Good gifts for micro-premie & mum?

[Larkspur]

A colleague of mine has just given birth to a 24-weeker. He seems to be doing well so far, so fingers crossed he will grow up completely healthy and strong.

I am just wondering if there were any items that mums of very early babies would have loved to receive as gifts, for their baby or themselves, that would have helped during a long NICU stay?

 

[angiepie]

Tiny, tiny clothes. You can only get 5x0 in store and that didn't fit my LO til much later. But you can source knitted stuff or buy 6 and 7x0 online (that's what I did). My LO didn't wear clothes til 32 weeks though.

What will get used now are some tiny swaddles/cloths. We not only used them for swaddling (later on) but used them to make nests and for padding with the CPAP. You can't buy these in regular shops so you could buy burp rags, make them yourself or get a WAHM to make them.

The other thing she'd probably like is food!

 

[AP]

At this present time I would say blankets, this isn't really for just keeping warm but you can swap them to exchange scents of mother and baby - this will help mum when she is expressing. A little teddy (I kept all of Alex's) Maybe a memory box so she can save any CPAP hats and bits. A record book?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Home-Preemie-Companion-Journal/dp/1456359479
https://www.prem2pram.co.uk/starting-life-in-nicu-baby-record-book-p-468.html

I would have appreciated all these!

 

[kanga]

Is second a memory box. And the offer to take her camera memory card and make her a photo book of her little ones first weeks of life.

 

[eeyorebaby22]

As a mummy of a 24 weeker I would say buy for mummy now and buy for baby when he is home - Most things a preemie needs will be provided by the hospital.

Being on NICU is hard work, and the constant washing of hands seriously dry's your skin out. One of the best gifts I received was hand cream, sounds silly but it was!!

Another thing I have done is kept a daily diary, so much happens in a day. I didn't want to forget a thing, especially things like first cuddles etc plus it will also be a great thing for little one to read when he's older.

Wishing your friend lots of love, its a tough ride full of ups and downs but these babies are so amazingly strong x

 

[vermeil]

Sounds silly but I would have LOVED home made meals, frozen or no. After spending the whole day at the nicu plus drives there and back plus expressing milk... The last thing I wanted was to cook so I ate whatever was around. Plus hospital food is expensive!!

 

[GettingBroody]

I know this thread is slightly old but I have to chime in and echo the hand cream recommendation! My hands were in bits! Along the same lines - chapstick or something for lips and maybe a nice reusable water bottle. The heat in the nicu is draining! Also, maybe a good book or stash of magazines for the long hours sitting beside the incubator. And food, food, food!! Best present ever!