Having a premature baby who has to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be scary and stressful! In the United States, 1 in 10 babies is born too early.1 Do you have a family member or friend who had a preemie? Are you looking for gifts to buy but don’t know where to begin or what will be helpful? Well, look no further! As a NICU nurse of two years and a two-time NICU mama, I can tell you firsthand that these NICU gifts are not only helpful but also meaningful. NICU is hard, and giving a gift can help them make those tough moments a little easier!
Top 10 Preemie NICU Gifts
These gift ideas range from helpful and practical to thoughtful and sweet. There’s truly something on this list to perfectly suit every family with a little one in the NICU:
1. Octopus for Preemies
These little crochet octopuses are adorable and serve a mighty purpose for preemies in the NICU! The octopus tentacles are spirals, just like an umbilical cord! Preemies are supposed to still be in their mom’s womb for weeks or maybe even months. Having an octopus comforts them by giving them something to hold onto that feels familiar. It’s also fun for parents to take monthly milestone pictures of their preemie next to the octopus so they can see the size comparison as they grow!
2. Flannel Baby Blankets
Buy Citrus Print Buy Space Print
Many preemies need help regulating their temperature, so they’re placed in a large “box” called an isolette. The isolette helps keep their temperature under control and helps control their environment.2,3 Inside the isolette is a little mattress pad that’s often covered with a basic hospital blanket. These are usually starchy and not very cute. Gifting swaddle blankets is a great idea because they’re typically the perfect size to use as an isolette mattress sheet. Swaddle blankets are super soft, which is great for a premature baby’s sensitive skin. They’re also perfect for wrapping baby once they grow big enough to be swaddled. These blankets from Target fit perfectly and make the isolette look and feel a little more like home!
3. Mittens
Sometimes, premature babies have lots of tubes and wires covering their bodies to help keep them alive and stable.4 Though preemies are tiny, they are mighty! They love pulling on their tubes and wires. Baby mittens like these cute ones from Goumi are a great gift because they’ll help prevent the baby from pulling on things. We love these because they have preemie sizes available, and the two-part closure keeps the mitts on and can be adjusted as baby grows. You can also find newborn-size baby mittens at most large retail stores.
4. Preemie Hats
You can also purchase hats for preemies! Preemies love coming out of their isolettes and doing skin-to-skin with mom and dad. Premature babies can lose heat quickly, so having a hat helps prevent them from losing too much heat.3 These sweet hats can be personalized with baby’s initials and are the perfect size for a preemie.
5. NICU Milestone Cards
You can find adorable milestone cards like this on Etsy or Amazon. These are perfect NICU gifts for the growing preemie and fun for their parents, too! They’re a great way to keep track of milestones that often only happen in the NICU, such as removing IVs. We love celebrating every milestone — no matter how small.
6. Preemie Clothes
When they’re first born, preemies often can’t wear clothes. Then, when they hit a certain age or weight, they finally can, which is such an exciting moment! However, it can be discouraging for NICU parents to receive newborn sizes or above because their baby is often tiny. That’s why it’s a great idea to get preemie-size clothing. Clothing with zippers is always recommended/encouraged and will keep their tiny one warm.
7. Bonding Squares
A bonding square is a little cloth square (can be cut into any shape!) that’s placed in a baby’s isolette for a few hours. Then, the parent takes it out, tucks it into their shirt or bra against their chest for a few hours, and puts it back in with their baby. This way, the parents and the baby have a little piece of each other! These can be homemade or bought. Sellers on Etsy make some adorable ones! Just make sure that whatever you get is soft in case it comes in contact with the baby.
8. Books
Having a baby in the NICU can be isolating. It can be hard to bond with your little one through the glass of an isolette. Books are a special gift because parents can read to their baby and bond with them. Even preemies recognize their mom and dad’s voices!5,6 Here are some books that we recommend:
- “Small But Mighty” by Alyssa Veech
- “Goodnight NICU” by Allison Kleinschmidt
- “Me & You in the NICU” by Maggie Lengsfield Brumley
- “Our New Baby is in the NICU” by Lindsey Coker Luckey (This is a good option for a sibling!)
9. Dr. Brown Bottle Brushes
As a premature baby grows, they have to learn how to eat. In the NICU, Dr. Brown’s baby bottles help babies learn to eat because they make bottle nipples for premature babies. The bottles and nipples are supplied by the NICU and washed frequently, but they don’t come with bottle brushes to get them nice and clean. Buying parents a pack of these brushes is a simple but practical gift that won’t go to waste!
10. Baby Clean-Touch Ink Pad and Canvas
Keepsakes are a special thing to create in the NICU, especially with preemies. It’s an amazing thing to get handprints and footprints of your 3-pound baby and be able to compare them a year later to your growing toddler. Clean-touch ink pads and a blank canvas are the perfect keepsake gifts. These special ink pads make it easy, so no ink actually touches the babies, protecting our tiniest patient’s sensitive skin. Parents can then transfer the ink prints onto a canvas and create a lasting memory!
NICU Gifts for Parents
Being a NICU parent is no easy task. The ups and downs of the NICU are often referred to as the “NICU Rollercoaster.” Sometimes, mom and dad need little gifts or pick-me-ups to keep them afloat! I surveyed 20 NICU parents and asked them, “What is one gift you would have enjoyed while your baby was in the NICU?” These were the most common answers:
- Gift cards for gas, Uber, or Grubhub: Parents are in the car quite often, traveling back and forth to the hospital to be with their baby. Getting them a gift card for gas can help because they’re probably spending a good amount of money on gas and parking passes. Also, food is always a great gift. Gifting them a DoorDash, UberEats, or GrubHub gift card allows them to order and eat something good while they’re at the hospital. (Hospitals are notorious for not having the best food!)
- Personal care basket (lotions, travel shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, etc.): Taking care of a newborn in the NICU is a lot of work, and parents sometimes don’t want to have to drive all the way home to take a shower and then drive back. A sweet personal care basket fills this need so they can take care of their basic needs while caring for their new baby.
- Adult coloring books and colored pencils: There are times when the baby is sleeping and needs a break in their isolette, and parents need to take their mind off of things that aren’t a screen. A lot of stress and worries can build up, so coloring is a great, meditative activity to help calm the parents in these quiet moments in the hospital.
- Phone charger and headphones: Parents will spend a lot of time in the hospital, and they can always use an extra phone charger! Or, this way, they can leave their chargers at home. Headphones are also another great idea. Listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks is a helpful way to remain positive and distracted during a worrisome time.
- Extension cord: Outlets aren’t always in the best spots in the hospital. Extension cords can be really helpful so that parents can plug in multiple things in the places where they need them.
- Boppy pillow: When holding a baby, no matter how small, it’s nice to have the support of a nursing pillow to give relief to your arms, shoulders, and upper back. These are great when holding or feeding your baby!
- Nursing cover: Some parents want privacy while breastfeeding their baby in the NICU, and a nursing cover can help provide that.
- Snack basket: Having little snacks on hand that parents can quickly grab and munch on at the hospital is always a great idea!
- Disposable cameras: It’s good to leave these for the nurses so they can take pictures of the baby when the parents can’t be there.
- Support! Don’t assume that they’re doing okay. Reach out! Check in on them. See if there’s anything you can help with. Even just listening is a wonderful gift of your love.
Whether gifting something to the baby or the parents, I hope these lists helped you find the perfect gift! And let me just say on behalf of the parents, thank you so much for caring about these families who have their babies in the NICU. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will be remembered and appreciated by the parents forever.
