Isolette

More commonly known as an incubator, many preemies spend their first few weeks of life in an Isolette. In my life outside of motherhood, I am an English teacher, so I find the meanings and connotations of these words rather interesting when considered in context. (If your forte is not linguistics, bear with me. I will explain.) First, allow me to share some definitions:

incubator (noun): one that incubates; especially: an apparatus with a chamber used to provide controlled environmental conditions especially for the cultivation of microorganisms or the care and protection of premature or sick babies

Isolette (trademark): used for an incubator for premature infants that provides controlled temperature and humidity and an oxygen supply

(Sources: "Incubator." "Isolette." Merriam Webster website.)

The common denominator for both of these definitions is control. A premature baby is often not able to regulate body temperature, so the primary purpose of an incubator is to keep the baby warm. Sensors would sound an alarm if she got too cold or too hot, and the nurse would adjust the temperature accordingly. It sounds very scientific, and indeed, it is. We take for granted that our bodies perform this function for us. Similarly, until I had Buzzy, I took for granted the protected environment she had inside me. The incubator served as a substitute for the womb.

In addition to the control and protection an Isolette provides, this incubator also keeps the baby away from the outside world and those who inhabit it. Thus, the name of the device that served as Buzzy's home is appropriate. It kept her in isolation, which was especially important considering the time of year she was born: flu and RSV season. It was also the year of the swine flu outbreak. This meant that Buzzy had to be kept away from germs, and we had to keep her older sister away from her. The two did not meet each other until Buzzy was a month old, but being isolated from each other made their first meeting all the more unforgettable.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, then these indeed are priceless.