NICU Blog

How to Use "My First Year" NICU Baby Calendar

To get started with your calendar, fill in the introductory information on the opening pages.

Next, flip to the back where you'll find all the stickers. 

Locate the sticker for the month of your baby’s birth and place it on the first month (it goes over the words “Place Month Sticker Here”). 

Then, start writing down all the details you want to remember!
NICU Resources
We are proud to share our curated list of NICU support groups, NICU mental health resources, NICU breastfeeding support, helpful NICU articles and more. 
2020 in the NICU 🦠 A Pandemic Story
I wonder how many blog posts right now are being started with “Wow, has this been a crazy year or what?!?” Because I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. There's no need to re-hash all the surreal events...
Holidays in the NICU 2020 - Feeling Grateful
Finding the gratitude - Holidays in the NICU, 2020 Edition It’s been quite the year hasn't it?!  Who knew when we rang the bells and clinked our glasses on 12-31-2019 that 2020 would turn out like this? I can tell...
185 comments ·
The reality of the NICU
People ask all the time about what it’s like in the NICU. They say “it must be so hard,” “it must be so scary.” And that’s true, to some degree. It is hard, and it scary. And it’s so much...
Solving Preemie Skin Issues - A Partnership between Every Tiny Thing and Beb Organic
I'm delighted to announce that we are partnering with BEB Organic to make their NICU-approved skin products available in our deluxe "Hope & Love" NICU Care Packages.  This line of baby skin care products was developed by Kim Walls, the...
Guest Post ·
Dear New NICU Mom - Words of Support and Love, From One Mom to Another
Dear New NICU mom, I'm sure your head is spinning, and you may still be trying to recover from the shock of ending up here, as a NICU parent.  Take a moment and breathe.  You might have to remind yourself...
How to Photograph Your Preemie in the NICU
I'm thrilled to share some incredible tips from my friend Jessica who is seriously the best NICU photographer ever. You must check out her incredible gallery of work!   She generously offered to share these tips, originally shared on her website,...
The Best Gift For Any NICU Mom
What to buy for a NICU mom can be a difficult question to answer - our CEO has been a NICU nurse and parent advocate for over 20 years. She shares the most welcome and appreciated presents by NICU moms everywhere. sometimes gifts for NICU mothers can be unintentionally upsetting - make sure your gift is perfect.
Attachment Parenting and Bonding in the NICU
Today I'd like to discuss bonding with an infant in the NICU, which is undoubtedly a challenge, particularly if you are interested in using some attachment parenting ideas. Regardless of how you intended to parent, your plans got disrupted by the NICU, and I hope to help shed some light on enhancing your bonding via attachment parenting strategies.
Halloween in the NICU - 20 Great Ways to Enjoy your baby's First Halloween
When your baby's first Halloween happens when you're in the NICU, you can still have a little fun, if you feel up to it. Any opportunity to smile while you're on this difficult journey is a gift, and you have...
Should I Sing to My NICU Baby?
Singing to your baby is a natural and normal thing that parents across all cultures do to nurture & bond with their babies. When everything else about the NICU is so unnatural and difficult, singing is a free, easy & natural way to stay connected with your baby. Lullabies in the NICU are calming, research backs it up.
75 Fantastic Books to Read Aloud to NICU Babies
Reading to a baby in the NICU is a very important bonding activity, and we've brought together a list of some of the very best out-loud reading books for preemies and any baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. These make the best gifts for NICU parents. Take to the NICU leave at the bedside read to your baby daily.
Best Baby Monitors for NICU Grads
Doctors would not be sending your baby home if they weren’t confident it was safe, so no monitors are absolutely necessary. But most parents today want to monitor their baby. So we share some simple ways to tell which monitor is best for your preemie NICU baby after graduating from the NICU.
Guest Post ·
My Typical Daily NICU Routine - A Day in the Life of a NICU Mom
One NICU mom shares the routines that kept her feeling in control and sane while staying healthy. "My son, who I will refer to as “W”, was born at 29 weeks after a sudden onset of PreEclampsia and HELLP syndrome. From the time I arrived at the Emergency Department, to the time W was delivered was less than 7 hours.
Guest Post ·
Mother's Day as a NICU Mom
Mother’s Day was the first holiday I spent outside the NICU once my son W, a former 29 weeker, was discharged following a 7 week stay. I remember waking early that morning to nurse, and sitting in the rocker in his nursery watching the sun rise and sipping a cup of hot coffee (a life saver, am I right?!) and just think
The Ultimate Gift Guide for Mother's Day in the NICU

It's hard to know the best gifts to buy for a new mother who has a baby in the NICU, because not every gift right for this delicate and overwhelming situation. We have put together a gift list that fits every budget and is sure to help you find exactly the best gift for a NICU mama this Mother's Day!
DIY Homemade Cloth Face Mask with Fitted Nose Bridge by NICU Nurse Trish Ringley

Since it’s becoming clear that cloth face masks are a good way to prevent the spread of viruses, I decided to dust off the sewing machine to make a few.

Because I’m a nurse and I’m used to wearing masks with a flexible fitted nose bridge, I really wanted to find something like that for my homemade masks.

I have modified a basic pleated face mask by adding my own touch - a little “tunnel” along the nose bridge where a soft, flexible pipe cleaner can be inserted when wearing the mask.
Guest Post ·
The hidden blessings of self isolation - a NICU mom's perspective
Today feels eerily similar to the first several weeks being home from the NICU. In this current pandemic from COVID-19, we are all being urged to practice social distancing, to stay home and only go out to the public if and when absolutely necessary...it feels familiar, like a case of deja vu with my preemie.
How to keep yourself and your NICU baby safe from respiratory viruses
With the entire world worrying about COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus), especially NICU moms and dads, it’s important to be sure everyone has a basic understanding of respiratory viruses and how they spread. Because if you don’t really understand how they get spread from one person to another, it is impossible for you to really do your best job keeping yourself and your baby safe from them.
Three NICU-Specific Mindfulness Practices for Anyone to Try
These three meditation practices are simple, beginner ways to bring some mindfulness into your NICU experience. Easy to do for anyone - no meditation experience necessary. Parents with babies in the NICU definitely deserve any strategies available to help them reduce stress, and these are uniquely designed for the NICU