Care Package Ideas for Family w/ Infant in NICU

[Skippy918]

My DD was in the nicu. I wouldn't worry about getting cleaning supplies or purell. Most NICUs have their own scrub-in procedures and all visitors have to scrub in before they visit with the babies. Is the mom staying at the hospital or is she commuting? The hospital I was in had NiCU parent rooms so I was able to stay there and not commute to see my baby. If the latter, have her check and see if the hospital is affiliated with Ronald McDonald house.

 

[bittybabygrower]

Another NICU nurse here. This is so nice of you! Some suggestions:

Reuseable water bottle
Snacks for the waiting room
Call the hospital and see if they offer monthly parking passes.
Our hospital sells food cards for the cafeteria and cafes.
If she is breastfeeding, plastic bottle liners so when she pumps she can freeze them flat to take up less room in her freezer and the hospital's freezer.
A small insulated lunch bag with freezer packs to transport milk.
Gas cards
A small phone charger, the ones that you carry for when you can't have your charger. Most places won't let you plug in at the bedside and your phone can roam More and use more battery.
A journal or baby book, a lot of our moms journal.
A boppy, makes holding baby easier. Leave it in its plastic cover so they can Leave it at the bedside.
Nothing bulky or they have to carry around. Unless they have private rooms, you can't really camp there or leave anything there. We have a few boarding rooms since we have pods with up to 6 babies and space is at a premium.


Hope everything goes well!

 

[Wendy31]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas!

Another friend has started a "meal train" with dates right now through the end of August. I had planned to ask if I could do any laundry or run any errands.

I'm a germaphobe, so, anytime I'm in a hospital, even though there are wall-mounted antibacterial gel stations everywhere, I've always appreciated having my own pocket-size hand sanitizer as well - which is why I was thinking of including a couple of pocket-size bottles. For the wipes, I was thinking the travel-size "handi-wipes" (not baby wipes) just for general purposes, but maybe that's not needed as much.

I will definitely include a journal - that's an excellent idea! I also really like the idea of a pocket charger. And definitely gas cards & a Starbucks card - I think the hospital might even have a Starbucks. I think, if I'm remembering correctly, this hospital validates parking, but I'll verify that. And a reusable water bottle is another good idea. I was also going to include a change purse w/ some change for the vending machines.

She is breastfeeding & is having to pump. Because of the baby's issues, he has a feeding tube, & I'm not sure they are even able to hold him right now.

And, I think, instead of the zipped cloth picnic basket, I'll get a cloth tote bag instead which will take up less room & be easier to transport. I was also going to include some activities for their other 2 children - coloring books, stickers, etc.

And I love the idea of including something special for the baby! I would LOVE (although I'm not sure how expensive it would it be) to get a soft blanket monogrammed w/ the hashtag they've created.

Again, I appreciate all the great advice! Your suggestions have definitely helped!

 

[MickeySP]

No suggestions that haven't been talked about. I love including other things for the siblings.

 

[mandy200587]

Gum would be another good one to go along with mints.

Double check on the starbucks because the hospital may have one but it may not be able to use gift cards.

 

[JennyKS]

My daughter spent 7 weeks in the NICU. Worrying about what to eat at the hospital honestly wasn't on my mind. Making sure things at home were ok were on my mind. Mine couldn't wear clothes but she had the little hats the nurses and volunteers made. Those were always cute and fun. We were probably 40 minutes from the hospital, some nights we stayed at a hotel close by. If they are far, you could always do that. It was nice not to be so far away from her. There really wasn't a lot of room in her little NICU area and so many cords and such, I just always brought a book and a notebook so I could write down things as I was told or to remember certain dates and milestones she made.