think to ask themselves. I highly recommend Preemie Care to all NICU parents.

Deb McNeil
former NICU staff nurse, educator, clinical nurse specialist and manager, and current maternal child health scientist and professor, University of Calgary

As a neonatal nurse practitioner, I help coordinate very complicated discharges as these very fragile babies go home with their families for the first time. Despite weeks of preparation and hours of practice, these parents often voice how overwhelming it feels on the day of discharge. Preemie Care will be an invaluable resource for families as they navigate that complicated first year.

Jeanne Scotland
RN , MN , neonatal nurse practitioner, Calgary

A powerful, well-written book with heartfelt stories and excellent data from incredibly educated authors. This is a must-read for any parent or family member dealing with a NICU experience. This book brought tears to our eyes, as nothing is off limits and the content is raw and invaluable.

Heather and Jason Manna
parents of twenty-nine-week twin boys

After reading Preemie Care, I am more confident. This book has taught me about everything I need to know when my baby comes home and while still in the NICU . One of the most interesting things this book reminded me is to take care of myself, which I had completely forgotten. Being a first-time mom of a twenty-five-weeker, Preemie Care was my life saver. One handy source to all my worries as a preemie mom.

Dhanveer Kaur
mother of twenty-five-week son

This book is an amazing tool for your first year with your preemie. If you cant have Karen or Tammy in your home every week, this is the next best thing.

Michelle and Craig Heynen
parents of twenty-five-week twin boys

Leaving the NICU we had no experience with taking care of a baby, much less a preemie. This book wasnt available at that time, but it would have made a huge difference, because it is imbued with the patience and knowledge of its authors and gives so much information about what to expect and what to do in order to take care of your little one.

Bibi
mother of twenty-seven-week daughter

This book is a must-have for every preemie parent preparing for discharge from the NICU . Too many of us have walked the halls in those final days and hours prior to discharge, wishing we could bring home one of our nurses. This is a great way to do exactly that. Well done!

Deb Discenza
coauthor of The Preemie Parents Survival Guide to theNICU and CEO /publisher of www.preemieworld.com

This book simplifies the overwhelming and complicated world parents face when they have NICU babies. Using simple language, Karen and Tammy give parents a step-by-step guide from the moment their premature baby is born to the end of the first year at home. It addresses the challenges and also reminds us to celebrate the miracle of life. Its the book every preemie parent has been waiting for.

Fabiana Bacchini
executive director, Canadian Premature Babies Foundation and author of From Surviving to ThrivingA Mothers Journey through Infertility, Loss and Miracles

As a parent with a baby whos currently in the NICU , this book has given me an inside look into what to expect as we progress through the NICU , as well as the confidence and knowledge to handle any challenges that might arise when I finally get to bring my sweet baby home. An absolute must-read for preemie parenthood!

SAVANNAH VIKLUND
mother of twenty-six-week son

T oday, smaller and sicker babies are surviving and thriving. Yet for families, the homecoming can be as traumatic as the birth of a baby requiring NICU care. For more than thirty years I have been involved in transition from hospital to home research and unfortunately, I hear many of the same parental stories today that I heard when I began this journey. Despite our advances in technology and our follow-up programs, parents still find themselves afloat with many, many questions and fears as they leave the safe NICU environment. Fears about their parenting skills, their ability to recognize if their baby is sick, how to feed their baby, and how to promote positive development are present in the initial months at home and for many families these remain through the babys first year.

This book, while aimed at parents, will help health professionals understand what it is like to parent a baby in the NICU and then take the baby home. Weathering the storm really does describe the rough entry into and navigation through the NICU . Encouraging parents to care for themselves is something often forgotten in the discharge process. The authors, Karen Lasby and Tammy Sherrow, experts in the neonatal field, really provide parents with information that is essential during that first year. The book follows the journey a parent will take with their baby. Information is offered in chunks with section headings that make finding the content quick and easy. Inclusion of exemplars from parent focus groups makes the content come to life, and feel real to the reader. Parents can relate to these quotations. The final section offering success stories gives parents the encouragement they need to feel they can do this.