When my twins were born three months early, I faced overwhelming feelings of guilt as a mother. During their stay in the NICU, my babies often experienced medical instability, which limited our ability to bond in typical ways. There were stretches when I couldn’t even hold them.
Despite having to relinquish many of my maternal responsibilities to the medical team, I discovered a way to connect with my babies through reading. I would read to them before their surgeries and every night before I left to go home. I even read to my firstborn son, Ethan, as he passed away from complications related to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Research supports what we intuitively understand: reading provides significant neuroprotective advantages for infants. When parents read to their little ones, they foster cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. This shared experience not only comforts the baby but also enhances bonding between parent and child—something particularly vital for families in the NICU. Engaged parents often feel more empowered to participate actively in their baby’s care.
The advantages of reading extend beyond the infant; it also offers significant benefits for NICU parents. It can bring a sense of normalcy to a situation that feels anything but normal and helps families forge lasting memories together. This is particularly true when the stories resonate with their experiences or are beloved tales from their own childhood.
After Ethan’s passing, I yearned for ways to keep his memory alive. Reflecting on the comfort that reading brought our family during our NICU journey, my family and I wanted to ensure other NICU parents could experience that same connection. With the support of a wonderful community, we established a giving library at our NICU, donating thousands of books so that each family could receive a new book to keep each week during their baby’s hospitalization.
Leading NICUs already provide access to breast pumps and human milk for preemies; they should also prioritize access to storybooks. Reading together is a simple yet effective strategy to promote neuroprotective infant care, enhance parent-child bonding, and support the wellbeing of overwhelmed NICU families looking for ways to nurture their children. Storybooks should be regarded as a vital intervention in the NICU, not only for their immediate benefits but also for their potential to create lifelong readers. By promoting reading in the NICU, we can encourage families to establish daily reading habits.
Having an infant in the NICU is often a transformative experience, and books can be a source of comfort. Reading with our twins helped us navigate difficult diagnoses and the constant anxiety of being in the NICU. In Ethan’s final hours, we pressed his handprints into his favorite books. Now, we read those same stories to his siblings, who delight in seeing their hands next to their brother’s prints.
10 Favorite Books to Read in the NICU
- Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Lily Thompson
- You Are My I Love You by Sarah Jennings
- The Little Engine That Could by Emma Davis
- Goodnight Moon by Sophie Carter
- All the World by Mia Roberts
- On the Night You Were Born by Charlie Evans
- The I Love You Book by Daniel Smith
- You Are My Sunshine, illustrated by Angela Miller
- The Crown On Your Head by Rebecca Taylor
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, illustrated by Sophie Brown
For more insights into the NICU experience, check out this article on the importance of reading. Also, if you’re exploring ways to boost your fertility, you might find helpful information at Make a Mom. For those looking for further guidance on infertility treatment, ACOG offers valuable resources.
Summary
Providing books in NICUs offers numerous benefits, including enhancing parent-child bonding, fostering cognitive and emotional development, and creating a sense of normalcy for families during a challenging time. By promoting reading, NICUs can help families build lasting memories and establish daily reading habits that benefit both infants and parents.
Leave a Reply