Getting Help from Mom: NICU Visits Made Much Easier by the Presence of a Grandmother

When I first had my twins, my family was living with my parents while we were getting on our feet. They stayed in the hospital for six weeks, and we got set up for them during that time (they were a bit more premature than expected). My husband was working nights at the time, and during the days, my mother watched my nephew. It really put a strain on life, and we were typically only able to visit the NICU during the evening. We would go from around seven to nine. My mother always went with me, and it was super great, because then I didn't have to be torn between holding one of the girls, and not the other. We could take turns, and the twins would get as much attention as they needed.

Both of the girls had reflux issues however, and spit up a lot for the first few months. Now, while I got my fair share of it, it never failed that my Mother got soaked. It happened at least twice during our visits to the hospital, with one super gross one that soaked almost the entire front of her shirt.

Every time we would come in after that, the nurses would always make sure that she had a rag on hand just in case it was needed.

Also, because she would go with me, and had experience with children, she knew what questions to ask, that maybe I hadn't thought of, so that was pretty great too.

The best thing ever was a day when my husband and I got the call that we could come get them from the hospital. We didn't tell anyone we were coming, and it was great to be able to surprise her by walking in with the girls!