Ways to talk to them
Parents of a premature or sick baby might be struggling to find the words to talk about what is happening for them. Starting the conversation with them might be the first step to them getting more support with their mental health in the neonatal unit.
It might feel hard to know how to start the conversation. You could try something like, ‘Things seem really challenging. I wondered if you wanted to talk about how you’re feeling?’
Parents can also find it really reassuring to know that they are allowed to feel the way they are feeling. Often, parents don’t feel able to be honest about their experiences because they think they should feel lucky, or happy, or relieved. Letting them know that they can feel a mixture of sometimes conflicting feelings can help them open up.
Remember that they have also just had a baby – many parents would like to be congratulated on this, as you would if their baby had gone home straight away.
