Do you believe this statement?
“Who you are, as you care for preterm and sick infants, matters.”
Stressed? Angry? Worried?
Babies pick that up.
Frantic?
You bet they notice.
Intentional, observant, proficient and nurturing?
Thankfully, they notice that too.
At this time of year it’s easy to see the upcoming fall as THE END OF SUMMER and the beginning of a more stressful time of year. We can carry that stress into the NICU and inadvertently allow it to flow through our hands into a very small person.
So let’s make a pact not to let the aisles of school supplies trigger a stress response. (Or our fall calendars.)
Instead, ENJOY the last weeks of summer. Every last firefly-filled minute.
Let’s bring the relaxed, unscheduled, long- weekend -evenings –hanging- outside- with- friends version of ourselves to the NICU. And remember what that feels like every day.
Because here’s the thing:
Weeks to months from now, after your students return to campus, your kids run out to meet the school bus, or the leaves begin to change color, babies will still be in incubators and you will still care for them. And their systems will expect, absorb and respond to whatever consistent sensory input they receive every time you open the portholes.
Intentional Caregiving is never out of season.
