Recently I wrote a post about the unexpected – when unexpected complications pop up during pregnancy. One of these complications could be premature labor and delivery.

A friend recently gave birth to her son five weeks early and he now remains in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, otherwise known as the NICU. Seeing pictures of her tiny baby in the NICU reminded me of my son’s NICU days and the fact that no one usually expects for their baby to end up in the NICU. It’s just something that happens.

I wasn’t prepared for this and I doubt my friend was either. It could happen to you as well, even though it’s unexpected and surprising.

It’s so overwhelming to go in the NICU and see your little baby with tubes and wires on him or her. I was a little lucky in the regards that I was prepared during my hospital stay for the very strong possibility that my child would end up in the NICU. I ended up in the high risk unit of the maternity ward at the hospital when I was about thirty weeks pregnant and there I stayed until I was induced with Noah three weeks later. During my stay, I took a tour of the NICU to see what it was like since there was a strong possibility that Noah would end up in the NICU.

The tour of the NICU was scary. All the babies were so tiny and had so many wires and machines and tubes.

I am grateful that I did have the small tour of the NICU as it was a tad less scary than walking in and not knowing what to expect.

Regardless, it’s overwhelming. It’s hard to feel like a mother when you can’t even hold your baby or when your first glimpse of him or her is in an incubator.

The March of Dimes has a great NICU section and some great tips for parents whose children end up in the NICU.

Photo Note: Thanks to Michelle who let me post pictures of her little one!