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The Husband says my first blog post will be embarrassing to look back on in a few months or years. (He has been running a financial blog for several years). I think otherwise. Let’s prove him wrong shall we? 

September is NICU Awareness month. I have a feeling each of you have either had a babe in the NICU or someone else’s babe has is/have been in the NICU. Two words: IT BLOWS. But, I think we can all agree, the NICU staff are hands down SAINTS. And the staff at Mercy NICU in St. Louis will always hold a special place in our hearts. 

This isn’t a post about Cecilia’s birth or time in the NICU (don’t worry, I’m sure that that will come). And although we “only” spent 10 days in the NICU at Mercy Hospital, it was enough to expose us to the world of miracles, hardships, and vulnerability. Since graduating from the NICU, I’ve had several girlfriends contact me with the question of “what can I do to help my friend/family member while their baby is in the NICU?”

WELP, here’s my top 4 suggestions:

1. CHECK IN

Yep that’s all. A simple text of “hey just checking in, sending you all the love today. No need to respond. If you need anything, let me know”. Just that opening of a text, if/when they get to it, is a heart warmer. 

2. GOODIE BASKET

The second day at the NICU, we were still shell shocked. My girlfriend dropped off a basket filled with a cozy blanket, snacks, dry shampoo, tooth paste/brush, gum/etc. Again, another heart warmer with some basics we kept at the hospital. And the blanket is now a keepsake for us. The hospital is the furthest thing from home with your baby, but these touches made us feel connected.

 
3. FOOD in MANY WAYS

This could be a meal drop off for the family, giftcard for door dash/restaurant/coffee/freezer meals. OR sometimes the family is covered, but as mentioned, the NICU staff are saints and they need energy to care for our babes. We’ve dropped off a few snack baskets in the last year, and you cannot go wrong.

4. COVER DAILY NEEDS

Offer to watch their other kids at home or play dates to give grandparents a break, clean the house/house cleaner service, run the laundry, keep the pets/take them for a walk. 

One more thing to note, everyone’s NICU journey is different. Some it’s a few days of making sure babe is good to go, and others it could be a few months. Assess your mama friend’s situation and see what would best benefit them. 

If you or a fellow mama friend is experiencing the NICU now, sending my love and hope these tips help. Or maybe this is something you keep in your back pocket. I sure as hell didn’t think we would cross the NICU journey.