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Gifts for Moms of NICU Premature Babies
Best Gifts for Parents with a Premature Baby in the NICU
By: Kelby Carr on: Sun 06 of May, 2007 [02:43 UTC] (10188 reads)
Premature NICU baby

If you know a mom who has a baby in the NICU, this is an emotional time for the parents. You may want to be supportive, but not know precisely how. It can also be challenging knowing just what gift is right for the mom of a baby in the NICU. You don't want to buy a gift that might be insensitive to the situation. Here are some helpful, caring and much-wanted gifts for moms with babies in the NICU.


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Even baby stores rarely have more than a few premature baby outfits. It isn't easy finding something for this situation, despite the fact that more and more babies are spending time in the NICU after birth.

Keep in mind, too, that while most NICU babies survive, a rare few do not. If you know something about the status and health of the baby, let that guide your gift buying. If that is in question, focus more on gifts that will help the mom in this hectic and stressful time or will help her keep memories of her precious NICU baby.

Baby Feet Pendant

The toughest thing for a mom to do is leave her baby in the NICU, but it's something she must do (usually several times a day). Having a pendant with her baby's name to serve as a symbol of her love, and which can rest not too far from her heart, will give her a momento that keeps her close to her NICU baby even when she is away.

This pendant is personalized with the baby's name and birthdate, as well as two tiny feet. On the downside, it takes up for four weeks to get engraved and shipped. For a baby that is born quite premature (more than six weeks early), the NICU stay could last much longer than that. Even if baby goes home before the necklace arrives, a NICU mom always feels tense at every separation from baby and will appreciate this even after baby goes home.

Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor - No more worrying while your baby sleeps in her crib

Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor

Bringing baby home after a NICU stay is a relief in some ways, but it can be hard for moms and dads to adjust to the absense of the many monitors during hospital care. If the baby had any sort of lung or breathing issues, this is even more intensified. A mom of a premature baby will worry constantly, at least for several weeks, whether the baby is breathing OK.

The wonderful thing about the movement sensor monitor is it does more than simply broadcast baby cries. It sets off an alarm if the baby stops moving (as in, stops breathing). This is a wonderful way to give a stressed mom of a NICU baby some peace of mind when the baby comes home. It even has a setting in which mom can listen to soft ticks for each breath her baby takes.

A Week of Gourmet Dinners for Mom and Dad

Whether the baby is still in the NICU (and mom and dad are making several hospital visits daily) or the baby has come home, mom will have very little time or energy for preparing dinner. This usually means new moms and their families end up subjected to lots of fast food and delivery pizza.

A NICU mom will surely appreciate the ability to have a gourmet meal without having to put in all the time to prepare it from scratch. In fact, another option is to make meals yourself to freeze ahead that mom can just pop into the microwave or oven with no fuss. Home Bistro offers a week of dinners for two that will help mom and dad eat well while stressed and exhausted.

Parent of a NICU Graduate Women's Cap Sleeve Shirt

Proud NICU Mom T-Shirt

Let mom proudly show her pride in her NICU baby with this cute "Parent of a NICU graduate" t-shirt. It has a stylish look for moms who aren't into the typical plain white t-shirts.

The best part is that buying this shirt helps the cause of preventing premature birth. When you buy this shirt, $3 of each shirt's sale is donated to March of Dimesexternal link, an organization devoted to working to educate moms about preventing premature birth, the importance of prenatal care and, hopefully, reducing the number of NICU stays.


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kieransmom464 points 
great ideas!
on: Tue 15 of May, 2007 [15:26 UTC] score: 0.60 Vote: 1 2 3 4 5

That month that Kieran was in the NICU was the roughest time of my life. On July 4th the local Avon ladies gave care packages to the moms staying at the Ronald McDonald? House. I kept the empty thing of vanilla body wash.

My original baby shower was scheduled for the day that I gave birth. My friends simply re-did the baby shower two weeks later (I left Kieran to go back home, 200 miles, for this). They gave all traditional shower gifts, nothing that would have come in handy for what we were going through. And nobody gave anything special to me or to my husband. After I opened all the gifts, held a onesie big enough for a 3 month old, & just sobbed. Sad, huh?!

It would have been really great to have received ALL of those gifts listed above. Those would have meant alot to me. When we first brought Kieran home, I wished for that movement sensor monitor; I was always so scared he was going to stop breathing.



author message
Taylor_Blue3104 points 
those are nice
on: Mon 07 of May, 2007 [02:09 UTC] score: 0.60 Vote: 1 2 3 4 5

Those gifts are so thoughtful. I know it would be hard to celebrate the birth while the child is still in the NICU. I was lucky that my son wasn't in there long but I do remember the air in there. It was like a sadness was in that room. All I did was cry in there. For my baby and for everyone else's baby that was there too.

Giving the parents a gift instead of the baby is thoughtful. Because while the parents go back and forth from the hospital to home, I'm sure that they will be wiped and want to be pampered themselves. I couldn't imagine even what that life would be like. Cheers to those moms that have done it.



author message
admin
Re: those are nice
on: Wed 09 of May, 2007 [20:26 UTC] score: 0.60 Vote: 1 2 3 4 5

It is extremely difficult. All three of mine spent time in the NICU because they were born premature (even my twins while I was on bed rest for a couple months to prevent preterm labor).

My first was in the NICU over Christmas. It was extremely hard. All I did was cry!

My twins were there, but one went home after 10 days while the other stayed for three weeks. It was so hard to go back and forth and juggle caring for a newborn and 3-year-old at home, and visiting a baby at the NICU several times a day. It was gruelling!! I know anything (especially the prepared meals) that can ease that time would be much appreciated by stressed out and emotional parents!




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NICU
article: Breastfeeding in the NICU · Preterm Births on the Rise – Born Too Soon · What to Say or Do for a NICU Parent · Top 10 Signs You Had a NICU Baby · When One Twin or Multiple Goes Home from the NICU · Complimentary NICU eBook Now Available - Looking for Feedback · Premature Babies · Gifts for NICU Babies · NICU Phobia · Having A Premature Baby In The NICU - A Mother's Feelings · Surviving Your Baby's NICU Stay · Kangaroo Care For Preemies · Gifts for Moms of NICU Premature Babies ·
blog: Baby Makes Five · Breaking Mom News Blog ·
directory: NICU ·
image: Sue Holding Kieran in NICU · Kieran on Respirator · Kieran with CPAP and Umbilical Line ·
wiki page: NICU Survival Guide · NICU · NICU milestones ·
image gallery: NICU Pictures ·
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