Gift Ideas for NICU Parents - A Custom Necklace or Bracelet

One special way of remembering NICU parents, particular a NICU mother is to have a custom Necklace or Bracelet created for her with the NICU baby's name on it. You can even have the baby's name added as part of a family necklace.

One of my favorite places to find custom handmade jewelry items is on Etsy. I have found many beautiful necklaces and bracelets offered by different talented jewelry artists that can be personalized with your baby's name and information.

This necklace featured from BabyCharmed is one that I ordered myself with my both of daughter's names as a beautiful custom mom's necklace.

Some of my favorites include (listed alphabetically):

• BabyCharmed
• Bella Wish
• La Bella Jewels
• mncmoon
• sTuckintheCoop

These talented jewelry artists offer a variety of beautifully created handmade products. Just look around on Etsy until you find one that seems right as a NICU parent gift.


About Etsy

Etsy is the leading online website that allows Etsy hundreds of thousands of sellers to sell their handmade products directly to buyers.

The Etsy sellers featured all offer different types of necklaces and bracelets that can be personalized with your baby's name and information to become a reminder of your child when he or she is not with you.

More Gift Ideas
Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Parents and NICU Babies. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Parents. Squidoo.com.
Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Babies. Squidoo.com.


Image: BabyCharmed. Used With Permission.

November 17th – Unite, Fight and Write to Raise Awareness about Premature Birth

Each year nearly 13 million babies worldwide are born prematurely or born at less than 37 full weeks gestation. Of these more then one million die. More than one million infants die because they are born too soon.

In the past 25 years the rate of preterm birth in the United States has increased 36 percent. One out of eight babies in the U.S. are born prematurely.

On November 17th, Bloggers Unite and the March of Dimes are encouraging bloggers to unite, fight and write blog posts during Prematurity Awareness Month to increase awareness of prematurity around the world.

To learn more about prematurity, find out what you can do and give to the March of Dimes, visit their About Prematurity page.

More about the Fight for Preemies

Dyer KA. Bloggers Unite to Fight for Preemies on Nov. 17th. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Coming This November...Prematurity Awareness Month for the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.

More on the March of Dimes

Dyer KA. 2009. NICU Family Support from the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. March of Dimes Supporting NICU Families with NICU Family Support. Type-A Mom.

Kangaroo Care in the NICU Featured on Grey's Anatomy

The most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy (November 5) featured a story line about using Kangaroo Care in the NICU. Resident tough-guy Alex Karev is on a pediatric rotation and assigned to care for a fragile premature baby.

In this short clip new doctor Reed (Nora Zehetner) walks in on Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) who is still holding a premature baby in his arms providing Kangaroo Care. Their scene ends at 2:00.



You can read more about Kangaroo Care in the NICU at the article on Type-A Mom or in the resources included below.

Another good resource on Kangaroo Care is one of the classic, comprehensive books on the topic by Susan Ludington-Hoe, Kangaroo Care: The Best You Can Do to Help Your Preterm Infant that is available on Amazon.

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


More on Kangaroo Care

March of Dimes. August 2009. Parenting in the NICU: Holding Your Baby Close: Kangaroo Care.

Cleveland Clinic. Kangaroo Care. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Understanding and Parenting Your Preemie: The Social Environment. Meriter Health.

Krisanne Larimer. 1999. Kangaroo Care Benefits. Prematurity.org.

Virtual Human Milk Collection Campaign

During the month of November, or Prematurity Awareness Month, Medela today will be hosting a Virtual Human Milk (breastmilk) Collection Campaign. To participate in the Virtual Human Milk campaign, visit the Medela's Preemie Awareness Program website to register and vote for your favorite NICU.

According to the press release, the four NICU's that obtain the most votes will receive at least $5,000 each worth of Medela products or education services for their facility. One NICU will be selected one in each of four geographic regions. Medela has pledged to donate $20,000 in Neonatal Human Milk Support Products.

The campaign is being launched to honor the March of Dimes' National Prematurity Awareness Month and the thousands of dedicated Neonatal healthcare professionals nationwide.

In addition for voting for your favorite NICU, you can support the Medela company's efforts by purchasing Medela Baby Productson Amazon.

More about the Virtual Human Milk Collection Campaign

Medela. November 2, 2009. Medela Recognizes National Prematurity Awareness Month With Virtual Human Milk Collection Campaign. Press Release.
Medela. November 2009. Preemie Awareness Month Program – Medela.

Gift Ideas for NICU Parents and NICU Babies

I've been working on two separate pages with gift suggestions for NICU Parents and also for NICU babies.

I realized that many friends and family may be unsure what to do about getting a gift for parents whose baby is in the NICU. In retrospect I realized that we'd had a lot of family and friends waiting to see what was going to happen instead of sending a gift.

Unfortunately, not sending a gift to NICU parents may be sending the wrong message to the parents.

I have to agree with the advise of former NICU Mother, Kelby Carr

Don't let the fact that a baby is premature or in the NICU stop you from buying a gift, either for the baby of a gift for the mom of a NICU baby. No matter how perilous the situation is, the parents and baby will appreciate a gift. It could be the sliver of joyfulness they really badly need.

My advise would be to send a gift to the NICU Parent or NICU baby, to show your love and support.

Gift Ideas for NICU Parents and NICU Babies
The Gifts for NICU Parents page provides a list of suggestions with ideas for NICU parents from the practical to actual presents. Some cost money, other are just a gift of your time.

The Gifts for NICU Babies page provides a list of suggestions with ideas for useful gifts for NICU babies. It also includes a list with ideas for putting together a NICU Basket of gifts.

I'll be working on featuring many of the wonderful resources that I found which would make gifts for NICU babies and their parents.

Image: Adapted from Chobi Capeta's Heart Bag. Royalty Free Use.

Creatively Coping: Knit a Heart Pin or Pins

I discovered a very cute and easy pattern available online for knitting little hearts.

I realize that knitting little hearts would be a great way making quick thank you gifts for NICU nurses.

The hearts could be turned into pins, used as decorations on packages or even a mobile for your NICU baby. Keeping idle hands busy and knitting is one of the ways that a NICU parent (or grandparent) can TAKE CARE to get through the NICU adventure.

This pattern is a really easy way to use up yarn leftovers as can be seen in this blog post on closely knit, love letter in yarn.

The Heart Pin pattern is available from Hannah Fettig of knitbot. It is one of the patterns available in her book, Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts For The Ones You Love, her beautiful collection of handmade gifts for your loved ones.

Pattern: Hannah Fetting. Heart Pin Pattern From Closely Knit. Knitbot.

Image: Adapted from Marieke Kuijjer. Knitted Heart. Creative Commons License.

Bloggers Unite to Fight for Preemies on Nov. 17th

On November 17, 2009 you can help raise awareness about premature births by blogging about the March of Dimes Fight for Preemies.

Join Bloggers Unite and the March of Dimes in November for Prematurity Awareness Month® to spread the word and raise awareness about their fight against premature births.

Before November 17th
Before the November 17th "Blog-in" you can help spread the word in several ways.

• Send email messages to your family and friends.
• Tweet about the March of Dimes (@marchofdimes) on Twitter.
• Follow the March of Dimes on Facebook and post messages.
  
• Put a March of Dimes badge and/or a banner on your blog or website.
• Put a Bloggers Unite badge on your website.
• Sign up for the Bloggers Unite, Fight for Preemies event.

Plan to Blog on November 17th
November 17 is the day that was chosen The March of Dimes to encourage bloggers to fight for preemies. On November 17th, bloggers are asked to post a blog on November 17th for "a baby you love and to help others."

More on Bloggers Unite
Bloggers Unite is an attempt to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place.

It is their hope that by asking bloggers to write about a particular subject on 1 day of the month, a single voice can be joined with thousands to help make a difference; from raising awareness for cancer, to an effort to better education systems or supporting 3rd world countries.

More Articles on the March of Dimes

Dyer KA. 2009. NICU Family Support from the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Coming This November...Prematurity Awareness Month for the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. March of Dimes Supporting NICU Families with NICU Family Support. Type-A Mom.

Coming This November...Prematurity Awareness Month for the March of Dimes

Every year, 20 million babies are born too soon, too small and very sick. Half a million premature babies are born each year in the United States.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month for the March of Dimes. During November, the March of Dimes works on raising awareness about premature births in the hopes of saving more babies from being born prematurely.

Hear about the work that the March of Dimes is doing to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality from NICU Physician (Neonatologist) and former NICU Parent, Dr. Jalie-Marti:



More on Prematurity Awareness Month
The March of Dimes offers information on ways to learn, do and give to show your support for the March of Dimes' Prematurity Awareness Month.

Things that you can do:

• Raise a voice and join the MOD National Advocacy Network
• Follow the March of Dimes on
  
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• Youtube
• Post a Badge or a Banner like the one below on your Blog to show support.
• Click on the image below for more information from the March of Dimes.
  

More Articles on the March of Dimes

Dyer KA. 2009. NICU Family Support from the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. March of Dimes Supporting NICU Families with NICU Family Support. Type-A Mom.