1 in 7 babies will be admitted to NICU, and 80% of parents who experience NICU struggle with their mental health. It’s not rare, it’s just rarely talked about. And yet there is no routine support through the NHS, no follow up or check in, and little understanding or awareness in the system about what families have experienced.

Like most parents, I felt entirely unprepared for the impact NICU would have on me; despite having a risk of prematurity for both pregnancies, nobody actually told me what it entailed, or even mentioned the possibility of a NICU stay. The shock, pain and grief lasted way longer than the 32 days we spent in hospital.

But I was lucky to find Miracle Moon and the NICU space, a specialist-led support community designed for parents navigating NICU, the transition home, and life beyond. Founded by Frankie Harrison, clinical psychologist and fellow NICU mum, the NICU space is full of resources and knowledge, and offers an opportunity for connection with and support from others who get what you’ve been through. There is such power in the validation that comes from the shared vulnerability and “it’s not just me” moments, as well as the understanding of how trauma affects your brain and sense of self. Plus, critically, how you can start to process NICU as part of your story and feel more at peace with all that you’ve all survived.

Membership to the NICU space costs £149.00 annually. I’d like to be able to fund membership for as many NICU parents as possible, as not everyone can afford or feels able to justify this spend on themselves. Women are often on maternity leave with lower income, and desperate to save money to extend their leave by just a few more weeks to be with their babies longer to account for time “lost” and their baby’s adjusted age. Perhaps, like us, they also had to pay for private feeding, lactation or medical support. Far too many will also have had to pay for accommodation or travel during long NICU stays away from home.

November is prematurity awareness month. Please consider donating whatever you can to help fund a few spaces so we can gift a membership to those in need.

For more information on the NICU space, see: https://www.miraclemoon.co.uk/tns#TNS-features

Instagram: @miraclemoonuk