How to support a friend who's had a premature baby

This is a quick checklist to help friends of parents of a new premature baby. It gives a little advice on how to offer support during a challenging time for your friends.

• Celebrate the new little person in your friend’s life! Send a card! Write that text! Make sure you tell your friend how brave they are and how you can’t wait to meet the little mouse. https://www.little-mouse.co.uk/collections/new-premature-baby-cards
• Send a gift – sending an item of tiny baby clothing is probably more important than anything else, as its unlikely your friend will have prepared for this eventuality.   https://www.little-mouse.co.uk/collections/premature-baby-clothes
• Gill has developed this great Buyer’s Guide to help you suss out exactly what you could send to the new mummy and daddy - https://www.little-mouse.co.uk/pages/premature-baby-clothes-buyers-guide
• Send mummy a “care package”, anything from a drinks bottle, handcream, crossword puzzles, a Netflix account password, a voucher for a restaurant near the hospital…anything she can do to occupy her time by the incubator
• Keep offering to help, even when the baby comes home. Often parents find a few days after the initial rush of helpful offers, they soon dry up, and your friend could need some extra support for months to come
• Buy books for parent’s to read to their little mouse – this can promote bonding and helps baby develop, as well as being a very thoughtful gift
• Comply to the NICU rules if you go for a visit – if you’re told to wash your hands, or not touch baby, it is for a good reason. Go with the flow and do as you’re instructed by parents.