Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dealing with a Child in the NICU

Having a healthy baby is the wish and dream of every parent when they hear the magical words that they are pregnant. But no one prepares you for the tragedy of birthing a sick child, and nothing can be more overwhelming or fill you with hopelessness more than having a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU. It is tough knowing that you have to leave your child in the hands of others, and not always being able to be there to care for your child can take a toll on any parent. Below are a few steps of how I survived our NICU experience. Hopefully it will help you deal with the time away from your new baby.

Talk to the doctors and nurses about all your questions and concerns. When my son was in the NICU, he was over one hour away from home and we were not able to visit him every day. However, I was comforted by knowing I could call the nursing staff and speak to them 24/7 about all of my sons needs. I was given regular updates about his care and his progress even when I could not be there myself. These phone conversations were a life saver to me. I felt like I was doing my part to care for my son even though I was over 60 miles away.

Befriend the social worker. Every hospital has a social worker, and if you have not already met yours than make an appointment! The social worker will be a great resource to you. The social worker knows what goes on in the hospital and has dealt with this experience many times. They will also be able to offer you guidance and answer most of your questions. They should even be able to help with food coupons and parking passes (no parent should have to pay to park and see their child!) Beware of getting on the wrong side of the social worker as well. Our social worker did not think we came to visit our son enough and was quite the thorn in our side. This made our experience even more challenging and frustrating and perhaps could have been avoided by more open communication.

Be aware of the other children and families around you. The families of the children around you can be a great resource to you because they too are experiencing the same things as you. One of the families of a little girl that was next to my son took particular interest in him. Even though she was there quite a shorter time then my son, when she was released and went home they left a little note and a stuffed animal "from the girl next door." This warmed my heart to know that a family I did not know was also looking out for the care of my son, and I felt blessed knowing that they were there when I could not be. This friendship by proxy meant a lot to me and our family and again helped us know my son was in good care.

If your child is in the NICU for any amount of time, you know the pain and suffering your family goes through having to be away from your child, no matter how long. Hopefully these couple of steps will help make the journey a little less difficult so you can focus on your child's recovery and eventual journey home.