A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 37
Your baby and you
What you might be feeling about
having a premature or sick baby
Many deliveries resulting in NICU admission
are traumatic and not how parents planned
them to be. Parents of premature and sick
babies often feel a sense of loss, guilt, regret
and distress about how their baby came into
the world. These feelings are common to most
NICU parents and understanding that you are
not alone in these emotions can provide much
needed relief.
Common feelings parents can experience
• Loss at not having a normal pregnancy
• Anger that your pregnancy was difficult and that you missed out on the joy
and excitement that a normal pregnancy might have brought
• Loss at not being ready for your pregnancy to end
• Disappointment that your labour did not go to plan
• Guilt: “Should I have known that something was wrong?”
• Guilt that you didn’t carry your baby to term
• Loss and regret at not having the birth you had planned or wanted
• Trauma and distress at what you went through during baby’s delivery
• The loss of the celebrations related to pregnancy and birth
• The loss of not being able to breastfeed, if this was your preference
• The loss of not holding/cuddling baby straight after birth
• Anger that you have to be separated from your baby when other parents
can cuddle their baby at any time
• Confused: you are happy to see your baby but not happy that they are
here under these circumstances.
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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