By Erin Fierro
Imagine being told your baby will have to go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) when they are born. Your mind is racing and fear sets in. All you know is that the NICU is where sick babies go, and that must mean your baby is going to be sick. Many women with high-risk pregnancies find themselves in this situation. I was one of them.
Fast forward to the birth of your baby, who has just been born 10 weeks early. You get a quick look at your tiny bundle before they’re taken to the NICU. You’re still in the delivery room, with so many questions in your mind and wondering if your baby is OK and who the nurses and doctors taking care of your baby are. You realize you don’t even know where the NICU actually is. That was exactly how I felt.
The first few hours after my daughter's birth were filled with so much fear and uncertainty. Walking into the NICU for the first time and seeing my tiny baby hooked up to monitors and other medical equipment made me feel scared and overwhelmed.
Looking back, I wish I had been given the chance to see the NICU early on, especially because I knew my pregnancy was high-risk. I believe it would have made a difference and calmed the fear and stress I experienced seeing my daughter in the NICU for the first time. If I knew how common it was for NICU babies to be connected to medical equipment, it would have helped me to know what to expect.
Now, in my work as a March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program Coordinator, I work to ensure that families facing a potential NICU stay get the opportunity to tour the NICU and get the information and education I wish I had.
If you’re a family facing a potential NICU stay, ask for or a NICU tour. Equip yourself with information on what to expect if/when the unexpected happens and about what emotional support services are available for NICU families. Knowledge is power, especially in the NICU. It won’t take away the 100% of your worries, but it can help you feel a little more prepared and a little less afraid when the time comes.
Erin Fierro is the proud mother of two daughters, both born prematurely. She is passionate about her work as a March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program Coordinator, and strives to improve the NICU experience for every family she meets.