Love, Ivy

“Dear NICU Mama, As you navigate life after NICU, always remember that just because you are home now, you can allow yourself to feel scared, anxious, and afraid.

I know that everything you have been through in the NICU had lead up to this moment: You at home with your baby, finally.
It's okay if it's not what you expected sometimes.

It's okay if it's hard sometimes.

I know that we wait days, weeks, months, to bring our baby home to feel the sweet bliss of the normality we craved while in the NICU. We are still hurting, and that is okay.

NICU mama, you are just as important as your baby when you go home. The trauma and pain is still there–as much as we craved these days of being home.

Just because you're home, it doesn't mean that everything you went through in the NICU disappears.

Please allow yourself to feel it, and remember to give yourself grace because mama, you deserve to feel heard. You deserve to feel peace. You deserve to feel love.”

Love,
Ivy

More of Ivy + Her Son’s NICU Journey:

“My son was born on Feb 11 2025 at 29.5 weeks gestation. I was admitted to a hospital with a level 3 NICU 2hrs away from home a week prior due to PPROM then stayed 27 days after that week with my son in the level 3 NICU. We were then transferred to a level 2 NICU closer to home and stayed there for 18 days.

I was thankfully able to stay with him the entire time, only going home twice the entire 45 days to get the house prepared for his arrival and see my dogs who I had to leave so suddenly when my water broke.

Dear NICU mama has made this whole experience feel not so lonely and thank you so much for everything you do.”