Helping Some Who Has An Early Baby

For some reason, premature births are on the rise. This means that you or someone you know could have an early baby. These precious babies are often required to stay in the NICU or neonatal intensive care unit for a few weeks before they can go home, with some staying as long as three or four months. As you can imagine, this is a very trying and emotional time for any family, and it throws everything in life up in the air. If you know someone who has just given birth to a preemie, you may be wondering what you can do to help. Depending on the circumstances, there are many great things you can do for them.

If the parents of an early baby already have a child or children, one thing you can do to help them is to offer to babysit. This is easier on your if you have your own children, but even if you don't, see what time you can free up to give them a hand. They are going to want to spend as much time in the NICU with their early baby as possible, but many do not allow children under 18 to visit very often and the visits are often short because of germs and illness children tend to carry. If it is flu seasons, anyone under 18 may not be able to visit at all. If the parents have childcare so they can go spend time with the baby, they are going to feel better overall.

If both parents of an early baby work, their time to be in the NICU may be limited, which is heartbreaking to them. Other than childcare, perhaps a homemade meal once or twice a week would be a welcome gift. Make things that they can heat up in the microwave and something that saves well in the refrigerator so that they can make quick and easy meals. Less time cooking means more time spend with their baby. You can even offer to go to the grocery store for them, saving them even more time.

Some people feel strange about others cleaning their home, but you can offer some help to parents of an early baby by straightening up for them a few times a week. Offer to do laundry and load the dishwasher. Pick up clutter and vacuum. These small tasks are going to be easy for you, but are also going to free up a lot of time for them. If they are not too worried about cleaning basics, they can then concentrate on their baby and getting to the NICU after work. You could also offer to walk their dogs or any other small chore that may tie them to the house.

If you were going to have a baby shower for someone that has had an early baby, don't give up on the idea even if the baby came before the shower. You should still have the shower, understanding that you may want to keep it short. However, the last thing these parents want is to feel different than other parents. They may not have felt much like celebrating because they were worried about their early baby, but this shows them that you all care about them and that they do have reason to be happy. Go ahead with your plans for a shower, just get their input on time and date.