Tips to Surviving in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

What does NICU mean?
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a unit within a hospital that specializes in the care of premature or ill newborns. The infants admitted to the NICU have medical problems that need constant monitoring and care by specially trained nurses, doctors, and other health professionals. Your baby may be in the NICU for various reasons, but most commonly because they were born too early or there were complications in utero.

Coping - How do you cope with a baby in the hospital?
People often say the NICU is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I disagree. I consider roller coaster rides a thrill and filled with excitement. The NICU is more like being thrown out of a plane and not knowing if you have a parachute.

Connect with your family, friends, and other parents with babies in the NICU. Lean on your loved ones when you need them, they are there to support you. Some family members or friends may not understand what you are going through and feeling, but sometimes all you need is someone to hold your hand through the hard times.

Build a relationship with the NICU staff. The nurses, doctors, and other health professionals are there to take care of your sick baby, so it is important to have a relationship with them. Don't be afraid to ask for help when feeding, changing, or holding your baby. The nurses are there to help you learn to take care of your sick baby. Don't be afraid to bluntly ask the doctor what he/she thinks about your baby's chances of living are. Some doctors tend to sugar coat things and get your hopes up. Don't be afraid to ask about everything a professional is doing to or with your baby. This is YOUR baby and you need to know exactly what is happening. Even if it is something silly, ask anyway. You need to know everything.

Get in touch with the hospital's social worker. They have resources to help you. Often hospitals will provide you with a room so you can stay overnight and see your baby whenever you want to. Bigger hospitals may have a Ronald McDonald house and you can stay for free or at a low nightly rate. The social worker will also be able to provide you with resources to help you emotionally. There might be a support group in your area for NICU parents or counseling sessions with a professional.

Be patient. Some babies in the NICU stay for a couple days while others might be there for months. The best advice I can offer is to remember that your baby is very sick and the best place for him/her is the hospital. As much as you may want to, the last thing you want to do is rush home too quickly with your baby before they are ready. Being patient will allow the doctors to ensure your babies health is where it needs to be and he/she will do just fine with they get home. Be patient with your nurses, as well. They are there to help but can't always do everything right.

Stay positive. The best thing you can do for yourself is the stay positive. When there seems to be no hope left, just remember that every single breath is a step in the right direction towards bringing your baby home. Every single breath means they are still alive and there is a chance they will recover. Take every bad thing and turn it into a positive. Tell yourself it is just one more thing that will make your baby stronger and that they can get through whatever is thrown at them.

The best things you can do for your sick baby is to talk, hold, cuddle, feed, and love on them. They need to know you are there and giving them as much attention as possible is the best medicine.