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Premature birth

Connect with others and find premature birth support.

Original poster

Care pack for NICU parents for first few days

31 replies

OMGitsnotgood · 27/01/2025 08:34

Our neighbours' baby was born yesterday very prematurely and they are facing a long stay in NICU. They've not lived here long so don't think they have many friends locally and their parents are at the other end of the country.
We keep their spare key and they've asked me to pick up some clothes, toothbrushes, towels etc and drop them off which of course I am happy to do as he doesn't want to leave his wife and baby just yet.

I'm not taking them til this afternoon as I have an appointment near the hospital so I have time to pull together a little care package for them. I was wondering what you might have found useful when you were in NICU?

Thank you

OP posts:
CMOTDibbler · 27/01/2025 08:40

Does the hospital have a shop like M&S where they can get food or a chain like Costa? If so, a gift card for there so they can get food and drink without worrying about the cost so much.

Mulledjuice · 27/01/2025 08:42

Bumping

timetobegin · 27/01/2025 08:46

I haven’t had a baby in NICU but I did have an older baby in HDU for months. Clean clothes and taking away dirty clothes, food (particularly savoury food), face wipes and deodorant, hand cream, and crocs/flip flops for the shower and a towel.

Baloo592 · 27/01/2025 08:47

That’s a kind idea. If it’s anything like the NICU I spent time in, you can’t eat or drink by the cot but you can have a water bottle in with you, so maybe that. Hand cream as you spend a lot of washing your hands and they get very very dry. Otherwise, I’d drop a card in too. I found it really nice to come home from a long day in the hospital to cards / presents (ie lovely for people to remember to congratulate the birth). For their reference, M&S do a premature baby clothing range although depending on the circumstances, the baby may just be in a nappy for a while.

Mysteryfemale · 27/01/2025 08:47

Agree with the Costa card. Would also suggest some hand cream - they are going to be washing their hands and using alcohol gel a lot and it's incredibly drying.

CandyflossKid · 27/01/2025 08:49

That's very thoughtful of you.

DH and I, (when I was well enough) were encouraged to leave NICU for a couple of hours for a break - we went to a restaurant not very far from the hospital a couple of times - could you see what is nearby and get a gift card?

Confusedasper · 27/01/2025 08:55

Premature baby clothes, or voucher where they sell some 😅 my baby was a surprise Premature...she had nothing she could fit in..I tried rushing to the shops to buy emergency clothes...no where stocked them had to order online. Luckily the NICU had some emergency babygrows. But it was so stressful and I felt so awful telling nurses I had no clothes for her.

Premature baby nappies...this was insane..but the hospitals own boots..didn't stock Premature nappies..just newborn..but the one in the city did. I had to order them in constantly. Nicu do obviously have some, but when your in there for months (we were sleeping there too) your expected to get your own. But I couldn't leave baby for more then 2 hours. So was hard.

Voucher for hospital cafe is a brilliant idea, that was our date night relax-as-much-as-you-can meal 😂

Wash stuff, shampoo, bodywash bit of self care

adjsavedmylife · 27/01/2025 09:02

-Hand cream (endless hand washing), -vitamins (hard to eat well)
-notepad and pens (info coming in a lot and brain not always in the best condition)
-Fresh juice / other nice cold drinks (nicu as hot as the sun)
Lovely of you to do this x

Original poster
OMGitsnotgood · 27/01/2025 09:06

Thank you, I hadn't thought about gift card for coffee shop, I can see what's available on their website. Hand cream is also a good one. Hadn't thought of vitamins, will do that. Notebook & pen already packed.

I've already got shampoo, conditioner and shower gel from their own bathroom (at the husband's request). I couldn't see deodorant and didn't want to go rummaging so will get some
Baby clothes won't be needed for a good while.
Mum is pumping breast milk - any foods that are recommended to be avoided when breastfeeding these days? I was thinking nuts would be a good snack but I'm fairly sure we were told not to eat nuts when feeding several decades ago, also orange juice but not sure if guidance is the same and in any case different for such premature babies being tube fed (I think the husband said she was only 26 weeks).
Any advice welcome thank you

OP posts:
Confusedasper · 27/01/2025 09:10

OMGitsnotgood · 27/01/2025 09:06

Thank you, I hadn't thought about gift card for coffee shop, I can see what's available on their website. Hand cream is also a good one. Hadn't thought of vitamins, will do that. Notebook & pen already packed.

I've already got shampoo, conditioner and shower gel from their own bathroom (at the husband's request). I couldn't see deodorant and didn't want to go rummaging so will get some
Baby clothes won't be needed for a good while.
Mum is pumping breast milk - any foods that are recommended to be avoided when breastfeeding these days? I was thinking nuts would be a good snack but I'm fairly sure we were told not to eat nuts when feeding several decades ago, also orange juice but not sure if guidance is the same and in any case different for such premature babies being tube fed (I think the husband said she was only 26 weeks).
Any advice welcome thank you

Unfortunately limited chocolate as it contains caffeine 😅

SJM1988 · 27/01/2025 09:14

100% agree with the gift card for costa or M&S - them not having to worry about just one meal while they are there will be a big thing.

I lost my daughter during lockdown (still born) - the one person and gift I remember during that hard time was someone who left a food parcel on our doorstep of ready meals and treats. I will never forget that parcel or person (she wasn't a particularly close friend either which made it even more special).

Cloudy0 · 27/01/2025 09:15

That is very kind of you. The things that I needed the most were premature baby clothes, I really struggled to find the small sizes and easy meals, so nice quality ready meals or deliveroo vouchers. The other thing I really needed was someone who would listen, I was in shock from the early birth and needed to talk (when I was ready). Other people mentioned hand cream, I did eventually really appreciate that as well.

CCLCECSC · 27/01/2025 09:18

Mum will need lots of water so one of those mini squash things so she can have flavoured water for a change.

Original poster
OMGitsnotgood · 27/01/2025 09:26

Oh @SJM1988 so sorry to read about the loss of your daughter. So kind of you to comment on this thread x

OP posts:
comewhinewith · 27/01/2025 09:43

Be careful about the Costa card - someone bought me one & the hospital branch wouldn't accept it!

anicecuppateaa · 27/01/2025 09:50

How kind of you. We spent 4 months in hospital. M&S bag of food - stuff they can microwave and treats etc. the nicu will have a fridge and microwave they can use. If the baby is in nicu, they likely won’t be wearing clothes yet (and if they need some, they hospital can provide them). I felt weirdly sentimental about choosing my dd’s first clothes.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 27/01/2025 09:53

Hand Cream
Snacks
Baby will definitely not be in clothes

BFhelp2024 · 27/01/2025 10:10

We found Deliveroo and Uber Eats vouchers really useful!

elliejjtiny · 27/01/2025 10:46

The things I appreciated most was people doing stuff for me that I didn't have to think about. E.g. my MIL used to drop me off at the hospital and she would stop at Tesco on the way so I could choose a meal deal for lunch. One of the TA's at school day with my older 2 and helped them fill in their school dinner forms so I just had to write the cheque. Things like that which I wouldn't have thought to remember myself.

Mulledjuice · 27/01/2025 11:16

For eating/drinking while producing breastmilk - i swore by a big bowl of porridge with peanut butter, banana, cinnamon and seeds. You can also bake this into bars. So it's not as sugary as a flapjack but loads of energy. Oats great for milk. Nuts are fine unless the hospital doesn't allow them in.

Would you/others be up for sending in some homemade meals that could be heated up in the parents' room at NICU microwave ? Having done a long stint with a relative in hospital it was really nice to have something that isn't a ready meal.

SnowdaySewday · 27/01/2025 11:40

If they are going to be away for a while, could you offer to check the fridge and throw away anything that’s likely to go off before they get back, so they don’t get back to rancid milk.

Pigsinblankets13 · 27/01/2025 11:53

What a lovely neighbour you are.
Some nice biscuits and a card. Be careful of nuts they might not allow due to allergies x

nicknamehelp · 27/01/2025 12:00

Also a congratulations new baby card.
Nice coffee bags or tea (often ones in parent room are awful)
Nice travel mug as might be allowed mug with lid
Fluffy socks/new slippers
Offer once they pop home to pop some food round.

eurochick · 27/01/2025 12:09

The best present I got was CAKE. Some colleagues sent me a lively basket of brownies and muffins. Even though I was expressing rather than feeding directly my body got the message that my baby needed gold top. And I needed the calories to fuel it. Seriously the milk was crazy - about 90% fat and 10% liquid sitting underneath. That reversed later when she had regained weight. Buy her the gift of cake.

Original poster
OMGitsnotgood · 27/01/2025 16:44

Thank you for all the helpful ideas, I made up a better bag of things with your help and gratefully received.

I will ask them if they want me to clear out the fridge, don't feel it's something I can just do but an idea I wouldn't have thought of thank you. I did wash up tbe things they had left in the sink and left them to drain, didn't want to go looking through the cupboards.

Their parents are coming tomorrow so will make sure there is bread and milk for them and offer to help with shopping/meal prep etc

Thanks again

OP posts: