For families who have had a premature or sick newborn, going home is a very special milestone. Often, it can feel as if this day would never come.

For many families, leaving the NICU with their newborn, can also be quite a daunting experience as you will now have sole responsibility for your baby’s care. You may be feeling a range of different emotions and realise that leaving hospital brings new challenges in caring for your baby.

One of the biggest hurdles that parents face is being able to transition from being in a situation with 24-hour hospital care to providing the 24-hour care needed at home. You may be nervous leaving the care and guidance of the doctors and nurses who cared for your baby, and at times it can be a little overwhelming taking on full responsibility for all of your baby’s needs.

Miracle Babies was excited to launch the Grad Bag in 2018, with the support of Proud Launch Partner BabyLove Nappies. The Miracle Babies Grad Bag resource supports families in their transition home. This pack includes helpful information and items to provide reassurance and confidence as they find their new normal. 

For the third consecutive year, BabyLove continues to sponsor bags for hundreds of families going home with their newborn, sponsoring a further 750 Grad Bags across the next 12 months (adding to the 1,150 that they have already sponsored since 2018).

“BabyLove has been a proud supporter of Miracle Babies Foundation since our relationship started in 2016, and we have been working together towards better, healthier outcomes for newborns and their families challenged by prematurity and sickness. We hope the Miracle Babies Grad bags, which are full of resources, will help families to navigate through a challenging period at home after “graduating” from NICU or SCN.” – Mae Mizuno, BabyLove Brand Manager

Each year, 48,000 babies are born premature or sick and these babies can spend weeks or months in the hospital.

"Going home represents the new journey of really feeling like a family. Although it can be scary to leave the safety of the hospital and the staff being with you at all times, it is a beautiful time. It is important for new parents to take care of themselves and feel comfortable to ask for help. When I had my second son at 27 weeks, I remember noticing that family and friends seemed unsure about how to react, what to say or what we needed. It is such a sensitive time and while every situation is different, we do encourage extended family and friends to be there to support the new family.” – Melinda Cruz, Founder Miracle Babies Foundation and mum to 3 Premmie Babies

The Miracle Babies Grad Bag is available at limited hospitals. Check with your hospital first, otherwise you can order yours here.

Have a family or friend going through it? Sometimes, from the outside, it’s hard to know exactly what to say or do.

Take a look at some tips from Miracle Babies Foundation to help support a family member or friend going through it: https://www.miraclebabies.org.au/families/in-hospital/extended-family-friends/