When my twins were born three months early, I faced overwhelming feelings of maternal guilt and inadequacy. During their stay in the NICU, they often experienced medical instability, which prevented me from bonding with them in typical ways. There were periods when I couldn’t even hold them. Despite my responsibilities being largely taken over by medical professionals, I found a way to connect with my babies through reading. I read to them before surgeries and every night before I reluctantly headed home. I even read to my firstborn son, Alex, as he passed away from complications related to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Research supports what many parents instinctively know: reading has neuroprotective benefits for infants. When families read to their babies, they promote cognitive, language, and emotional development. This shared experience fosters closeness, which is vital for NICU families. Engaged parents may also feel more empowered to be active participants in their child’s care.
The advantages of reading extend beyond the babies; it also greatly benefits NICU parents. It provides a sense of normalcy amidst chaos and allows families to create cherished memories together. This is especially true when the books resonate with their experiences or hold sentimental value for the parents.
After Alex’s passing, I yearned for ways to keep him close. Recognizing the comfort that reading brought my twins during their time in the NICU, my family aimed to provide that same connection for others. With the support of a wonderful community, we established a giving library at our NICU, donating thousands of books so that every family could receive a new book each week during their baby’s stay.
Just as leading NICUs ensure mothers have access to breast pumps and preemies get human milk, they should also guarantee that families have access to storybooks. Reading together is a powerful, cost-effective approach to nurturing infant care, strengthening parent-baby bonds, and enhancing the wellbeing of NICU families who are searching for ways to nurture their child. Storybooks should be recognized as an essential intervention in the NICU, not only for the immediate benefits to infants and parents but also for fostering lifelong reading habits. By promoting reading in the NICU, we can help establish a daily reading routine for families.
Having a baby in the NICU can be a transformative experience, and books can be a source of solace. Reading with my twins helped us navigate challenging diagnoses and the constant anxiety of NICU life. In our final moments with Alex, we pressed his handprints into his favorite books. Now, we read those same stories to Alex’s siblings, who love to see their hands next to their brother’s prints.
Recommended Titles for NICU Giving Libraries
- Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Laura M. Bowers
- 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
NICUs can partner with their hospital’s child life program, collaborate with the family advisory council, or connect with local bookstores to launch a giving library. Storybooks are a cherished gift that many love to donate. NICUs can encourage their community to contribute new books, ensuring that every baby and family is nurtured through reading.
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In summary, providing books in NICUs can enhance the connection between parents and their babies, foster emotional wellbeing, and create lasting memories even in difficult times.