10 Ways to Help Your NICU Friend / Family Member

1. Visit Us
I know a limited amount of people can come see you in the NICU, but if you're one of the specially selected people to come on back, go visit them. Yes, our baby needs kid gloves, but we would love some company. The nurses are great but they have work to do. Even if you can't come back give them a reason to come outside of the NICU wing. Visit for food in the cafeteria or at our house (excuse the mess). 

2. Remind Us We're Not Alone
If you can't come see them, a little card can go a long way. Send a text or a phone call. Message them on Facebook. Catch them up on the outside world. Yes, this is a scary situation but we need company, too. It helps to know there are people backing them up and there for us. 

3. Help Distract Us 
Lend a book to read or old magazines you have piled up. Suggest podcasts to listen too, make a mix tape of music that helps soothe or energize you to give them.  We're spending a lot of our time pumping, praying, driving to and from the hospital, and cuddling a tiny miracle. Often times we're alone and worried and need to take our minds off things. Encourage us to work on those pintrest projects. ( I did cross stitching, for some reason working on a project for my baby girl made me feel more connected to her.)

4. Write It Down
Encourage them to write down our feelings and experiences. Give them a journal, a baby book, a notebook, pens, or suggest we start a blog (if we don't already have one). We may want to forget all this has happened but it's such a huge part of our baby(ies) lives and will most likely change ours forever.

5. Help With Older Kids
Offer to watch our older children (if we have some). This allows us to go visit the baby in the hospital and know our other kids are in good hands. Take the kids to the park or a walk with your children so they can catch up on household needs and a little catnap. 

6. Food Is Wonderful! 
We're so busy worrying about the baby or catching up on house things that food falls to the wayside. 
-Drop off freezer meals so we can just heat it when we need it. 
-A crock-pot meal.
-Heck, you could order a pizza for dinner (trust me, it's a lifesaver). 
-Drop off breakfast items, (cereal, English muffins, fruit, ect) often breakfast gets forgotten about. I once brought my friend who was in the NICU "breakfast in bed", I brought cereal, milk, oranges. 
-Basket of snacks would be great and save money from having to get them from the hospital cafeteria. 
It may sound simple but any of these are very appreciated. 

7. Help on the Home Front
Surprise! Our house is a mess and we hate it! 
-Offer to come pick up the house (just the kitchen, bathroom, living room). 
-Watch the kids while we pick up. You know how it is to clean with kids then add a life changing event full of stress and it equals impossible. 
-Let's clean and talk together, after all many hands make light work. 

8. Inspire Us
Print off or bring your favorite inspirational quotes, sayings, and scriptures and even songs / hymns. Cute dollar store items to decorate the house or the NICU with. Those little seasonal window clings are fun, simple, and reminds us what time of the year it is. You or your kids can color pictures to hang in the hospital. My friend's children made Anastasia "Get well soon" pictures and they follow us where ever Anastasia's moved to.  

9. Donate
Donate blood, breast milk, clothing, blankets to cover the isoelttes or make smaller sized flannel blankets for them to wrap the babies in. If you like making little tie quilts donate those. If you have preemie or newborn clothes your baby doesn't use anymore, give them to the NICU. (Keep that special outfit but give the rest to families in need.) No one really plans on being a preemie parent, it could happen to anyone.

10. Home From the Hospital isn't The End 
In some ways it's only the beginning. It'll take time for us to get back in the groove of things. Since we're bringing a baby home it may take even long for us to find a "new normal". Any help is greatly appreciated once we've been released from the hospital.