Emotional Wellness of NICU ParentsEvery expectant parent has hopes and dreams about what life will be like once their baby is born. When thebirth of your baby is followed by a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, life can be very differentthan what you imagined. Feelings such as guilt, fear and disappointment are normal responses which almostall NICU parents share.“Later on in the pregnancy, when we realized that most likely they were going to be early, and the factthat they were twins and that there could be some other complications, even at that point weunderstood that, you know, we might need to spend a couple of days in the NICU. But still at that pointwe didn’t realize, you know, the longevity of how long we’d be actually staying there, the severity of thebabies how, you know, their health would be at that point I didn’t have as much anxiety as later came.”“When a parent finds out their baby's going to the NICU, the Intensive Care Unit, they're terrified. It'sunexpected. They don't what's going to happen. It's the unknown, that any parent feels when theirchild's in danger and they don't know what's happening.”“Looking at the babies in the isolettes all hooked up with the wires, I think the most… most anxietyridden, difficult part as a mother was going and seeing your babies for the first time and not being ableto hold them. So, it just looked, you know, from an external perspective, that they were just notcomfortable. You’re instinctively wanting to pick them up and swaddle them close. You’ve been carryingthem for, you know, X amount of months and then all of a sudden to not even be able to hold yourbaby.”One out of three parents of infants born sooner than 30 weeks gestation struggles with depression and anxiety.And it’s not just the mothers who are affected. Nearly as many fathers of preterm infants struggle withdepression and anxiety.“It was a long walk over there, seeing them then being hooked up to all the wires, all the equipment; itwas just a very… like I really didn’t know what to do with myself. If I was in the way, I definitely felt inthe way and I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to be able to… just to help, but I knew that I wasn’t able todo anything to help.”“Parents with babies in the intensive care unit are really more at risk of depression, anxiety disordersthat are common even with normal deliveries. Concern for their baby's safety really can increase thisnormal depression and anxiety, and exacerbate it, make it worse with a baby in the intensive care unit.”The anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by parents of babies born prematurelyor with health complications can last for months or even years.“I think the question every parent asks themselves in this circumstance is, “Is what I’m feeling normal?”They’ve just been through this terrible time of a surprise, a lot of anxiety, fear, and some of thesefeelings are very normal. “Is this outside of the normal feeling? Is my depression and anxiety too deep?Has it gone on too long? Are the resources I’m using not helping?” I think asking and talking to certainlyyour partner, other people, healthcare providers would be very helpful in trying to gauge that.”Here are four important things you can do to lessen your chances of depression or PTSD: One: Be in skin-toskin contact with your baby as often as possible for as long as possible. It can stabilize premature babies andset the stage for optimal brain development. Two: Learn as much as you can about your baby’s cues, so thatyou feel confident and competent handling him or her. Take any classes your NICU offers.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG51369B EN EmotionalWellnessOfNICUParents.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Emotional Wellness of NICU ParentsThree: Ask if you can be matched with a peer mentor who can help support and guide you through your NICUexperience. And four: Stay informed. Advocate for your baby to help you feel more connected and empowered.Talk with your baby’s nurses and doctors daily and attend rounds in the NICU when you can.“One of the major factors that really helped lessen the anxiety during the entire process was reallyworking with and getting to know the nurses and the doctors and just becoming more comfortableasking questions.”“I think it’s important that parents reach out and get support and treatment during this very difficult time.Support should start right at the bedside. The doctors and nurses in the NICU are going to be veryopen with you, communicate with you, and that’s the first step; keep you informed.”“It’s really easy to sort of let yourself take a backseat mentally, physically, so it was great to havesomeone come and just look me in the eyes and say… and ask if, you know, if I was doing OK, if I wasstarting to feel depressed.”“Talk with your spouse, talk with your partner about how you’re feeling. Friends, co-workers are readyto help and listen. Beyond that therapists are helpful. There are times when we need people beyondour circle of friends. We need that neutral third party to listen to us, to help us work things out. Atherapist is great for that, and there are therapists available. And sometimes you might find you needmore treatment than that. Medication has a role in the treatment of depression and anxiety.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG51369B EN EmotionalWellnessOfNICUParents.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
