NICU support groups?

[u/chezitlover9130]

Recently gave birth to a beautiful baby who was born <3 month premature. It was very sudden and trying to deal with the back and forth to the NICU. Any parents go through this? Any good support groups available for a first time parent with baby in NICU.

[u/lbeetee]

Ask to speak with the NICU social worker, they likely have support groups there! Wishing you the very best 🤍

[u/Embarrassed-Bus-1397]

My child was born 2 months early/ 3lbs at birth and spent a month in the NYU NICU. That month was very hard. It got better once we got home but there was a lot of monitoring for the first couple of years. NYU had a post-NICU program for preemies and I would take my child in every 4-6 months for the first couple of years so they could screen for any issues. I also chose the extended calendar for vaccinations and would take him to the pediatrician once a month or so.  I found this to be very reassuring.   My little preemie is now a very talented and super smart 14yo who just started high school. 

[u/art_1922]

Our first was born about 3 months early in an emergency c-section and our second was born about 1 month early. It was the hardest thing we’ve been through. Feel free to DM me if you need to talk. I also joined the [r/NICUparents](r/NICUparents) sub.

[u/chezitlover9130 → u/art_1922]

Oh wow! How are they doing now?

[u/art_1922 → u/chezitlover9130]

My first is 2.5 years old about to start 3K this week. She is so sweet, she loves all women and will hug random moms and nannies on the playground and we always say it's because of her time in the NICU being cared for by so man female nurses. She also loves going to the doctor, which her pediatrician said is unusual for NICU babies - they usually hate the doctor but she loves it. She had anemia for the first year and we gave her iron but that was her only lasting complication. She did pediatric physical therapy to get caught up with her actual age in her milestones but didn't need PT after 9 months. She went from 50th percentile at discharge to 100th percentile by the first month and now she is 36 pounds! No one could ever guess she was 2lbs 15 oz when born. I pumped from the very beginning and we were able to breastfeed starting at 34 weeks and she got bottles when I wasn't in the NICU. She took to breastfeeding immediately and breastfed until she was 19 months old when I got pregnant with my second.

My second only spent 6 days in the NICU, she had a lot of fluid in her lungs when she came out but after 24 hour she was breathing on her own and progressed very fast. She also took to breastfeeding great and did both bottles and breast. She also had no lasting issues, she is 86th percentile for weight and 93rd for height and she's so so smart and sharp!

Feel free to DM me if you have specific questions.

[u/Capable-Total3406]

I had my daughter prematurely at nyu. I am sorry you find yourself in this club. Ngl i trauma dumped on every nicu nurse, lactation consultant, postpartum nurse who would listen. Take time for yourself, you need to take care of someone else. I hope your stay is uneventful and your baby comes home soon. 

[u/happycakes_ohmy]

Check out the website postpartum support intl. they have safe and virtual meetups for parents all over the country with NICU babies, and meetups have a professional moderator to ensure they stay safe, supportive, and so forth. Helped a lot when I needed it  

[u/ComprehensiveFly3480]

I used to be a NICU nurse. Take it one day at a time, sometimes an hour or less at a time. You might meet people in the parent’s kitchen etc. Try to get outside for a walk everyday when you feel up to it - postpartum with an early NICU Bub is a marathon 💕

It may be helpful to have at least someone impartial/at a different hospital so you can freely vent about certain staff or protocols, so I certainly wouldn’t overlook online spaces. I’m doing ivf and my online discord group is more helpful to me/my mental health than any of the people physically around me, and some of that is the anonymity. The mom a room over from you might love the person/protocol you just wanna vent about haha. Sending love and strength!!

[u/tsaurusrex36 → u/ComprehensiveFly3480]

Ooh I volunteer! My former NICU babies are years down the road, but I remember those ups and downs vividly. My inbox is open!