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Most parents aren?t expecting their newborn to come early or to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and when it does happen, “parents are very frightened,” says Jeanette Doherty, a social worker who specializes in the NICU at St. Michael?s Hospital in Toronto. ?They?re processing a huge amount of information at once, and they also have a lot of practical needs in the background.?
That?s where friends and family come in. There are plenty of ways to make having a preemie a little bit easier on new parents.
1. Bring food, food and more food
The birthing parent will likely be spending long days in the NICU, and like anyone recovering from birth, they will be hungry. Hospital cafeterias can get old (and expensive) pretty fast, so organize a meal train with others in their community. Bring frozen pre-prepared meals to heat up at the hospital (most have microwaves), packed lunches, healthy snacks like fruit (which can be pricey and hard to come by at some hospitals), and of course some of her favourite treats. If they’re breastfeeding, chestfeeding or pumping, bake up a batch of lactation cookies or muffins. And don?t forget about their partner or family. If they have other kids at home, feed them too. After spending a long day at the hospital, cooking is the last thing that preemie parents will want to do. 2. Offer a ride
?Rides to the hospital were the best?it took away the worry of getting there or getting home,? says one NICU ...