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When my twins were born three months early, I was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and inadequacy as a mother. During their time in the NICU, they were often in unstable condition, which made traditional bonding difficult. There were long stretches when I couldn’t even hold them. However, I found solace in reading to my babies. I would share stories with them before their surgeries and every night before I left for home. Unfortunately, I also read to my firstborn, Noah, during his final moments due to complications from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Research backs up what many of us already know: reading has neuroprotective benefits for infants. When families read to their babies, they are fostering cognitive, language, and emotional development. It creates a comforting atmosphere where parents can physically connect with their children. This closeness is essential for families in the NICU. Engaged NICU parents often feel more empowered to be involved in their baby’s care.
The advantages of reading extend beyond just the infants; it also offers NICU parents significant emotional support. In a time when everything feels uncertain, reading can restore a sense of normalcy and contribute to the creation of precious memories. This is particularly true when the stories resonate with their experiences or hold sentimental value.
After losing Noah, I sought ways to keep his memory alive. I recognized that reading had provided comfort to my twins during their NICU stay, and I wanted other families to experience that same connection. With the help of a supportive community, we established a giving library at our NICU and donated thousands of books, ensuring that every family received a new book to keep each week.
Just as leading NICUs ensure mothers have access to breast pumps and preemies receive human milk, they should also prioritize providing families with storybooks. Reading together is a simple yet effective way to promote neuroprotective care, strengthen parent-child bonds, and enhance the overall well-being of families navigating the NICU experience. Storybooks should be recognized as a vital tool in these settings, not only for their immediate benefits but also for cultivating a love for reading that can last a lifetime. By promoting reading in the NICU, we can help families develop a daily reading habit.
Having a baby in the NICU can be life-altering, and books can be a source of comfort during the challenging journey. Reading with my twins helped us cope with difficult diagnoses and the anxieties that came with being in the NICU. In Noah’s last moments, we pressed his handprints into his favorite books, and today, we read those same stories to his siblings who love to see their hands beside their brother’s prints.
10 Beloved Books for NICU Reading:
- Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
- You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano
- The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
- On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
- The I Love You Book by Todd Parr
- You Are My Sunshine, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
- The Crown On Your Head by Nancy Tillman
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
For more information on how to support NICU families through reading, check out our other blog post here. You can also explore resources on infertility to better understand the journey. Additionally, for effective strategies in navigating your fertility journey, visit Make a Mom.
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In summary, providing books to NICU families is a simple yet powerful way to enhance the emotional and cognitive development of infants while offering much-needed support to parents during a challenging time.
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