Newborns on Oxygen

It seems like there must be something in the air. This month has beckoned the babies and several have come a month early. Sometimes when this occurs, babies need a little help. This is especially true in Colorado, living at 6,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level. When this happens, this usually means constant oxygen for several week. You might also know this can hamper plans of a newborn session.

However, not to worry. These babies are just fine and I have personal experience with babies on oxygen. My first son was on oxygen (O2) for 6 weeks. It can be terrifying especially on your first kiddo. Parents, I know it can be scary but it’s entirely safe and possible to still have a session (depending on the circumstances of your baby’s health). You can still document your baby’s first weeks of life. It does, however, take a load of patience and care, let me tell you.

Babies on oxygen usually have very sticky adhesives on their cheeks to keep the cannula in place. These have to be removed carefully with alcohol or wipes. If baby is not asleep, it might be hard to keep that cannula on. Having an assistant, just to make sure the cannula stays on, is important. We work around the oxygen cord with posing and wrapping the baby. We only take it off for about 30 seconds at a time. This is about the same timeframe at home when you have to swap out the travel equipment for at home, etc. Another option though would be to use photoshop to remove those cords. Although it can be difficult to do that as well. Regardless, baby’s safety and health is paramount so if a session with cords or waiting until they are off is necessary, it’s the right thing to do.