How To Support a NICU Family
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about AJ’s birth story for the blog No One Talks About It. After sharing our experience of having a baby in the NICU, I received so many messages - from those who have gone through something similar, and from those who have a loved one on a similar journey. I found myself thinking about the ways we were supported during that time that truly made a difference throughout our taxing day-to-day routine.
Of course, words of love and encouragement go such a long way, but if you have a loved one with a baby in the NICU, here are some ways you can tangibly support them.
If you’re near…
Drop off food! When AJ was in the NICU, cooking was the last thing on my mind. We lived off of freezable dinners from family and friends. If you really feel like chef-ing it up, grab-and-go type of breakfasts are so helpful! Parents are often running out the door first thing to the hospital (sometimes before work), so having a breakfast item handy will be so helpful.
Walk their pups. Dogs often get neglected during the NICU stay because their parents are just not home - and when they are, they’re exhausted.
Run an errand. Do they need their groceries, prescriptions, or dry cleaning picked up? Take something off of their to-do list!
If you’re far…
You can still send food! An Uber Eats gift card was a fave of ours, and I have grown to love Spoonful of Comfort.
Send preemie-size diapers and sleepers. Often NICU stays are sudden and unexpected, so the parents may not have these items stocked at home. Given their size, preemies are in sleepers around the clock.
Feel like splurging? Arrange for a cleaning service to clean their home. Does anything beat clean floors and fresh sheets?
One last piece of unsolicited advice…try to refrain from repeatedly asking NICU parents when their baby will be home. Chances are, they don’t know and are agonizing over it! They will fill you in once they have news they’d like to share.
Xo, Liz
