Picture yourself cradling a tiny human, barely tipping the scales at two pounds. The infant is attached to life-sustaining machines that monitor their heart, oxygen, and respiration rate. Various tubes provide essential nourishment and air.  The newborn is swaddled like a cocoon and snuggled in your arms; you are a compassionate stranger helping a newborn acclimate to the world. This is one of the lucky babies well enough to be held by a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Baby Rocker. I was one of those privileged rockers among an eclectic group of volunteers.

Our daughter, Jessica, started her life in the NICU. She was born small-for-date, meaning that at nine months, Jess weighed 4.5 pounds. Later, we found out that our daughter had significant disabilities, but at that time, we only knew she was our small, petite baby girl.

Touch

I understood the heartbreak of a newborn starting life in the NICU. The feeling of fear and isolation for families is palpable. The selfless volunteers and staff that help each family cope is extraordinary. And I knew that I wanted to return the generosity to other struggling families. After retiring in 2016, I returned to the hospital as a volunteer. For several years, prior to Covid, I volunteered in a Level IV NICU, which cares for the most complex and critically ill newborns. Mothers, fathers, and grandparents gently rocked their loved ones who were fighting for their lives. Beeping monitors and numerous tubes attached to their child are a constant reminder of their baby’s fragility. Some infants are too weak to leave the incubator controlled environment, their loved ones provide touch through incubator doors.

Touch is vital for a newborn’s development and is especially comforting for sick or premature babies. Did you know that touching newborns can help regulate their temperature, heart rate, and breathing? A hand on a newborn helps them feel safe. Touch can also help with digestion and neurological function.

Yet, some babies are alone in their plexiglass world, with the noise of pumps, oxygen, and alarms ringing all day and night. Many families have young children at home and are unable to spend entire days with their newborn in the NICU. Some babies live in the NICU for months, and the parents eventually need to go back to work.  Other families traveled a great distance to get the expertise of a level IV NICU and can not stay in a hotel for weeks or months on end.

  

NICU Care

My fellow NICU rockers and I provided the compassionate care. We are women and men, some with medical expertise, but most are non-medical folks. Many of us are retired and want to care for the newest generation. We rocked, sang, touched, and talked to the struggling babies, providing the essential connection that is so vital after birth. Garbed in yellow isolation gowns, gloves, and masks, we swaddle the baby with love, comfort, and the powerful human touch.

My first time rocking was frightening. What if I accidentally pulled out a tube, held the baby wrong, or didn’t recognize an emergency?  All those fears faded when the nurse gently placed the first NICU baby in my arms.  All my motherly love and instincts snapped into place, and I was just a woman holding a beautiful baby.   I sang songs, sometimes played music, looked into their eyes, and told them, “This will improve. You are loved, and we are so happy you are here, little one.”

Not Always Smooth

Yes, there were mishaps. I am known to be a bit of a germaphobe, so volunteering in the NICU was sometimes a challenge. My most memorable moment was when a tube detached from the infant I was cradling. Blood spurted everywhere, including my gown! I tried to remain calm until a nurse rescued the baby, “ me,” and repaired the faulty tube. After the baby was safe, I became overcome with worry. I had a cut on my arm and was concerned about the possibility of blood contamination.  Not knowing why the baby was in the NICU, I was concerned about the risk of a blood-transmitted disease.  I had young grandchildren at home; was I endangering their health by helping other babies? 

The nurse suggested I go to Employment Health to discuss the incident. The head nurse in employee health sensed my anxiety. She looked up the health record and, without defying HIPAA, told me that I was not at risk from this helpless infant.

This brief incident increased my awe of the medical professionals who work daily under these conditions.   

A Privilege

Our daughter Jessica, taught me about the power of helping others. Community volunteers who chose to engage with our daughter and their housemates, bring a overwhelming sense of gratitude to families. I felt the need to give that gift to other families.

There were more moments of genuine peace and warmth, which could be one of the most important things to give a newborn and their family. You are not alone, little one.  The world is full of kindness, love, and compassionate strangers. And an occasional anxious volunteer who overcomes their nonsense to provide loving care. I am thankful for the privilege of rocking so many babies.

For More information on volunteering at Kaleida Health, click here.