Care pack for NICU parents for first few days

[OMGitsnotgood]

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

P.S. please feel free to keep adding suggestions as I am sure other people will find them useful

You sound like a absolutely lovely neighbour to have. X

From another NICU mum, thank you for doing this.

Maybe some vouchers from the company Cook? They do a New Parents deal. Don't order the box - our friends kindly did this for us when DD1 was in NICU but meant we had to be at home to collect the delivery and turned into a big faff. Vouchers were much easier and meant we had a freezer full of quick foods to eat on short journeys home.

The NICU charity in our hospital gave each parent a little bag - like an insulated lunch box size, to keep all the breast pump paraphernalia in. It was so handy. I still use mine for DD2. This sort of thing - https://www.sophieallport.com/products/wild-floral-lunch-bag It fit in my pump, spare bottles, breastmilk storage bags, nipple pads etc.

Also on etsy, you can buy preemie milestone cards like this. There are loads of different ones if you Google preemie milestone cards (sorry for mad link!). https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1674028841/personalised-preemie-baby-nicu-milestone?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_e-accessories&utm_custom1=k_EAIaIQobChMIvq-NqLWWiwMVEo5QBh36JxkZEAQYAiABEgKqG_D_BwE_k&utm_content=go_21811975347_169452892776_717564634700_pla-294930372950_m__1674028841engb_102858184&utm_custom2=21811975347&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvq-NqLWWiwMVEo5QBh36JxkZEAQYAiABEgKqG_D_BwE

You do sound lovely.
The other thing i wished someone had got me was some fruit cake or tea bread or similar. Dense and calorific but not sickly sweet like a sponge or similar.

Not useful for right now but please do visit once they have got their baby home.

I felt like I missed out on all the newborn visits having had a prem baby, I think partly as we didn’t announce when we brought her home in the same way as a birth gets announced, but it would have been nice.

Hobnobs were brilliant as a breastfeeding snack. I don’t think avoiding nuts is still advised but it’s possible the ward may be a nut free zone due to allergies of visitors??