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Care package for momma w bb in nicu...

2K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  laspieg 
#1 ·
My good girlfriend recently delivered her baby boy at a birth center at 38 weeks... The delivery and labor went great, but the baby was having a hard time breathing, he was admitted into the hospital (4 hours from bbs moms home) and is expected to be there for at least 3 weeks, (they found that his lungs were not fully developed). Momma and daddy are staying at a nearby ronald mcdonald house.

I'm putting together a care package for her since she will be away from home for so long, and had only packed for 2 days (on top of all of this is healing from birth) any thoughts or ideas on things for me to send her (I'm in ak, so can't see her) I feel awful that I can't do anything to help, it's hard do see my dear friend go though such a hard time and would like to try and bring at least one smile to her face
I thought since many of you have gone through similar events you could help a girl out...

Thanks all!
 
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#3 ·
yep, everything she said
(do you ever wonder if i following you)

also, snacks......yummy fattening, homemade if possible snacks.

being in the nicu is time consuming, and small snacks were a life saver for me

cookies,crackers........the more calories, the better
:
 
#5 ·
***I would REALLY have liked someone to offer to take my pics of DD to get them 1-hour developed.*** I wanted pics of her with me at all times. I also needed personal items. I planned to be in the hospital for 4 days max, but ended up not going home for 12 days. We had no family in the area to help us get these things.

I would have liked:

1) A small soft washed lap blanket/pillow for myself
2) A small bottle of refreshing lotion/lip balm
3) Vitamin or electrolyte waters and FENUGREEK capsules
4) A nice small tote bag to carry everything from place to place
5) A CLEAN comfy MATCHING stretchy outfit that wasn't PJs
6) I also needed underwear, LOL! I would have loved a pack of washed granny panties.

I had all these things at home, and DH did make a few trips, but he's not "girlie" and he never got it quite right. I know you said you are sending something from afar, but, could you contact someone close to your friend and see if that person could get any of these things for her? My best friend stopped by one evening and brought a HUGE box of pastries and we ate them all. It was one of the nice memories I have from that time.

You are such a good friend. A daily phone call, in the morning or around dinner time, to ask about the baby, listen to her vent, and to tell her tht she is doing the best she can, also helps ALOT.

Nandre
C 2.5, L & A 4 mos
 
#6 ·
the best care packages I got were the ones that we're "baby-focused" but were mama-focused. I did a LOT of sitting around on my duff int he beginning, when I couldn't hold greg for logn periods becuase he was a stinker about maintaining his temp, so the trashy magazines my mom and friends gave me were awesome to keep my mind from going to the dark places - nothing like reading about celebrities to make you forget reality
 
#7 ·
Thanks you guys. I got her undies, contact solution, lots of Emergan-C, her favorite lip balm, 2 big comfy bras (haha, her milk just came in!), some comfy pants, postpartum tea, a rainbow baby, some mags for her and her hubby, hmmm... oh and instead of using any packing stuff, I used a ton of giant organic maxi pads... I know I couldn't get enough of those after birth.

I searched this town for some of her favorite popcorn, but no luck

I just can't imagine how hard it is, healing from labor, staying at a hotel, and taking trips every day to see your baby, and not even get to hold him. It breaks my heart thinking about how hard it must be.
 
#8 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade View Post
so the trashy magazines my mom and friends gave me were awesome to keep my mind from going to the dark places - nothing like reading about celebrities to make you forget reality

The tabloids were a life saver in terms of distraction! Also apprieciated was a Cosmo someone gave me.... How to have a hot love life while healing from a c/s with a baby in NICU HAHAHA.

I loved how I could read then pass on to the nurses. We had long debates about baby Suri and Tom C.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by intorainbowz View Post
The tabloids were a life saver in terms of distraction! Also apprieciated was a Cosmo someone gave me.... How to have a hot love life while healing from a c/s with a baby in NICU HAHAHA.

I loved how I could read then pass on to the nurses. We had long debates about baby Suri and Tom C.
yep, I always passed on to the nurses too - it was nice to be able to talk with them about "normal" things (well, celebrity things, which are not exactly normal, LOL - but aren't about my baby or health issues, yk?) It made me see that the nurses were real people, not just demon spawn trying to keep me from my baby.
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Starre View Post
Thanks you guys. I got her undies, contact solution, lots of Emergan-C, her favorite lip balm, 2 big comfy bras (haha, her milk just came in!), some comfy pants, postpartum tea, a rainbow baby, some mags for her and her hubby, hmmm... oh and instead of using any packing stuff, I used a ton of giant organic maxi pads... I know I couldn't get enough of those after birth.

I searched this town for some of her favorite popcorn, but no luck

I just can't imagine how hard it is, healing from labor, staying at a hotel, and taking trips every day to see your baby, and not even get to hold him. It breaks my heart thinking about how hard it must be.
that sounds like an awesome package
 
#11 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Starre View Post
Thanks you guys. I got her undies, contact solution, lots of Emergan-C, her favorite lip balm, 2 big comfy bras (haha, her milk just came in!), some comfy pants, postpartum tea, a rainbow baby, some mags for her and her hubby, hmmm... oh and instead of using any packing stuff, I used a ton of giant organic maxi pads... I know I couldn't get enough of those after birth.

I searched this town for some of her favorite popcorn, but no luck

I just can't imagine how hard it is, healing from labor, staying at a hotel, and taking trips every day to see your baby, and not even get to hold him. It breaks my heart thinking about how hard it must be.
you can send me a care package anytime!! You are the poster child friend for nicu mamas. Where were you last year?
hugs and blessings to you!
 
#12 ·
One of the best things I had brought to me was an herbal sitz bath all brewed up and ready to go. It was so great to be able to sit in the tub at the house we were staying at and sooth my poor perineum. Obviously you'd want to be a close friend, but it was so wonderful!

Another thing I had my husband buy the day after I delivered was a foam mattress pad for my aching muscles. Giving birth is hard work, and it's really hard to recover when you're away from home.

It was also just nice to have dinner brought to us. We ate out and in the hospital cafeteria a LOT. Even when someone brought take-out, it was a treat because I didn't have to decide what to order.
 
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